Bristol Airport soars with automated cross-selling via email marketing

Bristol Airport is a major international airport located in the southwest of England. It’s the eighth largest airport in the UK in terms of passenger traffic, having facilitated 9 million passengers in 2019. The airport offers flights to over 110 destinations, both domestic and international, including Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America.

Interestingly, Bristol Airport earns more than 30% of its revenue from on-site car parking. The airport’s website allows travelers to book parking spaces and this additional income helps the airport offset its operational costs. By generating revenue from ancillary services such as car parking, Bristol Airport can offset the costs of running the airport and keep ticket prices competitive for travelers.

Stuck in a data silo

Bristol Airport faced a challenge as it was stuck in a data silo where each airline held all the passenger data. Due to this, the airport was unable to cross-sell on-site airport parking and other airport offerings.

To address this challenge, the team recognized the need for better passenger communication pre-flight to decrease customer uncertainty around airports during the COVID-19 pandemic. Improving passenger communication would not only benefit the customers but also help the airport to increase its revenue and improve customer satisfaction.

Building customer relationships and driving revenue

Bristol Airport took a strategic approach to boost revenue and enhance the passenger experience. Here’s how it achieved success:

1. Capturing new leads with a compelling offer

• Eye-catching on-site popups: The team employed an animated Wisepops popup on the airport’s website to capture attention. This popup offered a significant welcome discount of 15%, incentivizing visitors to sign up for the airport’s email marketing list. This tactic effectively expanded its reach and brought in potential customers.

2. Personalized email campaigns and nurturing leads

Once users subscribed, Bristol Airport leveraged email automation to deliver targeted campaigns:

• • • Triggered emails for parking interest: Dotdigital’s platform enabled Bristol Airport to set up automated email triggers based on user behavior. By tracking user behavior within emails, the system identified those who clicked on parking links categorized as “parking” in regular email campaigns. This triggered a purchase intent alert, indicating a potential parking booking.
  • • Automated follow-ups with booking verification: An integration with Microsoft Dynamics 365 allowed for automated follow-up emails. These emails checked the subscriber’s “Last Booking Date” data field. If no parking booking was made after clicking the link, the subscriber received two personalized emails reminding them of their interest and the available discount.
  • • Personalized reminders and booking incentives: These follow-up emails went beyond generic reminders. Bristol Airport personalized the message by referencing the subscriber’s previous behavior (clicking the parking link). The emails reminded them of the exclusive email discount and the benefits of booking directly with the airport. This personalized approach enticed them to complete their parking reservation, effectively capturing potential revenue that might have otherwise been lost through abandoned carts.

3. Enhancing the customer journey

After the booking was made, the team served the customer with a three-step post-purchase journey designed to maximize all cross-sell revenue opportunities while also prioritizing a smooth travel experience. This journey included targeted offers for additional services like airport lounges or travel insurance.

Additionally, Bristol Airport provided important travel information to reduce terminal queue times and ensure a hassle-free experience for the passengers. This approach not only increased revenue but also improved customer satisfaction, leading to positive word-of-mouth and repeat business.

By implementing this comprehensive strategy, Bristol Airport addressed multiple goals: attracting new customers, personalizing communication, maximizing revenue opportunities, and ultimately fostering a positive customer experience.

High sales and happy customers

Bristol Airport saw an impressive boost in results from its new marketing strategy. The discount code offered during the campaign was used by customers in 48% of all future transactions. Emails played a significant role in generating revenue, accounting for 22% of all sales.

But that’s not all. A customer survey revealed even better news. A staggering 71% of respondents rated the quality of the information provided during the campaign as excellent, very good, or good. This strong indicator shows that the campaign was not only successful in driving sales but also delivered clear and valuable information to customers.