Project Info

Facing fragmented data and high bounce rates, The Oberoi Group lacked personalized outreach. Our behavioral marketing strategy centralized their database, reducing bounces and boosting online reservations.
  • Industry : Hospitality
  • Category : Marketing Solutions
  • Date : Dec'15 - Jun'17
  • Location : New Delhi, India

Project Info

Problem Statement

The Oberoi Group, a luxury hotel brand founded in 1934, faced significant challenges in their digital marketing efforts due to data fragmentation. Their guest information was siloed across multiple lists, preventing a unified view of the customer journey. Furthermore, the group struggled with a critically high hard bounce rate of 25%, largely driven by the manual capture of email addresses across various programs without a validation mechanism. The marketing approach was primarily focused on bulk mailing rather than personalized outreach, which limited customer interaction and resulted in a suboptimal Return on Investment (ROI).

The Solution: Behavioral Targeting and Data Centralization

We implemented a comprehensive “Complete 360° Experience” strategy to modernize The Oberoi Group’s marketing stack and personalize the guest experience:

Centralized Master Database Architecture

The first step involved transforming fragmented, multi list data into a single, centralized Master Database. This foundational shift allowed the marketing team to access multichannel reports and data in one place, providing the visibility needed to make high stakes marketing decisions and increase overall sales.

Automated Email Verification & Deliverability

To solve the high bounce rate, we established a rigorous email verification process. Every email address captured, whether manually or through digital programs, now passes through this verification layer before entering the system. This ensured that only valid contacts were reached, protecting the brand’s sender reputation.

Transition to Behavioral Marketing & Drip Campaigns

We moved the client away from a bulk mailing approach toward an automated behavioral marketing model using IBM Marketing Cloud. We developed specialized HTML templates optimized for inbox placement and set up automated behavioral programs that deliver personalized quality emails based on customer actions. This included the implementation of strategic drip campaigns and personalized follow up emails to make every guest’s journey more memorable.

Value Provided to Higher Management

Significant Revenue and Lead Growth

The transition to personalized behavioral emails resulted in a 47.3% increase in leads generated from e-mailers, directly impacting the group’s online reservations

Dramatic Reduction in Technical Waste

By implementing the verification process, the hard bounce rate plummeted from 25% down to just 0.4%, ensuring that marketing spend is focused on reachable, high value prospects

Enhanced Brand Engagement

Focused behavioral targeting rather than bulk emailing led to a 25% increase in open rates, indicating a much higher level of customer interest and interaction with the brand.

Strategic ROI Optimization

The ability to target customers based on behavior rather than a “one size fits all” approach allowed the marketing team to decrease their ROI (cost per acquisition) while simultaneously increasing customer satisfaction.

Unified Marketing Vision

With a global email database and centralized reporting, the executive team can now view marketing performance across all properties and programs through a single lens, facilitating more agile and effective decision making.

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