Catering, Tourism and Hospitality Magazine

07/08: edition

Smarter data

An Australian company proves that when it comes to effective marketing, a property’s own guest data is the key.

To maintain a competitive edge and adhere to marketing budgets, the pressure is on group marketing personnel to make every marketing dollar count. In recent years, more and more Australian hotel groups are turning to Intouch Data – their suite of tools give properties clearer insight into their guest spending habits and profiles, making it much easier, and more cost effective, to entice them to return again and again.

“It’s a smarter marketing approach,” says Peter Johnson, Managing Director of Intouch Data. “You’ve already got a client, getting him or her back is going to cost you less than finding a new one.”

Intouch Data’s suite of products - DataArc, Account Converge and Radar - transform existing data from any Property Management System (PMS) into authoritative marketing information. Whether used by standalone properties or across a group, these products give managers and marketers the knowledge they need to make decisions about who to market to, and when… which means better results from each marketing activity.

But it’s not just the products alone that have brought Intouch Data clients such as InterContinental Hotels Group, Accor Hotels, Hyatt and Mirvac Hotels & Resorts. As Peter Johnson explains, the software is customised for every property or group, and Intouch Data remain involved, offering support and personal project assistance.

“Once a hotel signs with us, we will do whatever it takes to keep them happy,” says Peter. “We don’t sell shrink-wrapped software, we build each client their own web based solution, and we can often value add by developing unique software as required.

“I believe that it’s this combination of great products and the commitment we make to each client that has seen us grow to our current leading position in the market.”

Like Intouch Data, Mirvac has also grown its hospitality profile significantly in recent years. As their portfolio expanded, Mirvac needed a powerful yet easy to use data warehouse that would work across PMS platforms regardless of geographical locations.

“DataArc was the perfect solution for us,” says Tim Davis, Group Sales and Marketing Manager of Mirvac Hotels & Resorts. “It gave us the control and flexibility we required. And Intouch Data’s implementation was refreshingly professional.”

“As new properties come on board, Intouch Data form an integral part of that property’s initiation into the group,” Tim concluded.

Account Converge adds another level, allowing group managers to identify buying trends across the group, analyse sales from agents, organisations and their staff, and target clients accordingly. It is this in depth knowledge, historically so hard to access, that can give hospitality operators a competitive edge for the future.

“We’ve built our business by providing revenue generating tools for our hospitality clients,” says Peter Johnson. “We’re also about service, so in essence we’re a mirror of our clients, only we’re working from the outside.”

To find out more about Intouch Data’s products, visit www.intouchdata.com or phone Peter Johnson on (07) 3255 0401. Email: pj@intouchdata.com

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