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A case study to show how user-research helped us write targeted email copy to RCI members, which resulted in higher Open Rates.
Challenge:
RCI’s primary means of communication is through emailers. While most emails had an offer to induce members to open them, the response didn't look promising.
The email open rate averaged at 12%; we had a target of 14% for 2020.
Research:
RCI members are individuals who have invested between Rs.5 lakhs to Rs. 25 lakhs in Timeshare holidays.
During my interactions with RCI members at various roadshows, I realised that they were sharp, knowledgeable and well-travelled business people who could sense sales-talk from a mile away.
For instance, two of the RCI members who I had met, held high positions in their respective fields: One person was a Dean of a hospital in Mumbai, and the other, Head of Design at a reputed Fashion Retail.
Solution:
Banking on the new insight from my research, I decided to avoid sales-flavoured copy. Instead, the copy guided members to certain actions that were relevant to them. The standard offers were mentioned only later in the email copy as an incentive for their action.
Result:
The open rates results (see below) proved that clear and helpful messages were more important to RCI members than a few hundred rupees of discount.
WEEK EXPIRY EMAIL
Recipients: 2644
Unique opened: 829
RESULT: Open rate: 32%
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL EMAIL
Delivered: 7017
Opened: 1401
RESULT: Open rate 20%
RCI WEEK DEPOSIT
RCI WEEK DEPOSIT
Background:
RCI’s key revenue comes from Vacation Exchange business. Timeshare Owners, who own a week-long holiday from their home-resort (Eg. Club Mahindra or Sterling Resort), must deposit this holiday week with RCI before they can take a different holiday from RCI’s resort bank.
In simple terms, RCI members can deposit their 1-week holiday in Shimla to exchange it for a 1-week holiday in Maldives.
Only when members deposit their holiday week with RCI, can RCI, in turn make these weeks available for other members. This holiday banking process ensures that RCI has enough inventory to offer.
Brief:
Email members urging them to deposit their holiday week.
My role:
I collaborated with the Marketing Manager and discovered that there were two segments of members.
Transacted: Members who have already taken a holiday with RCI.
Non-transacted: Members who have renewed their RCI membership, but have not taken a holiday yet.
So instead of sending one common email, I tailored the content for two segments showing them the benefit of depositing their weeks.
Result:
While we had a target of 50 holiday week deposits, 400 RCI members expressed their interest to deposit and filled in the Week Deposit form.
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