Page 36 - March 2023 #179

RLI LEISURE INSIGHT

Capturing the

Power of Digital

In this month’s Leisure Insight, James Brooke, Founder & CEO of Amplience takes some time
out to discuss how leisure and travel firms can capture the power of digital experiences to meet
modern customer expectations.

s the pandemic gradually fades into the past, companies working their experiences at the current rate of customer behaviour change. They
in the leisure and travel sectors have an opportunity to build and can’t provide the tools for a ‘composable commerce’ approach which brings
Aboom once again. Demand for holidays and leisure activities has the best of different technologies and applications together in one place, all
spiked in recent months and in many ways nothing has changed. The reality, working seamlessly to suit a company’s specific needs.
however, is that everything has changed. We’ve been through two years of With the rise of ‘headless architecture’, where the presentation layer, i.e.
lockdown (on and off) and there has been a natural progression to a more web pages, apps and so on are detached from the backend functionality,
digitally connected world, which means consumers are now looking for more companies can break away from slow, expensive and inflexible infrastructure
meaningful and personalised experiences whether they are enjoying a spa day and create experiences using APIs (application programming interfaces) to
or jetting off for a luxury vacation. control each part of the experience individually without being stuck in the
With the almost infinite amount of content and information we all have at backend where change requires developer time.
our fingertips, it is easier than ever for us to do our own research online; find This level of technical freedom means travel and leisure companies can
the best dates to suit our calendars and seek out great deals. We don’t need be more like retailers - super-responsive and super-fast, providing curated
third-party agents when we can find what we need online, but we do expect experiences based on actual customer data. As they progress online the
great service from the events or locations that we book. In short, leisure and company is ready to provide the next best offer or outcome at the best point
travel are booming, but managing customer expectations is becoming more of engagement. Customers can interact on all devices because everything is
of a challenge. connected and works in tandem and customer satisfaction and conversions
The retail sector has already had the advantage of reinventing itself through increase as a result.
digital first services including e-commerce and mobile apps that help it to Using headless and composable commerce is like conducting an orchestra.
connect its physical and online offerings. Travel and leisure tend to rely more The different technologies and applications are the instruments and
on physical footfall. However, companies operating in these sectors can learn composable commerce is the conductor, bringing the best musicians in the
from retailers, particularly when it comes to digital content and delivering a world together to play in time (and in tune) together.
memorable customer experience.
The outcome
Adjusting to change Because the frontend and backend are no longer tied together response
Consumers interact with brands and make purchase decisions quite times can be faster and scaling to meet demand is much easier. Companies
differently now than they did three years ago, and if companies are to can test and iterate more often with less risk and be agile enough to capitalise
succeed, they need to change too. They can’t rely on a rebound in customer on new opportunities to broaden their digital offer. Matching personalisation
bookings simply because Covid restrictions have lifted. The start of 2023 with expectation is straightforward because composable commerce
provides a unique opportunity to embrace a faster, frictionless and more encourages easy incorporation of contextualised content, products and
connected digital experience. search results.
Much of this lies in the content that companies serve to their customers With more freedom to innovate, leisure and travel firms can focus on the
(and potential customers) as they go through each stage of the buying capabilities that they know work best for their customers, confident in the
journey. In each of those connected moments more value can be delivered knowledge that they have the technical infrastructure in place to meet their
and this will turn into more revenue. The right approach means leisure digital expectations, now and in the future.
and travel brands can connect with customers on a deeper level, engaging
interest, emotion and memories. The digital experience is not just selling
tickets for an air balloon ride, providing gift vouchers for a facial or organising
a boat trip, it’s about all the enhancements that can be offered at the right
time, in the right moment, with multiple chances to make additional revenue
once the customer has started their journey. It’s more complex than retail in
many ways – where an online visitor just has to see the right content at the
right time – leisure brands are dealing with multiple different elements that
make up the overall experience, from research to booking to delivering the
service, even providing hotels, insurance, add-ons, ancillaries and more. But if
a brand can bring all these elements together and make it all feel quick, easy
and seamless for the customer, they are already winning.
Tech makes it possible
Effecting change lies in the underlying infrastructure: the technology that
enables digital content and experiences to be offered. Traditional monolithic
platforms weren’t built to give companies the ability to evolve and adapt

38 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL MARCH 2023