Branch > Case Studies > HotelTonight's Innovative Use of IoT for Enhanced User Experience and Increased Revenue

HotelTonight's Innovative Use of IoT for Enhanced User Experience and Increased Revenue

Technology Category

Robots - Wheeled Robots

Applicable Industries

Telecommunications

Applicable Functions

Sales & Marketing

About The Customer

HotelTonight is a mobile-only company that operates in the hotel-booking space. They have established themselves as a major name in the industry and are known for their innovative growth strategies. The company is a tastemaker in mobile growth strategies and has been recognized for their innovative use of technology in their marketing campaigns. They have been successful in utilizing Branch technology in novel ways to enhance their mobile marketing strategies. HotelTonight's innovative approach to mobile marketing has earned them several awards, including Best Mobile Campaign at the 2015 US Search Awards, and Best Mobile Search Marketing Initiative at the Search Engine Land Awards.

The Challenge

HotelTonight, a major player in the hotel-booking space, was facing challenges in their mobile marketing strategies. The company was struggling with Google's app install ad format, which provided a limited and unspecialized user onboarding experience. This was particularly problematic for a mobile-only company like HotelTonight, operating in the highly competitive hospitality vertical. The challenge was to find a way to customize their Search Engine Marketing (SEM) campaigns and improve the user experience based on whether or not the users had previously installed the HotelTonight app. The goal was to direct users either directly into the app or to the App Store if needed, and then take them directly to the content within the app that was originally advertised to them, thereby increasing conversion rates.

The Solution

HotelTonight turned to Branch Metrics deep linking technology to overcome these challenges. This technology allowed HotelTonight to customize the user experience based on whether or not they had previously installed the HotelTonight app. Users were directed either directly into the app or to the App Store if needed. Once in the app, users were taken directly to the content that was originally advertised to them. This innovative approach removed several steps from the purchase funnel, creating a more streamlined and personalized onboarding experience. The market-specific campaigns meant that a user searching for 'Hotels in Las Vegas' would download the HotelTonight app and then be taken directly to the Las Vegas hotels that were relevant to their original Google search, instead of having to start their search over once within the app.

Operational Impact

The use of Branch Metrics deep linking technology has revolutionized HotelTonight's mobile marketing strategies. By customizing the user experience and removing unnecessary steps from the purchase funnel, the company has been able to significantly improve their conversion rates. This has not only led to an increase in the number of app installs, but also a significant increase in total bookings and revenue. The success of this approach in the first 50 pilot markets led HotelTonight to expand the initiative to all search campaigns for their top 200 markets. This innovative approach to mobile marketing has also earned HotelTonight recognition in the industry, with several awards for their mobile campaigns.

Quantitative Benefit