It’s one of the most predictable events in the retail calendar; how cold, dark, miserable Januarys lead to a surge of holiday bookings, commonly known in the travel industry as Peaks.
Typically, the period runs from Boxing Day through the end of February, with early-mid January’s ‘Sunshine Saturday’ usually the busiest time. In fact, with the unpredictability of Covid now behind us, 2023’s Peaks was a record-breaking year for some companies.
This period has always been crucial for business, with some brands estimating that their January sales account for up to 40% of their entire year’s bookings. Which is why they throw everything at it to stand out from the competition – not only the best prices of the year, but additional incentives too, like upgrades and free child places.
However, the sudden surge in marketing, bookings, and customer interactions, can put a huge strain on resources for many CRM teams, often making it difficult to take full advantage of that extra traffic. This is especially true if you’re already struggling with limited people power.
Yes, planning campaigns in advance does help (and if you haven’t started reviewing your historical data from previous years, take this as your sign to get going now). But it also requires a huge amount of resources to get the campaigns optimised and out the door when you’re in the thick of the action.
Typically, the period runs from Boxing Day through the end of February, with early-mid January’s ‘Sunshine Saturday’ usually the busiest time. In fact, with the unpredictability of Covid now behind us, 2023’s Peaks was a record-breaking year for some companies.
The pressure of Peaks in CRM
At WeDoCRM, we understand that the travel industry’s peak booking season can be both an opportunity and a challenge. Many of us have a background in the travel industry, so we’ve seen the silly season first hand!This period has always been crucial for business, with some brands estimating that their January sales account for up to 40% of their entire year’s bookings. Which is why they throw everything at it to stand out from the competition – not only the best prices of the year, but additional incentives too, like upgrades and free child places.
However, the sudden surge in marketing, bookings, and customer interactions, can put a huge strain on resources for many CRM teams, often making it difficult to take full advantage of that extra traffic. This is especially true if you’re already struggling with limited people power.
Yes, planning campaigns in advance does help (and if you haven’t started reviewing your historical data from previous years, take this as your sign to get going now). But it also requires a huge amount of resources to get the campaigns optimised and out the door when you’re in the thick of the action.
Get cost-effective CRM support
Think of us as your CRM co-pilots during Peaks! We work with brands to provide on-demand CRM support to handle the pressure of the increased activity. We can help you maximise every potential opportunity by supporting you with:- Data Management: Crucial for personalised experiences. We can clean and organise data, ensuring that you have accurate information for targeting and communicating with customers effectively.
- Scalability: Ad-hoc support will allow you to quickly scale your CRM operations to meet this increased demand. Whether you need support for a few weeks, a month, or just a few days during specific peak periods, we’re happy to tailor to meet your needs.
- Specialised expertise: With our team of CRM experts, you’ll be able to tap into the specific skills you need to address your unique Peaks challenges across strategy, operations, technical, and content.
