Outrigger boosts revenue and personalization in under a year with Optimizely One

Outrigger, a well-established hospitality brand, found itself at a crossroads during a pivotal moment in its growth journey. The COVID-19 pandemic had presented numerous challenges, but Outrigger managed to weather the storm and, in the process, experienced a surge in online engagement and bookings. While this uptick was an exciting prospect for continued growth, the leadership at Outrigger recognized that their existing website and content management system (CMS) could be better equipped to fully capitalize on this opportunity.

One of the biggest areas for improvement was the decentralized nature of the website's content. Information was spread across a multitude of individual microsites, making it difficult for visitors to navigate and make informed travel decisions. Essential details about specific properties, rooms, amenities, dining options, and signature experiences were sometimes missing.  

Outrigger needed their website to deliver a guest experience that aligned with the brand's identity and commitment to customer satisfaction. On the backend, their existing website functionality didn’t provide a holistic view of customer preferences and behaviors, the capacity for robust personalization, or the ability to conduct marketing experiments effectively.  

The overall result was a disjointed, confusing, and at times frustrating user experience. Visitors had to hop between multiple sites and landing pages to piece together the information they needed. This experience failed to convey the unique "sense of place" that is so integral to the Outrigger brand of HOST + GUEST + PLACE. 

Recognizing the urgent need for transformation, Outrigger made the strategic decision to partner with Optimizely, the world’s first marketing operating system, and Rightpoint, a renowned digital agency with expertise in crafting compelling online experiences. Together, they embarked on a journey to revamp Outrigger's digital presence. 

In just five months, Outrigger transitioned from ground zero to a fully functional experimentation and personalization program, with the assistance of Rightpoint’s guidance and by incorporating Optimizely One into their tech stack -- including the Content Management System, Optimizely Digital Platform (ODP), real-time segments, and Web Experimentation. 

Outrigger took a phased approach to drive customer loyalty that began with building a strategy. Subsequently, they focused on adding the right products at the right time, used ODP data for optimization, and ultimately integrated their CRM and guest-facing loyalty program to expand their segment and metric library. 

Outrigger's journey towards a digital transformation was marked by a strategic integration of Optimizely’s Content Management System (CMS), a pivotal move in reshaping what was a fragmented guest experience. Leveraging the CMS, Outrigger engineered a unified, exceptional content experience, meticulously designed around high-fidelity imagery and content. The focus balanced between offering a mix of inspiration and relevant information to engage and captivate visitors.  

When implementing the CMS, Outrigger’s journey also focused heavily on voice of the customer and market research, shifting the perspective from merely booking a hotel room to planning a trip. This broader view identified crucial steps in the customer journey, influencing decision-making and enhancing the website experience with storytelling and a unique sense of place.  

For instance, implementation of a sophisticated booking widget both facilitated real-time segmentation and proved instrumental in capturing valuable guest data, ultimately streamlining the booking process for enhanced efficiency. 

A cornerstone in Outrigger's successful digital transformation was their adoption of the Optimizely Data Platform (ODP), which addressed the decentralized nature of customer insights. ODP unified customer data and offered the first comprehensive view of Outrigger’s guest preferences and behaviors. This data environment became the bedrock for enhanced personalization, allowing Outrigger to tailor the travel experience precisely to individual preferences. The seamless integration of ODP fostered a more tailored approach in line with Outrigger’s trinity of HOST + GUEST + PLACE.

Initially, the team got acclimated to the ODP architecture, setting up real-time segments, metrics, and event-tracking, Meticulous planning laid the foundation for structured data in ODP and enabled effective setup of real-time segments and experimentation.  

Outrigger adopted the informant influence approach and categorized channels based on their ability to inform the ODP and ODP segments -- and strategically addressed potential bumps in the guest journey with additional touchpoints and interventions. Afterwards, they integrated Outrigger's CRM and guest-facing loyalty program to expand their segment and metric library. The ODP was essential in using anonymous but valuable behavioral data across the booking engine and other channels to optimize their marketing campaigns. 

Web Experimentation and the unified data in the ODP, emerged as key players for Outrigger to streamline content personalization effectively. This approach reduced the time required to update content sitewide by sixfold, providing agility in response to evolving customer needs. Through the platform's real-time segments and personalization capabilities, Outrigger established their process of experimentation and iteration. They focused on creating a dynamic and responsive digital environment, ensuring that every interaction was thoughtfully curated to meet and exceed guest expectations.  

Outrigger completed initial scope estimates, which evolved as the potential of ODP became apparent. Over time, they continued to increase event and segment configurations. The experience of building the program started with simple A/B experiments, testing navigation changes and examining the impact of altering call-to-action buttons. This led into more significant tactics where the team socialized ideas, and determined the necessary events to feed real-time segments within the ODP. Experimentation matured over time, incorporating multivariate testing and split URL tests, measuring deeper into the conversion funnel.

Outrigger recognized the significance of inputs and outputs in their approach. On the input side, during the backlog and prioritization phase of building the experimentation program, they led with data to avoid the common pitfall of overcrowding the backlog with numerous ideas. Using data and overlaying Hotjar insights, including heat maps and click maps, they distilled their ideas to prioritize interventions where they truly mattered.  

On the output side, the focus was on next steps in communication planning. Now, after an experiment concludes, the team views it not just in terms of success or failure but as a valuable learning experience. Some experiments may show inconclusive results due to factors like incorrect metrics or design flaws. In these cases, they iterate and retest, and consider it a learning opportunity. Even seemingly small wins, such as identifying best practices or strategies applicable across the site, contribute to continuous improvement. Outrigger now sees that the ultimate triumph is when an experiment leads to a personalized strategy integrated as a permanent element in the site architecture. 

Outrigger's commitment to redefining the digital experience was a great success. The implementation of Optimizely's content experience, real-time segmentation, and experimentation resulted in a 77% increase in bookings and a 63% boost in revenue YoY. The seamless integration of Optimizely's solutions contributed not only to increased transactional success but also to a deeper connection with guests seeking a top-tier holiday destination. 

The foundation of the successful program is the unified view of customer data through the ODP, which empowered them to activate through experimentation, and deliver personalized experiences that perfectly aligned with their trinity of HOST + GUEST + PLACE. The strategic use of ODP streamlined internal processes and reinforced Outrigger's commitment to tailoring the travel experience, so that every interaction resonated with the unique preferences and behaviors of each customer.

Outrigger's adoption of streamlined content personalization, coupled with a six-fold reduction in update times through the CMS marked a shift in their marketing strategies. Embracing real-time segments, experimentation, and personalization enhanced overall marketing success and contributed to a more agile and responsive digital ecosystem. The focus on mid-funnel metrics significantly increased customer progression into the booking flow.  

The success and scaling of the program have set the stage for Outrigger's future endeavors. With an eye on the future, Outrigger anticipates the implementation of over 100 segments and events. Outrigger made the strategic decision to integrate CRM and a guest loyalty program to fuel the ODP and further enhance the customer experience.

The team is currently focusing on the upcoming launch of a new branded app, with an initial focus on CRM, cart abandonment, and retargeting emails.  

Amidst their digital transformation, Outrigger remains grounded in its core values of HOST + GUEST + PLACE. The team is committed to create travel experiences that capture the essence of hospitality, guest-centric service, and a unique sense of place. As Outrigger looks toward the future, Optimizely One continues to be the driving force behind bringing these values to life through their digital presence.