The travel industry believes in the benefits of the Internet of Things (IoT) and personalisation - the problem is travellers may not be entirely convinced.
Recent findings by Boxever on consumer attitudes to personalisation, automation and IoT show many potential problem areas for marketers
The infographic below shows consumer perspectives on personalisation which highlight the problems marketers could encounter with service automation.
The Bad News
Consumers are becoming used to automated processes while at the same time becoming increasingly wary of sharing too much data.
A majority (83%) doubt IoT automation will make their lives better.
This creates a conundrum: without data, personalisation is weak; without personalisation, automation can be cumbersome and ineffective.
The Good News
Boxever shares stats which - if properly applied - could open up countless possibilities for travel brands.
First, consumers are willing to make major purchases without a person to serve them - 72% would happily book hotels and 73% would book flights this way.
Some consumers are willing to buy big ticket items online - 20% said they would even consider buying a car without human interaction.
A Matter of Trust
Travel brands need to build trust with consumers, and that can be achieved by delivering consistent satisfaction with the right level of personalization - a delicate but achievable balance.
The preferences of those consumers who do believe IoT could make life better align well with the services travel companies provide. Boxever found that 63% believe IoT could result in better recommendations from brands.
Also, 56% believe IoT can help them make smarter data-based purchasing decisions.
Lastly, 55% said IoT could help raise awareness of their preferences.
Comfort Zone
There’s such a thing as too close for comfort. According to Boxever, some consumers feel burned by brands which have canvassed them with irrelevant offers. As with any personal or digital interaction, each person has their own "comfort zone".
Some hesitate to share data because they consider it an invasion of privacy (83%) or because they fear that brands would misuse that data (68%).
One myth is that face-to-face is the best way to gauge a consumer’s mood, but digital lacks the non-verbal signals which help us adapt our approach. This thinking is flawed. How consumers engage on social media, with apps, and with other online channels can reveal as much if not more than a real-world meeting. It is not hard to remember somebody online and use the data accordingly.
NB Main image by Digitalista/BigStock.com