Optimisation Manager campaign
Royal Mail Group appointed Agiito to manage their travel, accommodation and venue find business 18 years ago. From the start of our partnership, we’ve worked together to keep their travellers safe and happy whilst continually looking for new and ongoing process efficiencies and savings opportunities.
Increase in eTicket bookings
Savings through behavioural change
Environmental benefits
Objectives.
After reviewing a number of opportunities, we agreed to run a series of targeted campaigns aligned to agreed customer objectives. Realising their pre-COVID rail spend equated to around 50,000 tickets a year, was a great place to start.
So, the first campaign focused on the rail ticket delivery method, switching from the orange (non-recyclable) paper tickets printed via onsite ticket printers in six locations to eTickets. This not only provided a reduction in fees, but also supports RMGs sustainability aspirations and an improved end user experience.
Working as a team, we continue to drive savings, innovation and customer satisfaction to ensure we remain relevant and deliver the right value that makes a difference to RMGs travel programme.
I have worked with Lindsay since September 2021 and together with Chris, we agreed a number of campaigns, the first being a move from paper tickets to eTickets for train travel.
Our take-up at the start of the campaign in January was at 4%, in just shy of 2 months this has rocketed to 52%, our target is 65% by the 6 month point. This didn’t happen by chance, it was a well-planned, well executed and effectively communicated engagement exercise with our traveller community that ensured this success.
Lindsay has already proved a hit with the EA’s and through engagement with them we have also uncovered new opportunities.
Eloise Ferrara-Neched, RMG Contract Manager.
Solution.
Lindsay Cook, Optimisation Manager worked closely with Eloise Ferrara-Neched – RMG’s Procurement Manager and Chris Piggin their Agiito Account Manager, to support the contractual objectives and deliverables linked via targeted campaigns, the first being Rail: ticket delivery method - switching to e-tickets.
The campaigns objective looked at the ‘goal – ‘what are the objectives of this project?’, their current position – ‘where are we today?’ and their aspirational position – ‘what do we want the future to look like?’. In order for this campaign to be a success we needed to engage with RMG’s bookers, travellers and meeting planners at all levels, supporting and raising awareness of the contract and highlighting the contract value through tailored activity. So, Lindsay engaged with key senior EA’s to highlight the campaign objective and the benefits of supporting the campaign.
The benefits worked for the traveller and for RMG – the traveller will benefit from an enhanced, more convenient user experience – as their tickets would be electronic, no more queuing for tickets at the machine. RMG will benefit commercially from a competitive fulfilment alternative, the removal of maintenance fees for their six onsite printers and a positive environmental impact – as the paper tickets are not recyclable, due to the magnetic strip on the back – thus aligning with RMG’s sustainability agenda.
Before launching the campaign we worked with the key stakeholders to ensure the correct level of messaging was created within Agiito Connect, the RMG branded online platform that provides bookers, travellers and meeting planners with access to online booking tools for accommodation, travel and meetings, along with communications, education content and hints and tips.
The landing page delivered the first message ‘RMG is diving cost efficiencies through a series of managed campaigns, click here to see how you can support our first campaign ‘rail ticket delivery method.’ This then took users through to a page giving details of the campaign and how they could help.
Additional messaging was delivered when the user clicked ‘arrange travel’, within the ‘help and support’ page and our team of experienced consultants were on hand 24/7 to help where needed.
RMG bookers, travellers and meeting planners then received an ICM (Interactive Campaign Manager) e-mail as part of the campaigns communication strategy. ICMs are automated e-mails triggered by certain criteria. In this instance, if a ToD was selected the booker would get an e-mail asking them to select an eTicket next time they travel and information on the benefits of supporting the campaign. Once they’ve made a booking with an eTicket, they then receive an ICM which thanks them for selecting an eTicket and reminds them of the benefits of them doing so.
Results.
Changing the booking behaviours of travellers and meeting planners can be a challenge, however, the team at RMG were keen to make a start and wanted to make this work. Bookers, travellers and meeting planners had access to the campaign information whenever they needed it, as it was all saved within Education Hub on their online booking portal.
In under eight weeks eTickets have risen from 4% to 52% and ToD’s reduced from 80% to 42%, with onsite printed tickets reduced from 6.5% to 0%.
The final results of this campaign will be delivered in April, after running for three months – the agreed target is 65%!
To date RMG has realised £8k savings (and climbing) by not having to pay annual maintenance costs for their six onsite ticket printers. They have also fulfilled another all important environmental objective, having decommissioned and safely disposed of the printers, along with significant transaction fee savings. Not forgetting saving 50,000 tickets from going to landfill each year – another key environmental achievement.