Source: ZDirect

ZMail's deep integration with MICROS Opera and its ability to centralize customer information, understand different purchasing patterns, and identify valued customers is making the marketing strategy of this hotel owner/operator extremely powerful.

Visit ZDirect at HITEC June 24-27 in Booth 125

[Hallandale Beach, FL— May 30, 2013]—Pineapple Hospitality, owner and operator of four one-of-a-kind, independent boutique hotels in the greater Seattle/Puget Sound area of Washington, is delighted over results it is achieving from its eMarketing campaign. Using the ZMail® electronic communication platform from ZDirect, The Maxwell Hotel, Hotel FIVE, University Inn and Watertown Hotel are seeing bigger open rates and better response rates which are translating to richer bottom lines and more repeat guests.

ZDirect has been providing more than 2,000 hotels and resorts on six continents with eMarketing and eCRM solutions since 2002. ZMail delivers dynamic, real-time profiles of today's diverse guests; streamlines and centralizes a hotel's electronic marketing initiative by tracking guest behavior and preferences across multiple platforms; and provides multiple, personalized touch-points between the hotel and the guest.

"Pineapple Hospitality is a growing company, and as such, we needed to find a way to improve the way we electronically communicate with customers," said David Thomson, Pineapple Hospitality chief information officer. "ZDirect is different from other eMarketing and eCRM companies in the hospitality market. They are laser-focused on identifying the right customers that will help us build loyalty and generate new revenue streams with measureable results. This is very important to Pineapple Hospitality as we look to expand beyond the Washington market.

"Previously, we relied on homegrown lists to market to those who stayed at our hotels or whom we considered potential customers," Thomson said. "Today, thanks to ZDirect, we know who our customers are . . . we enjoy more revenue from our eMarketing efforts . . . and our open rates are increasing. Email click-through rates have risen a hefty 10 percent in a very short amount of time. We attribute this success to ZDirect's deep integration with MICROS Opera that enables us to keep all our customer data in one spot. This makes it easy for our marketing teams to send targeted emails and not have to worry about reconciling lists from different places. ZDirect enables us to access the profile of each guest and understand their purchasing behaviors so that we can promote our services more effectively. Although others in the market have similar MICROS Opera integration, they don't offer as many ancillary services that are available through ZDirect and ZMail."

Communication Goes Both Ways

ZDirect's eMarketing structure is focused on the realization that communication needs to go both ways in order to be effective. With interfaces to the major PMS/CRS suppliers, ZMail streamlines and centralizes a hotel's electronic messaging initiative by capturing guest behavior, purchase history and preferences information. ZDirect's patented dynamic content engine creates individualized transactional emails; from confirmations to pre-stay promotions and post-stay thank you emails. Hotel marketers can send surveys to prospects and customers, send triggered loyalty emails to their loyalty members and send targeted marketing messages based upon profile data.

"We are thrilled that Pineapple Hospitality is having such tremendous success with ZMail and ZDirect's supplemental services," said Caren de'Ath, ZDirect vice president of sales. "Using effective and cost-efficient tools, we are helping Pineapple Hospitality turn prospects into loyal customers. This is especially important for a hotel company looking to grow and compete on a more level playing field with the big brands.

"We help hotels build lasting relationships with real people, using real data to generate last minute offers to fill available rooms, increase onsite revenues, and deliver real results," she said. "Where other email service providers concentrate on communicating with travelers before they arrive, ZDirect keeps the targeted communication going before, during and after their stay. This is our point of differentiation and the way that ZDirect is helping hotel owners, operators and marketers achieve maximum profit from unsold perishable room inventory."

Hoteliers interested in improving their two-way communications with guests are encouraged to visit ZDirect at the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference (HITEC), June 25 to 27 at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Booth No. 125. Pre-scheduled appointments are encouraged by calling Caren de'Ath at (954) 376-3409 or emailing her at [email protected].

For more information on ZDirect, please visit www.zdirect.com.

About ZDirect

Based in Hallandale Beach, Florida, ZDirect, an Enterprise Email Service Provider (ESP) for the Hospitality Industry, is a leading provider of electronic customer relationship management solutions for the hospitality industry. The maintenance of a single guest profile is essential for an effective eCRM strategy. With the Dynamic Content Engine and PMS integration, ZMail® automatically sends intelligent and personalized confirmations, pre-arrival emails and post-departure emails with guest satisfaction surveys via email, mobile communication, SMS, social networks and more. Learn about the real people behind every reservation. Let ZDirect help you convert your prospects to customers and your customers to loyal customers. Real People. Real Profiles. Real Results. www.zdirect.com

Caren de'Ath
Director of Sales
US (954) 376-3409.