26 Jun 2010
There was an interesting article posted about the need for Information Technology (IT) to rebound in growth to help the economy and hidden inside was a tidbit about how Royal Caribbean uses IT to enhance their sales on board. Royal Caribbean International CIO Bill Martin uses an array of computing statistics on several of the company's newest, tech-rich cruise ships to help figure out what to sell next to cruisers.
Once guests are aboard certain ships, a small team on shore has begun running analytics on passenger demographics, combining those results with real-time sales activity on the ship. For instance, does a spa have open slots? Royal Caribbean can promote those on in-room interactive TVs to only those guests most likely to take up the offer.
Martin is sending a clear message from the high seas: Opportunity for higher revenue is out there, and IT is going to help drive it. "We see growth coming back," he says, and from around the world, not just North America.
So the next time you're in the elevator and notice a sale for something that sounds interesting, it may not be coincidence to see that offer.
