CUSTOMER CASE STUDY: RUKA
HUBSPOT & DATA-DRIVEN BUSINESS
The success pillars of Rukakeskus Oy, which operates the popular ski resorts of Ruka and Pyhä, are built around the pristine northern nature, accessibility, responsible and sustainable operations, and high-quality activities and experiences. The company recognized the need for one more crucial competitive advantage for the future: a first-class digital customer experience.
The purpose of the project carried out with Roger Studio was to implement and tailor a 21st-century customer management tool to meet Rukakeskus's needs. The goal was to build the industry's largest and most effective customer database, enabling a more personalized and seamless service by digitizing sales and marketing activities.
The vision of a top-tier customer experience and relationship management began at Rukakeskus 20 years ago. Finally, the means and tools to make this a reality and build additional competitive advantage were available.
"With the new system, we can leverage customer data from a single source. This allows us to offer personalized communication throughout the entire customer journey and provide better and more up-to-date content"
jenni ihatsu
The new operational models enable development
Rukakeskus recognized that the old method of managing customer relationships and conducting sales and marketing through various technologies, Excel spreadsheets, and manual entries had reached its limits. They needed a customer relationship management system that would reduce reliance on individual personnel and support revenue growth with the same number of salespeople. On the marketing side, there was a need for marketing automation that would serve customers individually throughout their journey, providing a so-called 360-degree view of customer needs.
The project with Rukakeskus began just as the world started to change due to COVID-19. Despite the immense changes and uncertainty, the decision was made to proceed boldly.
The exceptional situation opened up opportunities. The project could be delved into intensively, and some of the anticipated necessary layoffs were canceled. The work was carried out virtually, demonstrating that successful organizations can build their future even amidst difficulties.
“Ihastuimme Rukakeskuksen porukan asenteeseen ja tekemisen meininkiin heti alusta asti. Havaitsimme, että asiakkuudenhallintaa, markkinoinnin automaatiota ja myynti- ja markkinointiprosessien kokonaisvaltaista kehittämistä paremman asiakaskokemuksen varmistamiseksi oli pohdittu huolellisesti ja monesta näkökulmasta.”, vahvistaa projektipäällikkönä toiminut Saija Kulmala. We were immediately impressed by the attitude and drive of the Rukakeskus team from the very beginning. We noticed that customer relationship management, marketing automation, and the comprehensive development of sales and marketing processes to ensure a better customer experience had been carefully considered from multiple perspectives," confirms Saija Kulmala, who served as the project manager
The starting point is an increasingly digital future.
At Ruka and Pyhä, all sales and marketing efforts strive for a digital-first approach. This means that operations are developed using the capabilities of digital tools, which improves overall management and efficiency. Most importantly, for vacationers, this translates into more personalized customer communication and, as a result, an even better vacation experience.
The readiness for a substantial project, and above all, the enthusiasm and desire to implement the new system were strong from the start. The project had clear goals, a timeline, and defined internal processes, as well as allocated resources. The motivation for the project was clear: a seamless digital customer experience would enable even greater focus on the customer's physical presence in the mountain resort.
According to Maria Fonsell, Chief Digital Officer of Ruka Resort, implementing and utilizing the CRM system and marketing automation requires the commitment of the entire organization to achieve the goals.
”In a CRM initiative, it’s important to remember that it’s more of a process than a project. The goal is to create a continuous method for growing customer knowledge. This allows us to provide a better digital customer experience, which is one of our strategic focus areas. The aim is for 80% of lift ticket revenue to come from online channels in the future, and achieving this is very challenging without understanding our customers' needs and purchasing behavior.”
A carefully built and versatile CRM system is essential for effective customer relationship management. The system consolidates all relevant information into one place. For the sales and marketing teams at Ruka and Pyhä, this means increased efficiency in executing planned marketing and sales activities, as well as the ability to quickly respond to changing situations—something that has proven to be particularly important in current times.
Understanding customers and the ability to anticipate and analyze various situations enable better decision-making. Operations become more efficient, and visitors in the mountain resort receive service and communication tailored to each moment. When customers are accurately interpreted, targeting becomes more effective, and the collaboration between sales and marketing is strengthened.
It’s important to recognize that every organization has its own unique practices. Therefore, there is no one-size-fits-all tool, process, or technology that can be simply implemented and hoped for the best.
Business Benefits of Implementing HubSpot in the Tourism Industry
At the core of the solution implemented by Roger are HubSpot Sales Hub and Marketing Hub, which ensure that the success stories of the mountain resorts continue on a new and fresh page in the highly competitive tourism industry. The gateway to new dimensions has been effectively opened, and with teams of seasoned professionals committed to and believing in the opportunities provided by the solution, there are no obstacles to the development of the overall system.
Sales teams gain better visibility into leads and marketing activities, while marketing teams acquire the capability to implement customer marketing actions based on up-to-date information. This way, sales and marketing are harnessed as crucial components of digital customer service.
"HubSpot’s ease of use and extensive configuration options convinced us that the system would be agile enough to address the identified needs when building new marketing programs and sales processes. When we evaluated the resources available for the project phase and system utilization, we concluded that HubSpot would serve Ruka Resort best," says Harri Hauta-aho, who was responsible for the project's technical architecture.
With HubSpot's products and various components, a CRM tool tailored to Ruka Resort's needs was developed, including tools for consumer and business management, marketing automation, and customer feedback management. This solution enables multichannel customer service by consolidating customer inquiries from different channels into one place. As a result, errors and extra work are reduced, and the customer experience improves with relevant messages for the current situation.
"With the new system, we can leverage customer data from a single source. This allows us to offer personalized communication throughout the customer journey and provide better and more relevant content," says Jenni Ihatsu, Marketing Director at Ruka Resort.
Ruka Resort uses various backend systems for accommodation bookings, lift tickets, and online sales. To integrate all high-quality and up-to-date data from these systems into customer communication and marketing, Microsoft Azure services were utilized. Careful review of existing systems and IT solutions, as well as mapping and consolidating meaningful information into one place, has created the opportunity for a 360-degree view of the end customer.
Virtually Towards a Scalable Solution
The collaboration between Ruka Resort and Roger was close and transparent. The project at Ruka Resort was advanced daily with intensity and determination. Regular weekly meetings with Roger provided a solid framework, allowing for effective monitoring of progress in various areas through remote connections.
Kaisa Sirniö, Commercial Director at Ruka Resort, sees the change as having begun and looks forward to positive experiences in the future:
Sami Akseli, who is responsible for HubSpot-based services at Roger Studio, aptly adds that the solution created for Ruka Resort is scalable and adaptable to changing circumstances“The tool has become a permanent fixture for us and will play a crucial role in our sales processes. For the customer, this is already evident in faster service, and in the future, we have many opportunities to further enhance the customer experience. With the implementation of the CRM, we have moved away from being dependent on individual salespeople, which has accelerated and simplified the management of client relationships and sales. The transition will take time, but we are on the right track. And knowing that Roger’s support and guidance are available, we can be confident!”
“It is crucial for us to provide support to our clients whenever situations and needs change. The seasonal business is fast-paced and intense, with situations evolving quickly, requiring seamless collaboration. It’s great to be working with Ruka Resort to build a comprehensive digital customer experience!”
More targeted communication yields incredible results
In advertising, the concept of hyper-targeting has been discussed for some time, referring to how the right customer is approached with the right message, at the right time, and through the right channel. The HubSpot-based customer management system implemented by Ruka Resort enables multi-channel message targeting not only through traditional demographic thinking but also based on what is known about each individual customer. In practice, communication can be targeted, for example, to travelers arriving soon at the resort, offering them relevant information and special benefits for their stay. HubSpot’s multi-channel communication allows for integrating email marketing and paid advertising into a seamless whole.
In the spring of 2021, we piloted hyper-targeted advertising as part of the customer journey. Based on the pilot, it can be said that individually targeted marketing can achieve remarkable results. The conversion rate from ad clicks to online purchases was an impressive 150%, meaning each customer who reacted to an ad bought an average of 1.5 products from the online store. Another key advertising metric, Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), reached 176. This means that every euro spent on advertising generated 176 euros in revenue. “When marketing and advertising are genuinely targeted at different stages of the customer journey, effective marketing actions can be taken that benefit both the customer and the service provider. The results achieved in the pilot indicate that advertising is effective when it is targeted to the customer at the right time and place. Thus, marketing is increasingly becoming a service rather than a pushy sales tactic,” says Marketing Director Jenni Ihatsu.
“At Roger, we believe that in the 2020s, successful organizations market and sell so effectively that the customer perceives the activities as a service. The results achieved in Ruka Resort’s hyper-targeted marketing pilot speak for themselves. Well-targeted, timely, and multi-channel managed marketing produces clear and measurable results, improving the customer experience, increasing revenue, and enhancing the organization’s own operations,” continues Sami Akseli, who is responsible for digital marketing services at Roger.
Achieved Business Benefits
With the new system, relevant customer information can now be managed centrally. This means that the end customer—travelers at Ruka and Pyhä—receive more personalized and up-to-date service both digitally and during their visit. This creates a genuine competitive advantage for the future.
User-friendly, adaptable, and cost-effective. These are the key words that describe the solution configured for Ruka Resort perfectly.
The new system brings efficiency and speed, enabling a higher quality and smoother customer experience.
Sales and marketing processes have been significantly streamlined, and their monitoring has been enhanced.
Customer information is better managed when purchase and order history is up-to-date, allowing for quicker responses to needs.
The sales teams at both resorts have successfully transitioned to using HubSpot, providing them with continuous visibility into the situation.
The booking path for accommodation has been implemented, allowing automatic communication with the customer. Through this path, the customer receives all essential information related to their stay, up-to-date offers, and instructions.
Automated reporting is always accessible directly from the system without manual steps.
Service quality has improved due to unified tools and templates. The handling of incoming inquiries is automated, making the work more efficient and transparent.
The customer database and marketing permissions are up-to-date and carefully organized.
Tasks can be managed more effectively across different parts of the organization.
The implementation and use of the system free up resources for further development of customer service and experience.
