Success Story Reservix

Learn how Reservix revamped its CRM using DYMATRIX Marketing Automation. Fabian Wegner shares the challenges and successes of their first campaign launch.


More efficiency and customer focus with marketing automation

When Reservix, one of the leading ticketing companies, decided in favour of the marketing automation software DYMATRIX Marketing Automation, the decision was quickly made to rebuild the entire CRM landscape from scratch. We spoke to Fabian Wegner, Team Leader Product Management E-Commerce at Reservix, about the sometimes arduous internal preparatory work, the results and the feeling when the first campaign was played out.

Project Realisation & Key Facts

Graphic for section - Project implementation
Project Realisation
  • Development of a customer-centred CRM strategy
  • Implementation of the customer experience platform
  • Development of detailed use cases / personas
  • Support and advice from DYMATRIX beyond implementation
  • Hiring a campaign manager to optimally utilise potential
  • Successful first mailing to around 100,000 recipients
Graphic for section - Key facts
Key Facts
  • 360-degree customer focus thanks to automated campaign playout
  • Easy to use, high efficiency
  • Performance measurement and monitoring for optimal campaign management
  • Simple customer database management
  • Highly fragmented target group had to be taken into account

Why Reservix works with DYMATRIX

How did the marketing processes at ADticket / Reservix work before DYMATRIX Marketing Automation? How did the introduction come about and where did you see the greatest potential to be realised by the project?

Fabian Wegner: When we decided in favour of DYMATRIX Marketing Automation, we also decided to completely rethink our CRM landscape. Before this reorganisation, we had three main problems to contend with:

  1. Every marketing measure involved a great deal of manual effort. Customer data had to be laboriously exported and manually prepared in order to be processed. Many customers existed multiple times in the system and it was a challenge to maintain an overview.
  2. Reservix sells tickets for over 90,000 events nationwide; from theatre to sport, from city tours to festivals. This range of events and the resulting diversity of target groups made it difficult for our marketing managers to match suitable events and customers.
  3. This resulted in a strong focus on the ‘head’ of our events to be marketed and less on the long tail. In other words, small local events or niche events were virtually ignored in marketing.

Why did you decide in favour of DYMATRIX Marketing Automation?

Fabian Wegner: Right from the start of our selection process, DYMATRIX impressed us with its uncomplicated manner and high level of professionalism. Alex and Andreas in particular took us by the hand and analysed our potential together. We never had the feeling that a ‘standard’ was being imposed on us, but that our individual challenges were being addressed. DYMATRIX Marketing Automation scored particularly well thanks to its ease of use and flexible deployment for all marketing channels.

Implementation, schedule & budget

How did the implementation with the DYMATRIX team go? How (euphorically) did you start the project, were you slowed down in between, were there moments of disillusionment and were you able to keep to the schedule and budget?

Fabian Wegner: Let's get straight to the point: No, we weren't able to keep to the budget. However, this was not due to DYMATRIX, but to the many peculiarities of our product and customer data, which had to be put into a structured form. The intensive ‘groundwork’ uncovered some important questions that nobody had asked for a long time. However, these questions were necessary for a sustainable and meaningful development of our new CRM database. DYMATRIX was a constant companion during all project phases, was able to pass on important experience and even saved us from ‘cost traps’ at one point or another. In particular, the combination of technical understanding and economic thinking added great value. My conclusion: Our special framework conditions initially slowed us down, but ultimately made us better. Our colleagues at DYMATRIX gave us the necessary certainty that we were on the right track. We are therefore very satisfied with the result.

Impact of DYMATRIX Marketing Automation at Reservix

How has the project changed your marketing, your way of working, your focus and your organisation?

Fabian Wegner: We quickly realised that we needed a campaign manager who could fully exploit the potential of DYMATRIX Marketing Automation. That's why we created a position that didn't yet exist. We have moved away from marketing by ‘watering can’ to one-to-one communication. The fact that this was the right decision is also reflected in the performance of our marketing measures. In addition to our initial involvement with the operational CRM processes, we also got more involved in analysing customer data with the help of our data science department. What was once complex ‘gut feeling marketing’ has become data-driven marketing. This changed the entire organisation and went hand in hand with a new customer-centric marketing strategy.

If you now take stock: Successful project completion and now 3 years of collaboration with DYMATRIX, which moments have stayed with you most lastingly?

Fabian Wegner: We will always remember the exciting day when we sent out our first newsletter using the new infrastructure. That was in December 2017, when the intensive design and implementation phase finally paid off and we were able to send our first mailing with customised recommendations to almost 100,000 customers. A great feeling and a complete success! Three years later, we can look back on other successful projects, such as the introduction of the ‘Ticketmelder’: a mailing that informs customers daily about the start of sales for new events that they are interested in. Or the introduction of regular A/B tests to optimise our marketing campaigns... and much more!

With ReservixStream, you quickly found an initial answer to the coronavirus crisis. You are also very flexible in what you do and how you do it. Would you say that flexibility is the key success factor for Reservix?

Fabian Wegner: ReservixStream was the first product on the German market that made it possible to experience events both live and contactless, even in times of coronavirus. It motivates us when we can quickly and pragmatically create something new that offers our customers added value. This was also the case when setting up our CRM infrastructure. Flexibility is the prerequisite for this. Instead of giving room to reservations and fears of failure, we try to approach all topics openly, courageously and optimistically. This is what characterises Reservix and is definitely a success factor.

Let's turn the tables. You can ask us the last question:  

Fabian Wegner: If budget didn't play a role - what digital experience in the customer journey with Reservix would make you buy tickets via Reservix again and again?

Alexander Kull (Director Sales at DYMATRIX and customer contact): I actually have to think a little longer about that. Reservix has already developed several strong apps and I absolutely see the future in mobile marketing. If I'm looking for an ‘event’ today, the Reservix app helps me to quickly get an overview of what's on offer at my location and I can also book the tickets directly in the app.

If budget wasn't an issue, then I would like my Reservix app to support my leisure organisation more extensively in future. Just like a friend who has known me for a long time and always knows what's on offer. I imagine holistic and quite complex recommendations based on AI.

Here's my favourite use case: It's 4 p.m., I'm in Stuttgart, I'm bored, I open the app. It suggests I go to a handball match again. I think it's great and book tickets for 2 adults and 2 small children. There is now a new section in the check-out process. I'm asked the question: ‘How do you want to spend the 3 hours until the handball match starts?’ I don't choose the ‘Chill out’ option, but the ‘There's still time’ option. Now I get suggestions such as ‘There's a great playground on your way - you'll probably need 23 minutes by car - where you can spend an average of 1:30 hours. Alternatively, you can pass Breuningerland. It's always very busy at this time of day. Do you want to book a parking space right in front of the entrance?’

We would like to thank Fabian Wegner for the friendly interview and the entire Reservix team for their partnership. We look forward to seeing how Reservix develops, how you actively shape the ticketing market and, of course, whether our dream use case can be realised! Furthermore, wherever you need our support - we look forward to it!

Customer profile - Fabian Wegner

The intensive ‘groundwork’ uncovered some important questions that nobody had asked for a long time. However, these questions were necessary for a sustainable and meaningful development of our new CRM database.

Fabian Wegner

Team Leader Product Management E-Commerce at Reservix

Der Kunde

Reservix is one of the leading ticketing companies in Germany. Reservix GmbH owns the portals ADticket.de, reservix.de, reservix.at and reservix.ch. Reservix serves more than 7,000 promoters in the fields of concerts, sport, theatre, tourism, tours and trade fairs. In addition to its headquarters in Freiburg im Breisgau, Reservix has offices in Frankfurt, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Oldenburg, Leipzig and Vienna with currently around 450 employees.

At the heart of every collaboration is the event organiser and the common goal of selling more tickets with less effort. As a full-service provider, Reservix develops customised 360-degree solutions for its customers across all sales channels. In addition to the web-based ticketing system, Reservix's range of services includes an in-house ticket hotline, 3,200 advance booking offices nationwide, training courses, sales promotion, marketing support, CRM measures, user-friendly API solutions and the optimisation of processes in related areas such as accounting.

Further information can be found at
www.reservix.net
and on the ticket portals
www.ADticket.de
www.reservix.de
www.reservix.at
www.reservix.ch