How TUI Achieved 7x Higher Open Rates with WhatsApp Marketing
By using the 360Dialog WhatsApp Business API to deliver targeted offers directly to subscribers, TUI outperformed email across key CRM metrics, with stronger open rates in both Belgium and Netherlands, and 5x higher website traffic in the Netherlands.
The Challenge
Reaching customers that email couldn't
TUI relied on email, app, and website as part of its CRM strategy. However, some customers were not consistently reached through those channels, as they did not always open emails or click on app push messages.
To expand its CRM reach, TUI started using WhatsApp as an additional channel to connect with subscribers and test how it performed compared to email.
The Solution
Building a WhatsApp channel alongside existing CRM
TUI built its WhatsApp subscriber base using Click-to-WhatsApp ads on Instagram and Facebook, running these campaigns alongside its existing email and app activity.
Through 360Dialog's implementation of the WhatsApp Business API, the company was able to send travel offers and sales messages directly to subscribers on WhatsApp.
Over six months, TUI compared WhatsApp marketing performance against email across open rates, website traffic, and revenue.
The results
Measurably higher engagement and incremental revenue
The test showed that WhatsApp marketing outperformed email across key engagement and revenue indicators:
81% open rate for WhatsApp messages in the Netherlands
85% open rate for WhatsApp messages in Belgium
7x higher open rate than email in the Netherlands
5x higher open rate than email in Belgium
5x more website traffic from WhatsApp vs. email in the Netherlands
According to TUI, WhatsApp messages reached customers that other CRM channels were not consistently reaching, helping drive incremental revenue growth.
"WhatsApp messages have reached customers we can't reach with our other CRM channels, as they do not always open emails or click on app push messages. The results of this test showed that WhatsApp drives incremental revenue growth."
Annemarie van Hecke
Head of CRM and Customer Analytics, TUI Benelux
