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SevenRooms is leveraging the power of SMS marketing with the launch of its new Text Marketing platform in Australia.
While research reveals an impressive open rate of 94 per cent for text messaging campaigns, with 37 per cent of Gen Z consumers saying it is their preferred marketing channel, the opportunity is still relatively untapped in Australia’s hospitality industry.
According to SevenRooms research, only 38 per cent of Australian operators plan to prioritise SMS marketing in 2025, despite the successful 2024 launch of Text Marketing in the US where the average text campaign generated revenue of USD$1800 and an ROI of 24x.
Allison Page, co-founder and chief product officer at SevenRooms, says with tens of millions of Australians already using SMS to communicate every day, it is now a critical marketing channel for venues.
“Building on our track record developing industry-leading marketing and operations solutions, we’re introducing Text Marketing to empower hospitality operators to connect with guests more directly and personally than ever before,” she stated.
The news was announced at Shift 25, SevenRooms’ summit for hospitality operators on the future of the industry and the technology supporting it. It was the first held in Sydney, and the second event ever, with last year’s edition held in London.
When announcing the news of the text marketing service, Page noted that while hospitality operators were initially reluctant to use SMS as a marketing form, early adopters in the US had found combined email and text campaigns were seven times more effective than email-only campaigns.
Designed to enhance guest engagement opportunities with convenient and authentic messaging, Text Marketing delivers one-time marketing campaigns via SMS and WhatsApp – a feature that was driven by the Australian hospitality operators. The platform allows operators to quickly create data-driven campaigns and directly link personalised messages to guest profiles, bookings and spending behaviour.
The instant nature of the marketing platform lets operators deliver tailored and relevant content at the right time, including messages to highlight upcoming events, menus, last-minute availability and other timely news.
“As the needs of our customers – and their guests – have evolved, so too must the communication channels they use to reach their guests with timely and relevant marketing messages,” Page added.
“Designed exclusively with restaurants in mind, Text Marketing helps operators send customisable messages more likely to convert to automated guest segments in a few clicks – reaching guests instantly. Plus, with point-of-sale integrations tied directly into our CRM, restaurants can, for the first time, launch campaigns that enhance the guest experience while understanding ROI.”
Text Marketing was one of a suite of new products SevenRooms announced at Shift, with the company also having launched email marketing features; AI Reviews to help respond to customer reviews/feedback, as well as private event sales.
SevenRooms products to come later in the year include:
In a panel session at Shift, SevenRooms’ co-founder and Chief Technical Officer Kinesh Patel, noted that while hospitality remains first and foremost a human business, using technologies like AI would not replace the human touch, but rather allow individuals to focus on the customer-facing side of operating venues; ushering in what he called “the Superhuman” age of hospitality.
Molly holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism, and with five years spent working in pubs and brewpubs in England, her move into drinks journalism was a natural progression. In June 2023, Molly stepped into the role of senior journalist at Food & Beverage Media, where she has since enjoyed telling the stories of the liquor and hospitality sectors and connecting with the people who shape them. Molly writes for leading industry publications The Shout, Australian Hotelier, National Liquor News, Bars & Cocktails and Beer & Brewer. Get in touch with Molly at [email protected] or connect on LinkedIn.
Vanessa Cavasinni is the managing editor of Australian Hotelier and Club Management, leading trade publications for the national pub and club sectors respectively. Vanessa has been at the helm of Australian Hotelier since 2015, and was part of the team that launched Club Management in 2022. Vanessa also curates the program at the Pub Leaders Summit, having done so since its inaugural event in 2016. Get in touch with Vanessa at [email protected] or connect on LinkedIn.
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