Digital approach to engagement
“The benefit of having the EndeavourX team is that we can flex and deploy our team and our capital resources to meet whatever need we’ve got across the organisation,” Donohue says.
“So, the same folks that will build a great app platform for Dan Murphy’s, will also contribute to improving the app platform for BWS and will also use our insights from our customer data to provide the best possible service to customers.
“If we see that you’ve got a certain pattern of purchase, or certain types of tastes, we’ll make sure that we’re not wasting your time presenting you with things that you’re not going to like on all of our platforms.”
Endeavour’s main tech providers are Adobe and Oracle, whose platforms jointly support much of its customer engagement systems.
It is not widely known that Endeavour is the biggest provider of live entertainment in the country. Donohue wants to upgrade the company’s hotel rewards app, called Monty’s, so it does more than just offer members points at more than 280 venues.
“You can see operators, particularly in North America, are really harnessing the opportunity for customers in digitising all the experiences, so that it makes it so much easier for customers and patrons in pubs to get what they want and do what they want to do in one place,” he says.
One app for all
Donohue wants to have an app that allows patrons to book to see a band as well as book a hotel room.
Just before Christmas, Endeavour upgraded the ordering system in 333 hotels so that patrons can tap, order and pay at their table. Since then, about 1.2 million online food and bar transactions have gone through using this system.
At Dan Murphy’s, which first offered online transactions in 2011, the tech investment has been in upgrading its app, which can now recognise customers as they approach a store.
The “My Dan’s” loyalty program had grown to 6.2 million members at December 31, up 26 per cent on the previous year. Also, the company launched the Dan’s Gifting Hub, an internal partnership between Pinnacle Drinks, Shorty’s Liquor and Dan Murphy’s to provide a gift offering to customers.
Total online sales in the first half rose 25 per cent to $603 million. Donohue says these sales are split – half to home delivery and half to in-store pick-up.
Online sales penetration across the whole company is now 10.7 per cent.
Donohue says the company will generate $1 billion in sales from Endeavour’s e-commerce digital platforms in fiscal 2022. Endeavour has 257 Dan Murphy’s stores and 1410 BWS stores.
Facial recognition on gaming machines
Endeavour is implementing technology in South Australia that could be rolled out in other states which helps monitor the use of the company’s 12,402 electronic gaming machines.
“We’re really proud to be given the opportunity to take some leadership in South Australia, where the regulator allowed banknote acceptors in gaming machines, so a player can move between machines and cash out at a cash redemption terminal,” Donohue says.
“But to be able to put that player technology in, the government required us to put facial recognition technology in so that people excluded or have chosen to self-exclude from gaming, can be identified by our team.”
Endeavour is working with state governments in a number of jurisdictions on introducing similar technology.
Endeavour is also working with third parties on observing patterns of play on electronic gaming machines that might encourage staff to have a direct interaction with the player to make sure that they’re gambling responsibly.
Donohue says Endeavour is increasingly using artificial intelligence and advanced analytics for the rostering of teams in the Dan Murphy’s and BWS chains.
