Tours & Activities · Hawaii
How Robert's Hawaii turned hidden demand into +133% cross-sell and +267% upsell
Hawaii's largest tour and transportation company used automated guest marketing on its Japanese website to sell more of what it already offered — without adding work for the team.
Founded in 1941 with a single taxi on Kaua'i, Robert's Hawaii has grown into the state's largest employee-owned tour and transportation company. Generations of visitors have trusted it for airport transfers, private charters, optional tours, and entertainment across four islands. But a trusted name does not automatically sell everything on the menu.
The challenge
Departure bookings lagged behind arrivals
Arrival shuttles were popular, but departure transfers were not booked at the same rate — a steady stream of missed round-trip sales.
Optional tours struggled to gain traction
Despite being a core offering, optional tours had low visibility and converted poorly next to airport transfers.
Private charters lacked awareness
The premium charter service was underused simply because many customers did not know the option existed.
Marketing resources were limited
Daily operations consumed the team's time, leaving little capacity for proactive promotion and follow-up.
The solution
Automated cross-sell campaigns
Departure promotions went to arrival transfer customers automatically, with pop-ups on the Thank You page — turning one-way bookings into round trips.
Behavior-based promotions
Targeted newsletters and pop-ups delivered early-bird offers and optional tour promotions based on what each customer had actually browsed or booked.
Upsell at the moment of booking
Private charter promotions appeared on airport transfer booking pages, offering the premium upgrade exactly when group travelers were deciding.
Set once, runs on its own
With segments and triggers configured up front, the newsletters and pop-ups run automatically — reaching the right customer at the right time without adding to the workload.
The results
Cross-sell campaigns lifted departure transfer sales 75% in the first month. Optional tours, long the hardest product to move, climbed 133% by the fourth month. And private charters — positioned as the premium choice right where customers were already booking — grew 267% by the third month. None of it required new inventory, new staff, or new daily work.
We didn't realize how many potential customers we were missing. Thanks to automated marketing on our Japanese website, we've been able to tap into hidden demand and turn it into sales.
Vice President, Robert's Hawaii
What the automation actually does
Robert's Hawaii runs Nutmeg's CRM & Marketing Automation — the tool that grows revenue through effortless upsell and cross-sell.
Automated newsletters
Targeted emails sent at the right moment, based on what the customer did.
Example: after booking an arrival transfer, the customer automatically receives a newsletter promoting the departure transfer with a special offer.
Automated pop-ups
Personalized pop-ups on the website that respond to browsing behavior.
Example: customers browsing optional tours see a discount code, and shuttle customers are shown the private charter upgrade.
