Elena Briola is VP of Marketing at Cloud4Wi, driving global GTM strategy and positioning for the company’s AI-powered WiFi and location intelligence solutions. She has over 15 years of experience in SaaS product marketing.
In today’s experience-driven economy, physical venues are a goldmine. From boutique hotels to sprawling wineries, the opportunity to forge a lasting connection with a guest has never been more valuable. But how do you bridge the gap between a memorable in-person visit and a lasting digital relationship? For many businesses, the answer lies hidden in plain sight, powered by the very network they already own.
The Boisset Collection, one of the world’s most innovative family-owned fine wine companies, understands the art of experience. With stunning estates across Napa Valley, Sonoma, and France, they don’t just sell wine; they curate immersive journeys that connect visitors to the soul of each location. Yet, they faced a distinctly modern challenge: their digital guest experience didn’t reflect the premium, personalized nature of their brand. The culprit? A generic guest WiFi service that was functional, but nothing more.
The Challenge: A Disconnected Experience
Before partnering with Cloud4Wi, Boisset’s guest WiFi was a simple utility. It offered connectivity but lacked the intelligence to support meaningful customer engagement. This created a frustrating disconnect. Guests would have an incredible time touring a vineyard or enjoying a tasting, only to leave without establishing a clear digital touchpoint.
The primary limitations of their existing solution were significant:
- Absence of Analytics: Boisset couldn’t capture behavioral data or generate insights about visitor traffic and patterns at their various properties.
- No CRM Integration: The guest data that was collected couldn’t be automatically sent to their marketing platforms, leading to manual work, delays, and missed opportunities.
- Limited Customization: The platform offered no way to create branded, tailored login experiences for each unique property in the Boisset portfolio.
As a result, their WiFi network was seen as a simple commodity rather than the strategic asset it had the potential to be. Boisset knew they needed to transform this channel into a powerful tool for engagement and data collection.
The Foundation for Success: The Power of Cisco + Cloud4Wi
The beauty of the solution was that Boisset didn’t need to start from scratch. They had already made a critical investment in a robust, cloud-managed network infrastructure from
Cisco. This powerful foundation provided the secure, reliable, and scalable connectivity necessary to handle guest traffic across their eight properties in Napa and Sonoma. All that was missing was an intelligence layer to unlock its marketing potential.
This is where the Cisco and Cloud4Wi partnership shines.
Cloud4Wi’s platform is designed to layer seamlessly on top of existing Cisco hardware without requiring any upgrades or replacements. This powerful combination delivers the best of both worlds:
- IT teams are assured of the world-class security, reliability, and network management they expect from Cisco.
- Marketing teams are empowered with a user-friendly dashboard and a suite of tools designed to turn connectivity into conversation.
By leveraging their existing Cisco investment, Boisset could instantly deploy a sophisticated marketing solution, transforming their network from a cost center into a rich source of first-party customer data.
From Simple Connection to Strategic Conversation
With the joint Cisco and Cloud4Wi solution, Boisset reimagined their entire guest WiFi experience. When visitors connect, they are now greeted with a beautiful, English-language captive portal tailored to match the unique visual identity of the specific venue they’re in—whether it’s a historic winery or a gourmet grocery store.
Boisset implemented a frictionless, two-step data collection process:
- Visitors provide their name, email, and ZIP code and agree to receive marketing communications.
- They are then offered a 10% discount on their next order in exchange for their phone number, providing a clear value exchange.
The most critical piece is what happens next. Thanks to a real-time integration with Dotdigital, Boisset’s CRM platform, new contacts are instantly available for follow-up communications and nurture campaigns.
As Jean-Charles Boisset, Proprietor and President, says “Cloud4Wi has allowed us to create a compelling two-way conversation with our customers, enabling us to truly know them better—not just as visitors, but as individuals with preferences, interests, and stories. This deeper level of understanding has transformed the way we engage with our guests, allowing us to deliver more personalized, memorable experiences that reflect the spirit of Boisset and our family collection of destinations. “
The Results: A Vintage Year for Data and Engagement
The solution was launched in December 2024, and the results were immediate and impressive. In just the first six months, the lean internal team at Boisset achieved:
- Over 6,500 visitors onboarded via the new guest WiFi experience.
- 3,000 new email addresses acquired, providing a direct line to highly engaged potential customers.
- A 7% conversion rate, with new contacts making a purchase after signing up.
This last statistic is the most powerful. It proves the solution does more than just capture data; it identifies and “primes” guests who are already warm to the brand, turning a positive on-site visit into tangible revenue.
As Patrick Egan, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications, notes, “Cloud4Wi’s integration with our CRM system has transformed our ability to enhance our guest experience. What once required multiple tools and manual processes is now seamless and automated. We collect and act on visitor data in real time, enabling targeted communications and smarter, more dynamic marketing strategies.”
Diana Breashears, Director of Ecommerce and Digital Marketing, called it an “easy win,” particularly because it filled a critical guest need in an area with unreliable cell service. “Most impressive was the high conversion rate,” she says, “proving the tool effectively ‘primed’ guests for post-visit engagement and long-term relationship-building.”
Your Network Is Your Next Great Marketing Channel
The Boisset Collection’s story offers a clear lesson for any business with a physical location and a Cisco network: your infrastructure is a launchpad for a world-class customer experience. By layering a marketing-focused solution like Cloud4Wi on top of a solid Cisco foundation, Boisset transformed their WiFi from a background utility into a strategic channel that enhances the guest journey, collects invaluable first-party data, and powers automated, personalized marketing.
Their journey is far from over. Boisset plans to expand the network’s coverage and introduce exciting new initiatives like location-based messaging and a gamified “Wine Passport” loyalty program.
It’s time to stop thinking of guest WiFi as just an amenity. With the right strategy and the right partners, it can be your most effective tool for bridging the physical and digital divide, fostering loyalty, and uncorking new streams of revenue.
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