With over 150 million users in more than 220 countries and regions as of late 2024, the Airbnb marketing strategy has grown from a startup idea into a global phenomenon.
Central to this success is Airbnb marketing’s ability to craft emotionally charged narratives that speak to belonging, diversity, and local immersion. As Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky aptly stated:
Brand is really the connection between you and your customers.
In this blog, we’ll explore the most compelling campaigns and shed light on the Airbnb digital marketing strategy that continues to inspire both travelers and accommodation marketers worldwide.
Let’s get to it.
What’s Inside
Airbnb Marketing Mix (The 4 Ps)
Of all the available marketing strategies, the four Ps–product, price, place, and promotion, together are called a ‘marketing mix’. The four Ps were formally conceptualized by E. Jerome MacCarthy, after which many companies use this as a foundation business model.
Airbnb has paved its way to success through this model. It analyzes the brand with this business model covering the 4Ps. Let’s look at all four Ps sequentially.
Product
The primary goal of Airbnb’s product strategy is connecting travelers with hosts offering accommodations via an online platform. So its platform itself is their product.
Its offerings vary from affordable vacation rentals to expensive luxurious rentals. Moreover, it allows users to choose a place for one person to book an entire place. The platform also offers ease of use, user-friendly design, and offers an array of appealing rental listings.
Price
Airbnb’s pricing strategy is based on the concept of peer-to-peer pricing, wherein all the hosts set the prices for their listings.
The platform offers various options that fit their budget, and Airbnb charges both the host and the guest for using the platform. Since all transactions happen on the platform, the money is transferred to the hosts within 24 hours of payment. Moreover, the hosts have standard cancellation policies for when guests cancel the booking.
P.S. It’s important to note that while Airbnb doesn’t directly set prices, hosts can leverage Airbnb advertising tools to increase their visibility in search results. This can potentially help them attract more guests and potentially influence their booking decisions.
Place
Airbnb isn’t limited to specific places but operates on a global level.
The platform enables users to access listings and book rentals from all places, offering an accessible and convenient service. Its reach also allows travelers to find accommodations in popular and unpopular locations.
Promotion
The advertising and promotion strategy of Airbnb needs to promote to both guests and travelers to keep its rental system operating properly.
It uses a mix of conventional marketing strategies, including referrals, word of mouth, and paid ad campaigns. Moreover, it effectively prompts its services to travelers with the help of marketing segmentation.
It’s worth noting that the marketing strategies of Airbnb aren’t limited to just 4Ps. The marketing strategies of Airbnb involve additional elements that go beyond the fundamental marketing mix as well. However, it’s best to contact renowned tourism marketing agencies to take a safer and more strategic route to devising marketing strategies.
Now that we know about the brand’s foundational marketing model, let’s look at the marketing strategies of Airbnb that set it apart.
Airbnb’s Marketing Strategies & Tactics (Standout Airbnb Ads)
While the brand continues to follow the basic 4Ps when devising a marketing strategy, it goes above and beyond them to leave its footprint in the digital world. Let’s look at four Airbnb marketing strategy examples you can use as inspiration.
Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC)
Giving control to the users is the most creative and effective way to market a business. Airbnb turned to user-generated content wherein they asked a few people who were good at photography to book an Airbnb and submit photos with their friends or family to Airbnb.
Through these photos and videos, the company tapped into the feeling of nostalgia, inspiring the audiences to think about their meaningful trips.
Moreover, UGC is a great way to save money on content creation while increasing social media engagement. However, this strategy won’t always work. If you struggle to market your business digitally or need help figuring out new marketing methods, contact digital marketing agencies. You may benefit more from professionals than asking customers to take photographs to ensure you get the desired outcome.
Tell a Story: Airbnb’s Content Marketing Strategy
At the heart of Airbnb’s advertising success is its ability to tell engaging stories via its ads.
Through its content marketing efforts, including blogs, videos, and the Airbnb magazine, the brand shares inspiring stories of hosts and travelers from around the world. This storytelling approach, which leads all kinds of Airbnb ads, not only highlights the diverse range of accommodations available but also the unique experiences that come with them.
By focusing on the human aspect of travel, Airbnb’s content marketing strategy deeply connects with its audience, encouraging them to explore new destinations and experiences.
Airbnb’s Advertising Campaigns
Now, it’s time to take a peek behind the curtain. Airbnb’s marketing campaigns are consistently successful and engaging, and we’ve listed our favorites for you below.
Get an Airbnb Campaign
Airbnb launched a new brand campaign titled “Get an Airbnb”, which marks a return to its core brand messaging that emphasizes the unique homes and experiences offered through the platform.
This campaign is designed to highlight the advantages of choosing Airbnb over traditional hotel stays, focusing on the personalized and authentic experiences that come with renting someone’s home. It’s a strategic move to differentiate Airbnb in the competitive travel market, especially in challenging environments like New York City.
Lean Into Your Hook / Live Like a Local
Local before global, always.
Airbnb has always focused on allowing travelers to experience the location as a local. This belief gets reflected across all their marketing materials, where their users’ experiences are at the core. Live like a local is one of its first big-scale marketing campaigns, focusing on serving users seeking an unforgettable travel experience.
Live Anywhere Campaign
The marketing strategy of Airbnb has never fallen short of innovation.
It launched a campaign “Live Anywhere” in 2021 that promoted long-term ads and drove bookings for the platform. Through this campaign, twelve people got to live in a new Airbnb location each month for a year, with all expenses covered. All these individuals shared their experiences on social media to give a glimpse into their lives like locals.
This campaign generated a noticeable buzz and engagement on social media. It received over 223 million impressions and the brand witnessed a 10% rise in long-term stays during the campaign run. While you can come up with such campaign ideas yourself, consider approaching hospitality marketing agencies or consultants who can help you figure out such campaign ideas for your business.
The Airbnb It Campaign
Many people have spaces like these but don’t think of them as Airbnbs.
With its “Airbnb it” commercials, Airbnb encourages more and more people to become occasional hosts. This campaign motivates potential hosts to look beyond what an Airbnb looks like. Through this campaign, the brand enables consumers to become hosts of places they own but don’t occupy all the time.
Airbnb’s Performance Marketing Strategy
While Airbnb works on a strong brand image and content marketing (as we already mentioned above), its marketing efforts don’t solely rely on brand awareness.
Airbnb’s ads can be found on various platforms, employing performance-based marketing tactics. This means their advertising spend is strategically targeted to reach potential travelers actively searching for accommodations. By tailoring their message to users with specific travel intent, Airbnb aims to maximize the return on their advertising investment and convert those searches into bookings.
What’s more, in a strategic shift, Airbnb’s Chief Marketing Officer discussed moving away from performance marketing to focus on big, bold brand campaigns. This decision comes after the success of their multichannel spring campaign, which introduced “Rooms” – Airbnb’s rebranded offering of private rooms within shared homes. The campaign told compelling stories of hosts and guests, showcasing the unique and personal experiences that Airbnb offers, and reinforcing the brand’s commitment to creating memorable connections.
Airbnb’s Strategic Partnerships and Collaborations
Airbnb has also mastered the art of strategic partnerships to reach new audiences and enhance its offerings. Collaborations with major brands, local tourism boards, and even governments have allowed Airbnb to expand its market and offer unique experiences that can’t be found elsewhere.
For example, their partnership with the Olympic Games provided accommodations for attendees and athletes, showcasing Airbnb’s ability to offer unique stays and experiences on a global stage.
In addition to that, Airbnb also invests in “popular” collaborations. As a recent example, the brand teamed up with DreamWorks to promote Shrek.
Top Airbnb Marketing Campaigns
As we stated above, Airbnb is offering a sense of belonging and a personal travel experience; not selling accommodation. That’s why its marketing team crafts narratives that evoke a sense of home, human connection, and cultural immersion.
For that reason, Airbnb puts its hosts and guests at the center of its campaigns. This community-driven storytelling differentiates it from traditional lodging brands that focus on discounts.
Another bold thing about Airbnb marketing campaigns is that whether it’s “Live There” or city-specific ads, the brand tailors its messaging to reflect local culture, values, and customs.
Let’s now take a closer look at the top marketing campaigns of Airbnb.
#1 Host with Pride
With a focus on LGBTQ+ inclusion, that marketing campaign is aiming to build trust with underrepresented communities.
The campaign showcases Hasan Namir, an advocate for inclusive Islam; Chase Blodgett, a transgender hockey player and Airbnb host who inspired new gender regulations in the Whitehorse women’s hockey league; and Park Cannon, an Airbnb traveler who recently won a seat in the Georgia House of Representatives.
Their stories of overcoming struggle remind us just how powerful our communities can be when we all support each other, welcome each other’s differences, and #HostwithPride. Together, we can create a world where we all can truly belong.
Such campaigns reinforce Airbnb’s values-driven brand in alignment with global events like Pride Month.
#2 We Accept
When it comes to Airbnb marketing strategy, the term global inclusivity is a must to mention.
In its campaign “We Accept,” Airbnb shows that it’s more than listings and accommodation options.
Airbnb demonstrates with that 30-second ad during the Super Bowl that social issues aligned with your mission can transform brand awareness into brand advocacy.
#3 Belong Anywhere
Rather than an ad or a limited-time campaign, “Belong Anywhere” is actually a brand overhaul.
Back in 2014, with that campaign, Airbnb introduced its “Belo” logo and belief-driven mission. In addition to launching a video for that introduction, the brand also operated a website overhaul and a symbolic brand asset.
With that marketing move, Airbnb shows strong branding starting with a bold narrative & storytelling and unifying visual identity aligned with it.
#4 Airbnb for Work
Another thing that Airbnb is good at is finding new use cases for an existing service.
Airbnb for Work is actually a subbrand created for business travelers and corporate HR teams.
Via different campaigns, Airbnb promotes its subbrand and make itself as a legitimate option for business stays. While doing that, they enter a traditionally hotel-dominated space by reframing the brand as professional and employee-friendly.
#5 Only on Airbnb
Finally, Airbnb’s marketing strategy includes a value proposition that states, “You can’t get this anywhere else.”
Only on Airbnb campaign series highlights stays and experiences that can’t be found anywhere else. Like unique homes like castles, Barbie houses, private islands, and more.
That campaign is actually a bold way to differentiate the brand from Booking.com, Expedia and Hotels.com.
Airbnb’s social media strategy is an excellent example of engagement and creativity. They’ve launched several successful campaigns, such as the #OneLessStranger social experiment, which encouraged users to perform random acts of kindness for strangers and share their experiences online.
While becoming highly talked about on social media, this campaign also aligned perfectly with Airbnb’s brand message of belonging and community. What’s more, the social media strategy fueled by Airbnb’s digital marketing approach, includes telling stories and connecting with users on a personal/deep level. It, of course, has set the brand apart in the digital marketing space.
The brand engages audiences with user-generated content and impactful social media campaigns. Remember the TikTok short which hit more than 2 million views?
Real stories, photos, and videos from Airbnb’s community paint a powerful picture of travel, drawing in potential guests. Yes, these campaigns promote the brand; however, they also build a sense of community and belonging among Airbnb users, reinforcing the idea that Airbnb is more than just a service – it’s a way to connect with the world.
Moreover, we’re all aware that Airbnb’s social media feeds are filled with stunning photos and videos of unique listings around the world. This can inspire people to travel to new places and experience different cultures.
Last Words
A consistent Airbnb marketing strategy will give you a big edge over your competitors. Take inspiration from the examples in this article and create your marketing strategy. The best part about creating marketing strategies for travel agencies is you get to be creative and explore numerous ways to engage with your audience. Have fun marketing!
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