Business & Finance - Marketing WK 6 Assignment

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Integrated Marketing Communications for Airbnb

Teameco Broughton The University of Arizona Global Campus BUS 622 Global Marketing Professor Lorraine Cigainero August 06, 2024

Abstract

This paper looks at Airbnb’s use of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) through its beautiful campaigns, Birdbnb and Go Near. To analyze the Birdbnb campaign, which uses printed materials, digital media, and outdoor ads, this essay highlights Airbnb's innovative way of presenting travel experiences and capturing consumers through artistic and interactive elements. The discussion also covers the Go Near initiative, a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which aimed to promote local travel and support economic recovery by leveraging targeted social media efforts. The evaluation also looks at these two campaigns, which align with Airbnb's core values of community service and personalized travel experience. Both campaigns' strengths and weaknesses are discussed, focusing on the successful strategies and the possible improvements.

Integrated Marketing Communications for Airbnb

Executive Summary

Airbnb has skills in leveraging Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) to form cohesive and engaging campaigns that transmit through various media. The following essay discusses Airbnb's IMC campaign, "Birdbnb," other marketing communication activities, and their alignment to communicate the brand message. Moreover, it evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of these activities, giving a detailed view of Airbnb's IMC strategy.

Part 1: Analysis of the IMC Campaign

Campaign Overview

Birdbnb, an Airbnb’s out-of-the-box IMC campaign, has captured the attention of the consumers thanks to its unique artistic strategy and creative storytelling approach to highlight the multifaceted nature of homes on the platform. This multichannel strategy was built on print, digital and experiential media to engage the targeted consumer.

Print Advertisement

A key print component of the "Birdbnb" campaign was a full-page advertisement in travel magazines such as AFAR. The brand-new ad consisted of photos of the chic birdhouses, all based on actual Airbnb homes. The visual appeal of the ad was enhanced by high-quality photography that captured the detailed craftsmanship of the birdhouses, reinforcing Airbnb's brand message of unique and personalized travel experiences (Vivion, 2013).

Figure 1:

Birdbnb travel magazine ad

Source: Vivion (2013)

Digital Advertisement

Digital is a part of the Birdbnb campaign, which includes online ads and a dedicated website, Birdbnb.com. The interactive ads comprised a 360-degree tour of the birdhouse installation and behind-the-scenes videos of the creative process, among others (Dolnicar & Reinhold, 2021). The digital campaign actively drew on multimedia to captivate users and push for mixing the brand's story with the audience (Airbnb, 2020).

Outdoor Advertising

Airbnb has moved outdoor advertising from cities to rural areas, using parks where they place birdhouse replicas to draw attention from people walking near them. This unique set-up drew people in and allowed them to interact with the campaign. The choice of outdoor locations, including New Orleans' Tree of Life, is an iconic place that resonates with travelers' experiences and portrays the concept of travel as a means of bringing together (The Macrom Avenue, 2023).

Figure 2:

Photo of Birdbnb Outdoor Campaign

Source: The Macrom Avenue (2023)

Social Media

Airbnb boosted the campaign on social media by making birdhouse posts and stories. Platforms were the space for user-generated content, BTS footage, and interactive elements like polls and quizzes about the birdhouses. This strategy enacted significant social media characteristics such as building community and engagement (Airbnb, 2020).

Figure 3:

Airbnb’s YouTube video related to the "Birdbnb" campaign.

Source: We Accept | Airbnb (2017)

Unifying Elements

The unified Birdbnb campaign across media channels employs a common visual language and the same message. It is evident in print ads, digital content, and outdoor installations that birdhouses are used as a metaphor for travel and hospitality. Each medium heightens the standard key message of individualized and exceptional travel experiences, forming a single brand narrative.

Part 2: Comparison with Other Marketing Communication Activities

Other Marketing Communication Activity

Aside from promotion and advertising, Airbnb also used theoretical marketing activities like targeted sponsorships and partnerships as part of its overall marketing strategy. One example that stands out is the "Go Near" initiative implemented in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. This campaign aimed to motivate the world not to travel far and to divert to local destinations, thus boosting the economy. As a result of its partnership with destination marketing organizations, Airbnb was able to emphasize local travel options and include them in the Airbnb application (Kljucnikov et al., 2020). The campaign used social media to target travelers who are resistant to long-distance travel due to the pandemic (Airbnb, 2020).

Figure 4:

Airbnb "Go Near" Campaign

Source: The Macrom Avenue (2023)

Comparison and Analysis

The "Go Near" initiative goes beyond the "Birdbnb" campaign ambitions. Whereas "Birdbnb" promotes neighborhood art installations as a means for Airbnb to showcase its quirky accommodations, "Go Near" offers a more direct approach by encouraging local travel and providing support for economic revival. The campaigns demonstrate Airbnb's core belief in community service and providing tailored travel experiences to its customers. While both are offered to travelers as alternatives, they approach different sides of the travel experience: "Birdbnb" augments the brand's visibility and appeals to the imaginative types, while "Go Near" not only addresses travelers' infatuation with safety but also assists the local businesses that were damaged by the pandemic.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

"Birdbnb" Campaign: The campaign's power is to use the artistry and narration skills to create a brand experience that will be hard to forget. Its multichannel approach guarantees broad exposure and increases interaction on different networks (Xu et al., 2023). Using art elements, the "Birdbnb" campaign sets Airbnb apart from the competition and creates a lot of media buzz.

"Go Near" Initiative: The greatest strength of this campaign is its relevancy at the time of a turning point of the pandemic. It brought the consumers' fears regarding travel safety and prompted local tourism, which was vital for the economic recovery. The initiative's emphasis on local travel fits perfectly with the changing consumer trends toward proximity and safety.

Weaknesses

"Birdbnb" Campaign: One possible drawback is the exorbitant production cost related to the designing and installing art installations, which might hinder the scaling up and sustainability of the campaign. The campaign's unique approach also limits its ability to attract a more significant segment of the general population.

"Go Near" Initiative: While significantly popularized, this initiative has some hurdles to overcome to ensure all local attractions are represented. Besides, the campaign's efficiency strictly depends on the correctness and availability of local travel information sent through the app, which might differ from region to region and not be available.

Conclusion

Airbnb's application of Integrated Marketing Communications is evident from its "Birdbnb" and "Go Near" campaigns. Both examples provide evidence of the company's strategic approach to using various media to send a clear brand message. Through the clever merger of imaginative advertising and practical initiatives, Airbnb successfully brings its audience to the core of its brand values.

References

Airbnb. (2020, June 11). Airbnb Launches Campaign to Support Domestic Travel + Local Economic Growth. Airbnb Newsroom. https://news.airbnb.com/airbnb-launches-campaign-to-support-domestic-travel-local-economic-growth/.

Dolnicar, S., & Reinhold, S. (2021, April 6). The evolution of Airbnb’s business model. Uq.pressbooks.pub; The University of Queensland. https://uq.pressbooks.pub/airbnb-978-1-74272-321-1/chapter/the-evolution-of-airbnbs-business-model/.

Kljucnikov, A., Civelek, M., Krajcik, V., & Kmeco, L. (2020). Innovations in Tourism Marketing: Sharing Economy Platform. Essuir.sumdu.edu.ua. https://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/77081.

The Macrom Avenue. (2023, December 10). Airbnb’s Remarkable Marketing Odyssey: Creating a Global Community - A Case Study. Www.themarcomavenue.com. https://www.themarcomavenue.com/blog/airbnbs-marketing-journey-to-build-a-global-community-a-case-study.

Vivion, N. (2013). Airbnb launches first flight into integrated marketing with $2 million campaign, Birdbnb. Www.phocuswire.com. https://www.phocuswire.com/Airbnb-launches-first-flight-into-integrated-marketing-with-2-million-campaign-Birdbnb.

We Accept | Airbnb. (2017, February 5). We Accept | Airbnb. YouTube. https://youtu.be/yetFk7QoSck.

Xu, Y., Shen, Q., Yin, J., Deng, Z., Wang, D., Chen, H., Lai, L., Zhuang, T., & Ge, J. (2023). Multi-channel Integrated Recommendation with Exposure Constraints. https://doi.org/10.1145/3580305.3599868.