Introduction
Developing efficient marketing strategies is vital for a company’s success. Airbnb is a vivid example of a company that required reconsideration of its strategic marketing in order to revitalize the brand. This paper will present a brief summary of the essential marketing strategy issues of the Airbnb case, which are relevant to this day, as well as some contemporary issues. What is more, three recommendations concerning solving these issues will be provided.
Main body
One of the first and most significant issues concerning Airbnb marketing strategies has always been intense competition. The rival companies are widespread not only in Spain but all over the world, ranging from international giants like Booking.com to private local rental properties. Overcoming such active competition presents an important challenge in the hospitality and tourism industry. Therefore, this area should be taken into consideration while developing a marketing strategy.
Another issue relating to Airbnb marketing strategies nowadays is attracting new categories of customers, apart from tourists. It is noted that Airbnb has been putting significant efforts to increase the appeal of the platform for those traveling on business (Carson, 2018). The focus of the company is on attracting high numbers of corporate travelers rather than some employees on occasional business trips.
Finally, one of the recent challenges Airbnb has to address is effectively dealing with negative publicity. This publicity mostly stems from the various safety issues encountered by the customers. The most frequent examples of safety violations that affect the Airbnb brand include the uncontrolled possibility of scams or last-minute cancellations on the part of hosts (Graham, 2018). All in all, these aspects present certain challenges and have to be handled carefully.
Revitalizing the Airbnb brand in Spain and other target markets requires a number of marketing strategies aimed at coping with the issues described above. First and foremost, to address the challenge of intense competition, it is recommended to expand Airbnb activities. It is crucial that the new services cover the gaps in rivals’ options, identified through thorough market research. Offering unique experiences is already a part of Airbnb’s rebranding activities. However, these experiences can be expanded in partnerships with local companies.
The study of each city or area destined for further development would allow encountering a number of businesses offering various services, which are genuinely unique. Partnerships with these businesses would attract more visitors to the given destination. For instance, partnerships with local guides or agencies offering individually created adventure holidays could enhance the tourist flow to a particular area. Overall, such partnerships would facilitate travel arrangements for customers and increase the convenience of Airbnb services.
The second recommendation relates to Airbnb’s current goal of increasing the number of business travelers. This can be done by developing a network of accommodations suitable for corporate events. In order to achieve this, different requirements have to be analyzed, and conditions have to be reconsidered to meet the business needs. Most importantly, the value of time for business travelers has to be taken into account. Firstly, the check-in time should be adapted to the needs of corporate travelers. What is more, any delays in key exchanges that frequently occur on the part of hosts are unacceptable in the business context. Therefore, the policy of collaborating with hosts has to be reassessed, and special conditions have to be incorporated for hosts dealing with corporate clients.
In addition, the accommodations intended for corporate use have to meet certain standards. For instance, such work-related essentials as Wi-Fi, stationery, desks, and printers, as well as a necessary number of power outlets, should be provided. Other important conditions are sufficient space and access to transportation or leisure activities. In general, creating a network of suitable accommodations adapted for business needs is a lengthy but essential process.
The third recommendation to revitalize the Airbnb brand involves improving the company’s public image. In order to address the safety issues raised by a significant amount of customers’ complaints, Airbnb would have to enhance the safety regulation policies. This is one of the most important steps in image improvement. At the moment, the company does not offer any measures to prevent scams or last-minute cancellations by hosts, which is one of the main customers’ complaints.
This issue can be addressed by introducing a basic host checking procedure, including ID and address verification. It is crucial to verify both registered hosts and those who are new to the platform. These new policies require careful implementation, as the risk of decline in the number of hosts exists. Nevertheless, enhancing safety policies for clients is a necessary condition for preventing scams and improving Airbnb’s public image.
Conclusion
To sum up, to revitalize the Airbnb brand, it is important to consider a number of marketing strategy issues. The recommendations, concerning Airbnb marketing, include handling the issue of intense competition by offering unique services to customers in partnership with local businesses. Also, it is crucial to adapt the accommodations and host collaboration policies to the needs of corporate clients, as well as improve safety regulation policies.
References
- Carson, B. (2018). Airbnb targets more than travelers: Company courts businesses for relocation, team-building. Web.
- Graham, J. (2018). Airbnb’s growth curbed by safety concerns. Web.