Episode 9

How Airbnb Used Brand Awareness to Drive Profitability

Airbnb is the only public VC-backed company founded in the US in the last 15 years that is meaningfully profitable. How did they do it? They dramatically changed their approach to marketing.

Two years ago, Airbnb started prioritizing brand-building while limiting their previous focus on search advertising. In this episode, Elena, Angela and Rob discuss the Airbnb success story, why finding a balance of performance and brand marketing is crucial for business growth, and whether this approach could make sense for brands across multiple categories and life stages.

Topics Covered

• [01:00] Why Airbnb changed their marketing mix

• [05:30] How Airbnb “became a verb” despite not creating their category

• [09:00] How TV advertising reduces digital dependency and the “Google tax”

• [11:00] How other brands like Adidas have also used brand building for growth

• [14:30] Why digital-focused brands lean into brand marketing

• [18:30] Turning marketing into a growth-driver

Resources:

2019 MarketingWeek Article

2023 MarketingWeek Article

2022 eMarketer Report

Today's Hosts