Open Something New

_________________________________
Rachel Nagpal, Senior Copywriter

_________________________________
Liz Snell, Senior Art Director

_________________________________
Nikolas Revmatas, Senior Account Manager

_________________________________
Julia Gray, Senior Account Planner

_________________________________
Kevin Kelley, Head Strategist

54 W 40th St.
New York, NY 10018
Phone: (288) 853 - 3474
Fax: (288) 533 - 2987
www.cuttlefishcreative.com

Jonathan Mildenhall
Chief Marketing Officer, AirBnb
888 Brannan St.
San Francisco, CA, 94103 United States
December 12th, 2016
Dear Jonathan Mildenhall,
Airbnbs mission to have travelers feel that they belong anywhere interests us. Airbnbs 2 million listings worldwide is
also an impressive number that sets it apart from its competitors.
Our campaign proposal for Airbnb involves a highly integrated, streamlined approach that targets a broad demographic
within a reasonable allowance. Through the research we conducted about Airbnb, we created a detailed situational analysis,
SWOT, and campaign goals, as well as recommend creative, media, and promotional strategies. We recommend targeting
millennials, aged 18-34, and creating a campaign centering around their desires for new experiences, risk-taking, and
unique travel experiences. The marketing mix relies heavily on digital platforms to reach the most consumers of this target
audience, and we even conducted our primary research to answer questions about millennials and their travel habits.
You can contact us at 288-853-3474. We look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Cuttlefish Creative
_________________________________
Rachel Nagpal, Senior Copywriter
_________________________________
Nikolas Revmatas, Senior Account Manager
_________________________________
Kevin Kelley, Head Strategist

________________________________
Liz Snell, Senior Art Director

_________________________________
Julia Gray, Senior Account Planner

Table of Contents
Executive summary.................................................................................................1
Introduction...........................................................................................................2
Discussion of the overall marketing problem............................................................3
Client..........................................................................................................3

Competitive analysis.....................................................................................4
Direct competitors...............................................................................5
Indirect competitors............................................................................8

Consumer/target group profiles...................................................................11
Overall market environment..................................................................................13
Geographic factors...............................................................................................15
SWOT.................................................................................................................19
Campaign goals and objectives............................................................................22
Media strategy and tactics....................................................................................26
Creative strategy and creative executions..............................................................33
Promotional strategies..........................................................................................46
Campaign benchmarketing...................................................................................49
Summary.............................................................................................................50
References...........................................................................................................51
Appendices: A, B, C, and D

Executive summary
Cuttlefish Creative have designed a campaign for Airbnb that will run from January
2017 through December 2017. Through the primary and secondary research, we
recommend a target demographic of millennials aged 18-34. Utilizing our
recommendations, and a budget of roughly $30 million, Airbnb will increase its
international rental usage to US millennials by between 15% to 25% as well as
increase its website traffic by 30%.
Our recommendation includes a target audience of millennials. Millennials are a
burgeoning economic force, and by 2020, they could account for $1.4 trillion in
spending (Shin, 2015). Cuttlefish Creative centered this campaign around the
opportunity that Airbnb gives millennials a change to try something new and truly
immerse themselves in a new culture.
Key media will include social media, such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat,
radio spots for music streaming apps, and television spots for video streaming. This
media budget is then supplemented with television and out-of-home. This
recommended media will provide the largest reach for these costs due to the
enormous number of millennials using those forms of media. In fact, 71% of
millennials use social media at least once per day (Bennett, 2014). Using digital, TV,
and out-of-home platforms to their fullest potential will enable Airbnb to accomplish
the goals of changing millennials behaviors to book their next travel experience
through Airbnb.

Introduction
Airbnb is a shared economy platform with hosts and users across the world (Airbnb).
Travelers can access Airbnbs website and get in contact with homeowners looking to
rent out space in the travelers desired destination (Airbnb). Customizable functions
on the website include price range, specific location preferences, bedroom and
bathroom count, as well as the ability to view the homeowners profile (Airbnb).
Airbnb has more than 60,000,000 total guests, 34,000 cities, 191 countries, and
2,000,000 listings worldwide (Airbnb). Airbnb fosters an authentic and personalized
travel experience by providing travelers with the opportunity to stay in a destination
locals home of their choice (Airbnb).
With all of the destinations and listings available, this freedom creates a certain risk.
Some consumers associate Airbnb with its recent controversy about vandalism
(Romero, 2011). After cases of Airbnb-rented homes being burglarized (Little, 2011)
and trashed (Rosario, 2014), the possibility of a repeated incident raises the risk of
renting out ones home to someone through Airbnb. Recently, one of the largest issues
plaguing Airbnbs reputation is talk of its allowing racial discrimination to take place
on the platform. Critics of the service have seized upon this, launching a recent
campaign in which a woman who identifies herself as black speaks in a voiceover
about how hard it is to find lodging on Airbnb (McCabe, 2016). These controversies
act as a threat to the image and reputation of Airbnb. Airbnb recognizes that there
are certain risks associated with travel, but strives to protect a standard of safety and
security (Trust at Airbnb). The campaign aims to increase the use of Airbnb
internationally among US millennial travelers by changing their behavioral habits to
book with Airbnb, encouraging them to download the Airbnb app, and using the
service to plan their next international experience. In the Try Something New
campaign, Cuttlefish Creative hope to direct attention to the easy and culturally
appealing opportunity for adventure that Airbnb provides.

Discussion of the overall marketing problem

Client
Airbnb started in 2007 with co-founders Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia by turning
their loft into a lodging space to help pay rent (Crook & Escher, 2015). From there,
they found three other willing hosts, and the website was born (Crook & Escher,
2015). In 2009, the company earned $600k in seed funding (Crook & Escher, 2015).
Airbnb continued to grow by including professional photographs with the listings,
helping them earn another $7.2 million in 2010 (Crook & Escher, 2015). According
to co-founder Chesky, the company has seen an 800% growth with bookings in 89
different countries (Crook & Escher, 2015). In 2014, Airbnb booked 10 million guests
and hosted 550,000 properties on the website, earning the title of INC magazines
Company of the Year (Helm, 2014).
Airbnbs mission is to help create a world where consumers belong anywhere and to
make people feel as if they can actually live in that place instead of just traveling to it
(Chesky, 2015). Airbnbs strategy is twofold; the company strives to provide a
convenient and personal travel experience for its users as well as a safe and
rewarding opportunity for homeowners to rent out their space (Airbnb). This peer-topeer marketplace model allows consumers to build trusting relationships with renters.
Because Airbnb is a private company, their financial records are not public (ONeill,
2016). According to investment banking company Cowen & Co. though, Airbnb is
forecasted to book $12.3 billion in rentals this year (ONeill, 2016). The companys
commission for each rental stems from the percentage of cost it takes off the entire
rental price (Hartmans, 2016). Since the company generally makes 15% from each
listing between 6% to 12% from guests and 3% from hosts Airbnb may make as
much as $1.85 billion in revenue in 2016 (Hartmans, 2016).
Most recently, Airbnb implemented a new initiative called Airbnb Trips (Airbnb).
These are broken down into two subsections: Experiences, which are programs led
by locals, and Places, which are recommendations from local residents (Hartmans,
2016). Airbnb brokers the payment for Experiences from the user to the guide and
takes a cut, similar to how its home-booking service works (Hartmans, 2016). For
Places, the company has some revenue-sharing deals in place, like a partnership with

4
Resy to book restaurant reservations (Hartmans, 2016). The company plans to add
Flights and Services in the near future (Hartmans, 2016).
Trips now shows up in the Airbnb app, but the ability to browse and book
experiences is available in only 12 cities (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Detroit,
Havana, London, Paris, Florence, Nairobi, Cape Town, Tokyo, and Seoul) and there
will also be 100 Insider Guidebooks available in six cities at launch (Hartmans,
2016).
Due to recent controversies, the Airbnb mission has been muddled and misconstrued.
Some consumers feel discriminated against in the guest-homeowner matching
process (McCabe, 2016). Others are wary of using the service because of previous
issues with vandalism to Airbnb-rented homes (Romero, 2011). These incidents have
lead consumers to question Airbnbs trustworthiness and ethos. To alleviate this
issue, Airbnb implemented a financial guarantee to cover property damage (Chesky,
2011). Consumers have also utilized social media tools to express experiences with
discrimination and racism while using Airbnb, sharing their personal stories with the
hashtag #AirbnbWhileBlack (Clarke 2016). To address consumer concerns, Airbnb
has renewed its anti-discrimination policy and reinstated its position as a
non-discriminatory company (Cheeseman, 2016). Lastly, Airbnbs business model has
faced legal challenges in cities like Berlin, New York City, and San Francisco
(Somerville, 2016). Particularly, in New York, the governor Andrew Cuomo signed a
bill enforcing fines up to $7,500 on residents who sublet their entire homes for more
than 30 days a year (Benner, 2016). These scenarios create a breach in the company-consumer trust and have required acts of reparation.
Competitive Analysis
Airbnb has a multitude of direct and indirect competitors. With a shift towards P2P
travel accommodation platforms, the indirect competitors have started to invest in
similar business strategies in order to directly compete with companies like Airbnb
(Trivett, 2013). The competitive landscape of P2P travel accommodation has become
increasingly complex due to the several major acquisitions by aggregate travel
agency companies, such as Expedia, Inc. and TripAdvisor, of P2P companies, like
HomeAway and FlipKey, respectively (Peltier, 2016). Airbnbs competitors include
similar P2P holiday rental companies, who directly compete with Airbnbs business

5
model, as well as aggregate travel booking websites that allow consumers to search
for travel accommodations, flights, and car rentals. Airbnbs direct competitors are
Expedia, Inc., HomeAway, TripAdvisor, and FlipKey (see Chart #1 in Appendix C).
Due to the research below, its suggested to include the following companies as
Airbnb competitors. Airbnbs indirect competitor, more brick and mortar, is the hotel
industry. Airbnb still competes with hotels that have well-established credibility, and at
most times, have larger services and rewards programs. Airbnbs indirect competitors
are Sheraton Hotels, Wyndham Worldwide, and Hilton Worldwide (see information
in Indirect Competitors). Its important to note that many of these competitors hotel
rooms are booked through Internet travel intermediaries and aggregate websites,
like Expedia and TripAdvisor, to whom they pay commissions and transaction fees for
sales of rooms through such services.
Additionally, Airbnb has to compete with local hostels that directly compete with
Airbnbs business in select countries and cities. With the vast number of hostels and
the wide range of quality, price, and convenience, its too difficult to consider any
individual hostel chain a competitor. Instead, its better to look at the hostel segment
as a whole (Happy Map, 2015). Thus, Hostelworld, a global hostel booking
aggregate website, is considered a direct competitor.
Direct Competitors
Expedia Inc.
Expedia Inc. is the parent company of several major online travel agency/hotel
booking aggregate websites like Expedia, Hotels.com, and Travelocity. It also owns a
relatively popular P2P short-term vacation rental site called HomeAway. Expedia has
become one of the most recognizable and used travel agency websites by building its
image globally and expanding its brand portfolio via several company acquisitions.
Its websites allow business and leisure travelers to research, plan, book and manage
travel. Expedia Inc. receives about 50.0 million unique web visitors on a monthly
basis (US Industry Report). Expedia Inc.s target audiences are budget-conscious,
luxury, and business travelers, and due to its full-service platform, Expedias strength
lies in how any type of customer can conveniently refine their search according to
their travel needs (US Industry Report). Budget-conscious users can refine their search
to search for inexpensive travel options, luxury-minded users can refine their search

6
for higher-end options, and business travelers can refine their search in order to
accommodate their business plans. Additionally, Expedia Inc.s international guests
accounted for 44% of 2015 revenue via Expedias 1.2 million vacation rental listings
on its sites (Hoovers). Similar to Airbnb, Expedia targets consumers who want
convenient booking options at affordable rates. Yet, unlike Airbnb, Expedia offers
packaged holidays for those consumers who are truly looking for a one-stop-shop
experience (Hoovers).
Expedia Inc.s market share, as of 2016, is 4.6% and is expected to earn $6.7 billion
globally by the end of 2016 (US Industry Reports). Although Expedia may have a
larger market share, Airbnb has 2.3 million rooms listed and is the largest lodging
company by rooms listed (see Chart #2 in Appendix C). Expedia also has a rewards
program called Expedia+ Rewards, which is a rewards program where members
can earn up to 2 points per dollar on flights, hotels, activities and vacation packages
(About Us - Expedia). These points can then be redeemed for travel or can be used
to bid on special redemption offers, as well as, earn customers VIP privileges and
can be earned via an Expedia+ credit card too (About Us - Expedia). Airbnb, on the
other hand, has only recently conceptualized a rewards program, partnering Qantas
Airlines Frequent Flyers program, and rewarding Airbnb users for using Qantas.
Millennials utilize reward programs and more than 60% feel there are advantages to
joining these programs (Peltier, 2016), so Airbnb should develop its reward program
and expand competitively.
Overall, Expedia spent $71.9 million in Q1 of 2016 on traditional advertising (Liu,
2016). Some of their recent campaigns include a corporate social responsibility
campaign for St. Judes Children Hospital -- which helps sick kids travel the
world -- and a Goodbye campaign that focuses on a travelers attachment to a
vacation destination (Nudd, 2014). Additionally, Expedia Inc. has a corporate
social responsibility program called Expedia Cares, which partners with charitable
organizations and funds many philanthropic initiatives (About Us - Expedia).
Ultimately, there is a huge amount of growth opportunity for Airbnb to develop its
rewards program and to initiate a corporate social responsibility program. Due to
millennials interest in rewards programs (Peltier, 2016) and interest in convenience
when it comes to travel (Palma, 2014), it would beneficial that Airbnb focus on
building its services like Expedia through acquisitions, or partnerships, and program
development. Particularly, being a convenient and full-service travel agent is

7
important to the millennial travel experience (Palma, 2014).
HomeAway
HomeAway is a P2P short-term rental company owned by Expedia Inc. HomeAways
website offers short-term rentals, in what Expedia calls alternative accommodations
(Hoovers). These are often multi-night house rentals or apartment rentals. Similar to
Airbnbs business model, HomeAway has 1.2 million live vacation rental listings in
190 countries and is the number 4 site in the travel information market (HomeAway
Vacation Rentals: About Us). HomeAway hosts also pay for online marketing, and
HomeAway seeks to attract tech-savvy travelers who regularly book vacation rentals
as well as whole families (Hoovers). Although HomeAway targets the millennial
market like Airbnb, HomeAway is more concerned with millennial families who travel
together and who want larger, more private accommodations types. HomeAways
website, which has more than 9.8 million monthly visits, also showcases temporary
housing for those who are having a home remodeled (Hoovers). Additionally,
guests do not pay a service fee but may pay damage protection or cancellation
protection (HomeAway vs. Airbnb). As of 2015, the US generates about 60% of the
companys revenues (Hoovers). On the other hand, Airbnb charges guests a service
fee, ranging from 6% to 12%, that decreases in cost when the stay period increases
(HomeAway vs. Airbnb). HomeAway also spent about $80 to $100 million on global
advertising in 2015, focusing a large percentage of that budget on their Its Your
Vacation. Why share it? campaign, which focuses on booking entire homes and the
importance of upgrading to a whole holiday (Schaal, 2016).
TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor is the worlds largest travel site. Its branded sites make up the largest
travel community in the world, reaching 350 million average monthly unique visitors
(About TripAdvisor). TripAdvisor is consumer-oriented, focusing on educating travelers
in its 385 million reviews related to covering 6.6 million accommodations, restaurants,
and attractions (About TripAdvisor). Ultimately, due to the fact that TripAdvisor is
largely an aggregate website, it generates most of its money -- some 70% -- from
click-based advertising (Hoovers). Also, TripAdvisor lists more than 630,000 different
rentals in 190 countries (TripAdvisor vs. Airbnb). Revenue in the companys Other
segment of accommodation rose by $65 million from growth in Vacation Rentals
(Hoovers). TripAdvisors extension to P2P accommodation features a similar platform
as other P2P lodging businesses. Having acquired the vacation

8
home rental company FlipKey, TripAdvisor has expanded its Other segment.
TripAdvisor provides free listings but takes a commission with a booking (Hoovers).
Additionally, TripAdvisor added a Just for You feature in 2014, which personalizes
recommendations by using consumer preferences, travel history, and the views of
friends as sources (Hoovers). TripAdvisors total advertising costs were $341 million
in 2014, which included a $33 million TV campaign, Dont Just Visit X, TripAdvisor
Visit X that focused on TripAdvisors consumer reviews and how they can make a
travelers experience better (Hoovers).
FlipKey
FlipKey, owned by TripAdvisor, is a P2P online vacation home and room rental
platform. FlipKey has 300,000 vacation homes and rooms located in over 11,000
cities throughout the world (About FlipKey | FlipKey). Properties listed on FlipKey
are exposed to nearly 340 million unique monthly visitors (About FlipKey | FlipKey).
Similar to Airbnb, every owner is verified by FlipKey staff to ensure you only deal
with trusted people (About FlipKey | FlipKey.). Since this company is owned by
TripAdvisor, customers have access to a top review system for the property theyre
booking and highly-reviewed places near their booked rental, as TripAdvisors
website services are integrated into FlipKeys services (About Flipkey | Flipkey).
Additionally, FlipKey released a virtual walking guide of Boston in 2014 -- a first in a
series of 133 virtual tours of key interest points in major vacation destinations (About
FlipKey | FlipKey).
Indirect Competitors
Sheraton Hotel (Starwood)1
Sheraton is one of Starwood Hotels most famous brands, and its portfolio boasts
more than 435 hotels and 88 resorts in more than 70 countries worldwide (Starwood
Hotels & Resorts). Sheraton Hotel targets both business and leisure travelers with fullservice accommodations, including fine dining, AAA rated beds and conference room
amenities (Starwood Hotels & Resorts). Recently in 2015, Sheraton completed a $6
billion global revitalization which includes a global expansion over the next

1
Recently, Marriott International has completed its $13 billion purchase of Starwood. With the
addition of Starwoods portfolio, the new Marriott now has 30 brands with more than 5,700 hotels.
That amounts to 1.1 million rooms in more than 110 countries, making Marriott the largest hotel company in the world (Trejos, 2016).

9
three years (Hoovers). Although Sheratons revenue decreased by 4% in 2015, it has
plans for an international expansion because it expects an influx of new international
travelers from emerging markets, specifically in Eastern European and Asian countries
(Hoovers). Additionally, Starwood is also the official hotel of MLB baseball,
contributing to its US popularity and top-of-mind awareness (Starwood Hotels &
Resorts). Sheraton also has a successful loyalty program and a Sheraton Club for
exclusive access to perks related to business travel. Starwoods loyalty program,
Starwood Preferred Guest, is a frequent guest incentive program that allows members
to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades, and flights (Hoovers).
Sheraton spent $100 million on a global advertising campaign, Where Actions
Speak Louder, which focuses on the enhancement of the Starwood brand and the
unique services it provides (Business Wire).
Wyndham Worldwide
Wyndham Worldwide is one of the worlds largest hospitality brands. Its portfolio
boasts some 7,800 franchised hotels worldwide, including 15 familiar brands such as
Days Inn, Ramada, and Super 8. Additionally, Wyndham is also partnered with some
112,000 vacation exchange and rental properties in about 100 countries (Hoovers).
Some of Wyndhams vacation exchange and rentals partners include Canvas
Holidays, Cottages4you.com, Cuendet, Endless Vacation Rentals, Landal GreenParks,
and Novasol (Hoovers). Wyndham is strategically focused onincreasing system
size, increasing its product and its product variety, and strengthening customer
value proposition. Its reward program offers free nights, special savings and other
perks which guests can redeem with points accumulated via bookings (Hoovers).
In 2015, Wyndham spent $172 million on advertising/promotions and $100 million
on marketing its rewards program via its Youve Earned This campaign (Greiff,
2016). This campaign focused on simplifying the rewards program, so guests better
understood the benefits and rewards. It helped Wyndham become ranked #1 Best
Hotel Rewards Program by US News (Wyndham Rewards Loyalty Program).
Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide is another one of the largest hotel brands in the world, including
more than 4,600 hotels and resorts in about 100 countries (Hoovers). Many of
its hotels serve the mid-market segment, though Hilton hotels offer full-service and
relatively upscale accommodation. Although Hilton has a global brand, it generates
more than 75% of sales in the US (Hoovers). It also has a robust customer

10
loyalty program (Hoovers). Hiltons HHonors rewards program offers discounts,
redeemable points, and other exclusive benefits (Hilton HHonors). Hilton prides itself
on service, providing a Request Upon Arrival service so a guests room is unique
to their specifications (Hilton HHonors). Additionally, Hilton HHonors members can
contribute to Hiltons corporate social responsibility efforts, converting their points
into assistance for those in need or supporting global sustainability (Hilton.com).
Hiltons recent advertising campaign also takes a social stand in their support of
LGBTQ couples. It also encourages guests to book directly with Hilton.com. The
Stop Clicking Around campaign is Hiltons largest global marketing effort in
history (Dietz, N. and Seidel, E., 2016). By focused on direct booking, Hilton hopes
to diminish the commission costs they have to pay to aggregate travel websites like
Expedia and TripAdvisor (Gazdik, 2016).
Hostelworld
Hostelworld Group is the leading online hostel-booking platform. It operates in 19
different languages (About Us - Hostelworld). Hostelworld connects young travelers
with hostels around the world and offers over eight million reviews across 33,000
properties in more than 170 countries (About Us - Hostelworld). Hostelworld has
become the leading hostel-focused brand among millennials, with 90% of their
customers being under the age of 35 (About Us - Hostelworld). Hostelworld acts in
accordance with companies like Expedia and TripAdvisor by charging commission
and listing fees to hostel companies. The 2015 advertising campaign, Meet The
World, was also a complete rebrand, focusing on the experiences and connections
hostel guests make and maintain with one another and the hostels used. Hostelworld
is attempting to rebrand the hostel segment by highlighting unique hostel experiences,
giving millennials affordable and convenient options, and also shows how hostels can,
and should, be high-quality accommodation options with full-service amenities (About
Us - Hostelworld).

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Consumer/target group profiles

Recommendations
Millennials currently make up 25% of the workforce in the US; their interests in
fast-paced trends and ideas about the world that differentiate them from other
generations (Goldberg, 2014). According to a study done by the US Chamber of
Commerce Foundation, millennials are considered to be the most technologically
savvy and well-educated generation, with high priority devoted to work-life balance
(US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, 2012). With that said, millennials represent
a good target audience to hone in on, as they love to travel both domestically and
internationally for leisure (on average 4.2 times a year) which is higher than any
other target demographic (Expedia, 2013). Millennials also report more reliance than
non-millennials on user reviews, experiences, and online content when they make
travel arrangements (Barton, C. et. al., 2013).The student segment alone (aged 1824) represents 20% of all international travels, according to a 2014 study done by
Skift and StudentUniverse (Groups Today, 2016). Both younger millennials (aged
18-24) and older millennials (25-34) have their own set of psychographics, with
unique cultural trends and traits that ultimately tie together to encompass the entire
demographic (Debevec et. al, 2013).
Millennials Aged 18-24
The travel habits of these millennials are interesting to explore. In 2012, 41% of 18
to 24 year olds were in some form of 4-year or 2-year college (National Center
for Education Statistics). In college, these consumers are influenced by external
socialization factors such as peers, professors, and the Internet. A recent survey
done by Topdeck Travel with a sample size of 31,000 millennials revealed that this
age segment is highly swayed by traveling to new places to immerse themselves in
new cultures (86% of 18-24 year olds) and to feast on exotic cuisine (69% of 1824 year olds). These results were higher than reasons such as partying (44%) and
shopping (28%), conveying that this age group genuinely enjoys trying new things
and traveling for culture (Lane, 2016). All this information is vital when formulating
Airbnbs strategy and communication goals, as Airbnb offers absorption into new
cultures by allowing consumers to live within communities and experience how other
societies go about their daily routines.

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Consumer Personality Profile Aged 18-24
Hi, Im Rick. Im 21 years old, caucasian, and I attend Pennsylvania State University
majoring in Finance. Im part of a business fraternity here, DSP, and Im really
close to everyone in it. I really love working with numbers, and someday I dream of
working in Wall Street. For now though, I love going to bars, meeting new people,
and hiking around State College with my best friends. I also enjoy fundraising for
THON, because it makes me feel like Im part of something bigger than myself, and
I dont have to devote too much time to it. Im an avid social media user, and I use
all of the standard ones (SnapChat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin). Keeping
up with Business Insider is something I do regularly, and Im even considering putting
some of my money in stocks. However, Its important that I leave a good image of
myself on these platforms especially Linkedin and Facebook, so I try not to put up any
party pictures.

In terms of travel, I would love to go abroad and experience something new,
even just to make new memories. I want to gain the most out of life, and seeing the
world and living within other cultures is definitely something I value closely. I think
its important to do as much as you can in the timespan that were given, and if its
something feasible, then I definitely think its worth doing. Im not too frugal with my
money, as I think as long as it goes to something meaningful, its worth spending.
Millennials Aged 25-34
These millennials are just entering the workforce and building solid foundations for
the rest of their lives, both fiscally and socially. Due to their careers, they tend to have
a larger disposable income than their younger counterparts, which feeds their thirst
for traveling (Debevec et. al, 2013). According to Simmons data, 52.6% of this age
group loves the idea of traveling abroad, with only 30.8% preferring domestic travel
over traveling to foreign countries (see Chart #3 in Appendix C). Also, they are more
likely than other generations to make travel arrangements with a company theyve
never used before and to value the Internet when booking and planning travel (see
Chart #3 in Appendix C). A larger number of respondents in this older age group
of 25-34 have done more mobile booking than the younger 18-24 (Ali, 2015). This
segment is great for Airbnb, as it allows room for growth for international travel,
and shows these people are more inclined to take risks in terms of types of booking
agencies and platforms.

13
Consumer Personality Profile 25-34
Hi, my name is Rebecca and Im 28 living on the outskirts of Philadelphia with my
fiancee in a two bedroom apartment. Ive been out of school for about 5 years,
and after a rough start in my career, I finally got a job at a tech company based in
Philadelphia. Ive been there about a year so I have gotten pretty comfortable.
In my free time, Im usually doing things that are relaxing, but keep me interested. I
have a gym membership to the LA Fitness down the road and I go to a lot of yoga
and cycling classes there. Im currently re-watching Gilmore Girls because I just bingewatched the revival season on Netflix.

My fiancee and I are both in the process of saving money, but we enjoy going
out on the town with our friends on the weekends, experiencing shows in Philly, and
taking weekend trips to Atlantic City for some fun. Were really into spending money
on experiences that we didnt have the time or money for in our college days. Were
hoping to go somewhere really exciting soon, but we cant seem to nail down a
destination we both agree on. Were mostly focused on the destination, and we will
figure out the details after because were not as worried about that. It would be our
first real adventure, and we want it to be a huge cultural experience for us both.
Primary Research
After gathering secondary research, Cuttlefish Creative began to construct
developmental primary research in the format of a survey questionnaire (see
survey in Appendix A). The primary research conducted 51 phone interviews with
millennials, centering around questions related to international travel and Airbnb.
Each survey took about 7 minutes. For confidentiality, each member added a certain
number of millennials to the list with their phone numbers and when to contact. To
eliminate any possible bias, each member did not call any of the millennials they
nominated.
The survey started with finding out exactly what consumers seek in their traveling
experience, from type of accommodation to primary booking platform. Then it breaks
down into a selection of ratings for domestic travel, international travel, and Airbnb
specific questions. These included ranking importance when traveling, the type of
accommodation they look for, the opinion on booking websites, and ideal holiday
vacation styles. Following, questions asked more Airbnb-specific information, such
as the amount of times used, usage of Airbnb in terms of domestic vs. international,
personal experiences with Airbnb, and possible explanations as to why consumers

14
may not use this travel agency internationally. The survey ended with a set of basic
demographic questions, specifically marital status, income level, and ethnicity.
SPSS Findings
After running our SPSS statistics, we discovered a few noteworthy findings. First, the
sample rates cultural experience particularly high for both domestic travel (7.67) and
international travel (9.00), showing that millennials do favor cultural experience when
making travel plans (see Finding #1 in Appendix A). Secondly, there is a moderately
positive correlation (Pearsons r: .4) between these people who rate cultural
experience highly and their liking of Airbnb. In other words, people who like Airbnb
are more inclined to favor cultural immersion (see Finding #2 in Appendix A). Thirdly,
we found that consumers rated the importance of luxury considerably low, both
domestically (4.76) and internationally (4.67). This implies that millennials are not
always seeking fancy resorts and vacations when making personal travel plans (see
Finding #3 in Appendix A). Travelers also cited price as being an important factor
for domestic (8.20) and international (7.88) traveling, which is important as Airbnb
prides itself on being an affordable method of living when adding travel expenses
(see Finding #4 in Appendix A).
Synthesis of Primary and Secondary Research
The primary and secondary research work together to better understand the target
audiences reasonings behind their views on international travel. Secondary research
on millennials provided more insight into tangible behavioral actions, like spending
habits, so Cuttlefish Creatives primary research focused towards their cognitive and
affective beliefs regarding Airbnb. Synthesizing these aspects together can help
us to better understand the relationships between millennials, international travel,
and Airbnb. For example, Cuttlefish Creative utilized both primary and secondary
research to create the model of audience response. It was obvious from this research
that millennials are the perfect target for Airbnbs campaign due to their spending
habits, desires, and goals. Both forms of research tells us that spending money
on experiences is important, and that engulfing oneself in a culture matters when
booking those experiences. Looking at the cognitive, affective, and behavioral
methods of processing information, we were better able to understand what factors
we would need to change and highlight in the marketing goals (see models of
audience response in: Campaign Goals).

15
Problems and opportunities associated with this target audience
The main problem currently associated with this target audience -- especially in
regards to travel -- is its fickleness with brand loyalty (Green, 2014). This fickleness
stems from two components: the number of options available and an understanding
of the competitive landscape (Green, 2014). Current trends play a big role into what
they associate with their interests (Green, 2014). In contrast to generations before,
millennials tend to investigate more into a products attributes, which fuels less brand
loyalty. Millennials also tend to be concerned with corporate social responsibility,
valuing companies that contribute positively to the world (Green, 2014). Given the
right strategic planning, Airbnb can overcome these issues and gain loyalty of its
consumers.
In terms of opportunity, the idea of international travel does appeal to millennials,
factoring into their spending habits as a whole. In 2014, millennials represented
$1.3 trillion in total consumer spending (Green, 2014). More crucially, that spending
number is predicted to grow in the future; by 2030, they are expected outspend
baby boomers (Lee, 2016). Even more so, millennials are inclined to spend this
money on travel and experiences verses material possessions such as cars or clothes
(Lee, 2016). This opens up the perfect opportunity for Airbnb to encourage these
millennials to travel internationally.
Overall market environment, including uncontrollable factors which may affect the
outcome of the campaign.
Economic output of travel inside the US
In 2015, the economic output of travel generated by domestic and international
visitors was $2.1 trillion ($947.1 billion in direct travel expenditures, which spurred
an additional $1.2 trillion in other industries) (U.S. Travel Association). The US travel
services industry includes about 23,000 establishments -- both in term of singlelocation companies and units of multi-location companies (Hoovers). These figures
highlight the enormity of the tourism industry, particularly in regards to the offerings
available for prospective consumers to explore.
Growth in US international travel
Overall, the US international travel industry is expected to grow an annualized 2.3%
to $38.5 billion in 2021 (Alvarez, 2016). The number of international trips made by

16
US residents has increased to 74.4 million citizens traveling to regions outside the US
in 2015, up from 68.1 million in 2014 and 58.49 million in 2010 (National Travel and
Tourism). This growth also is representative for millennials, as by 2020, 320 million
trips are expected to be made by millennials -- a 47% increase from 217 million in
2013 (Mohn, 2014). About 60.0% of industry revenue is derived from US residents
making trips abroad for business or leisure (Alvarez 2016). In terms of international
destinations for vacations, Mexico and Canada were number one and two in the most
US travelers within a year, with 25.9 million and 11.5 million respectively in 2014
(Alvarez, 2016). Other top international destinations include UK, Dominican Republic,
France, Italy, Germany, Jamaica, China, and Japan.
Factors impacting travel
The international travel industry performance is not only affected by consumer trends
but macroeconomic cycles and sectors like the airline industry (Oaten, Quense and
Segal, 2015). In 2016, consumers are more likely to indicate they have spent more
on vacations over the past year compared to previous years (Macke, 2016). 64%
report increased or stable spending vs. 43% just four years prior (Macke, 2016).
Financially, the US airline industry is more profitable than in recent years. Operating
cost reductions, declining energy prices, consolidation, and capacity optimization
have driven the US airline operating revenue to an approximate $177 billion for
2016 (ODonnell, 2016). Expected growth in the industry is about 16%, resulting in
a predicted $205 billion for 2021 (ODonnell, 2016). Consumer economic behavior
and the airline industry are just two factors influencing the growth in travel, especially
international travel.
Leisure travel
Leisure travel consists of trips taken for holiday or trips as a vacation from everyday
life. Since leisure travel is the largest market of travel (for both domestic and
international trips), this increase is crucial for the industry (Alvarez, 2016). US
residents logged approximately 1.7 billion person-trips for leisure purposes in
2015 (U.S. Travel Association). For this segment, about 25.0% of revenue for this
segment is derived from domestic travel -- the remainder is from US residents traveling
internationally (Alvarez, 2016). This growth in leisure travel emphasizes a growing
segment that deserves attention in terms of messaging.

17
Online travel websites and loyalty programs
Many consumers are comfortable making their own travel reservations online and will
be aided by improved web interfaces that allow for seamless transactions (Alvarez,
2016). Travelers are significantly more likely to choose online booking to offline
booking; for hotels, 64% prefer using online booking while 19% prefer using offline
booking (ODonnell, 2016). Yet, its important to highlight that 54% of millennials
book digitally or non-digitally at about the same rate (Emarketer.com). Also,
previous consumer research shows that almost 50% of members believe that loyalty
programs are hard to understand and 47% desire better understanding (Macke,
2015). These two aspects are services for companies to better.
Potential threat to growth in international travel
The main threat to the stability of the tourism industry is the rise in terrorist attacks.
International demand is sensitive to the threat level portrayed by press reporting
and diplomatic travel advisories (Oaten, Quense and Segal, 2015). In the past
year, major terrorist attacks occurred in Belgium, France, Germany, Turkey, Egypt,
Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Nigeria, Syria, Iraq, Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and
Bangladesh among others (U.S. Passports & International Travel). These mainly
impact the tourism market in the particular country suffering from the attack, as
can take weeks, months or even years for the occupancy levels of hotels or rentals
to bounce back to pre-incident levels (Oaten, Quense and Segal, 2015). After the
attacks on 9/11/2001 in the US, it took New York hotels 34 months and the wider
US market 45 months to recover (Oaten, Quense and Segal, 2015). The recovery
times have shortened over the past 15 years from tumultuous events (Qaten, Quense
and Segal, 2015). Yet, these potential threats can decrease overall confidence in
traveling to a foreign country. For the spring and summer 2016 international plans,
theres approximately 47% of US travelers that either canceled or rethought their
plans to travel to Europe because of the Brussel and Paris attacks (Peltier, 2016). In
this same survey, millennials (18-34) were the age group mostly likely to cancel or
rethink international plans (Peltier, 2016). Though this is a risk, it is a circumstance
that the industry cannot control. However, it is important to push forward initiatives of
risk management through planning, pricing and perception managing to bounce the
markets back quickly.

18
Main market takeaway
The main problem is not the economic trend for the industry itself since both domestic
and international travel are increasing for US citizens. Instead, it is the abundance
of options in the market that makes it difficult for a particular company to stand out
from the tourism industry. There are so many options available for hotels, booking
websites, travel agendas and other services. Even as online services make it easier
than ever to book a trip, travel agents remain a viable part of the market, as they
guide the customer through the process (Macke, 2016). In this market, innovating and
highlighting new services will help to continue the growth in demand.

19

SWOT
Strengths
P2P (Peer to Peer) collaborative consumption business model that allows the public
to share their resources

- Allows open communication between guest and host facilitating transparency

- In many international cities, Airbnb apartments are cheaper alternatives than
hotels, which allows millennials to spend more on experiences (Busbud, 2016)
Diverse options of accommodation

- Millennials desire having personalized experiences in their travel, so Airbnbs

diversity (i.e. boats, tree houses, etc.) is a selling point (Ting, 2016)
Review system: hosts and guests are both reviewed on a scale of 1 - 5

- This review system gives hosts and guests incentive for quality experiences

- It challenges competitors review styles, like TripAdvisor and Expedia, and


gives research-oriented millennials a one-stop-shop experience
Massive growth since inception: 353x growth between 2010-2015 (McAlone,
2015)

- Has lead to top-of-mind awareness for participants in our primary research
Marketing strategy that demonstrates how it immerses millennials in the culture

- Airbnbs current creative strategy is to Dont go there... Live there, which
works with TA as experiencing a new culture (86%) and eating
local foods (69%) is a determining factor in motivating them to travel (Lane,

2016)
Weaknesses
Booking process is more exhaustive, time-consuming and interactive

- Guests must apply, be verified online and make contact with hosts in order to

be approved to stay (Airbnb Help Center)
Other companies are utilizing its business model (Expedia with HomeAway)

- It makes Airbnbs USP (a way theyve expanded in the market) less unique,

so continuing to use a communications message related to its shared economy

approach will not stand out from its competitors (See: Competitive Analysis)

20
Threats
Concerns over Airbnbs safety

- For millennials traveling internationally, Airbnb may come across as unsafe,

as it does not have the security measures that a hotel might have (Dolce,

2014)
Legality issues in cities

- Legal issues, like Airbnb currently just settling a lawsuit ban in NYC, hurts the

credibility of the company and creates doubt in its future (Raymond, 2016)
Supply/demand problem: hosts are taking advantage of P2P business model and
developing a third-party rental business through Airbnb (Edwards, 2016)

- Landlords, wealthy individuals and/or rental companies investing in large


blocks of Airbnb apartments with little consideration of quality leads to high

supply, low prices, and low-quality experiences for guests (Edwards, 2016)

- Listings can cause high surrounding rents bad publicity (Hawkins, 2016).
Allegations of racism

- Airbnb has come under fire for discrimination issues when customers had their

reservations canceled when the host learned their ethnicity (McCabe, 2016)
Social Media and the threat of horror stories going viral

- There is a threat of a bad Airbnb experience spreading through social media

and trending, which could hurt the companys reputation (Clarke, 2016)


- Airbnb needs to make sure hosts live up to the brands quality
Opportunities
Airbnb mobile app provides a convenient way for travelers to make short-term
rentals (Statt, 2016)

- Highlighting Airbnbs mobile app in the creative executions can help create

frictionless experiences for guests

- Marketing the new Airbnb Trips and Airbnb Experiences
Focus on the environmental factors of peer-to-peer sharing

- Millennials tend to value companies with corporate social responsibility more
(Green, 2014), so Airbnb can highlight how it works environmentally

in the cities
Opportunity to differentiate their offerings by providing other services like
insurance, home cleaning, partnering with airlines, etc.

- It makes Airbnb more competitive with other travel agencies in providing

millennials customization for an international vacation (Kaye, 2014)

21
Growth in international travel for US travelers

- Particularly for millennials, this growth makes it easier to capitalize on


impacting behavioral habits for booking a trip with Airbnb (Machadd, 2014)
More interactive communications materials through the Internet because digital

advertising surged 17% to $178 billion this year (Poggi, 2016)

- Airbnb can share messaging to target audience, encouraging interactivity with

branded content that connects to the behavioral action of booking because in

2016, 51.8% of travelers who book trips via digital means will do so using a

mobile device (eMarketer)
Partnering with companies with similar P2P business models for larger exposure

- Airbnbs Head of Product wants to create frictionless experiences for their

guests (domestic and international) in all aspects of traveling (Spilka, 2016)

22

Campaign goals and objectives

Recommended marketing goals and campaign timeline
The broader campaign goal of the Open Something New Airbnb campaign is to
convince US millennials (aged 18-34) to book international rentals and vacations
with Airbnb. This campaign will run from January 2017 to December 2017, so a
more specific goal during this 2017 year is to increase website hits, app downloads
and Airbnb member increase. Engagement with Airbnbs sites and its call-to-actions
increases the chances of booking a vacation. Specifically, in 2016, Airbnb.com
has approximately 25-35 million monthly visits (SimilarWeb, 2016). By the end of
campaign, a goal is an overall increase in visits to the Airbnb website by 30%.
Airbnb saw an estimated revenue increase of 89% in July 2016 relative to the same
month last year (Beckwith, 2016). Based on this projection, Airbnb could be hovering
near $1.7 billion in revenue by the end of 2016 (Love, 2016). Additionally, Airbnb is
projected to have close to a 1.5% increase in the share of online leisure penetration
by the end of 2017 (Love, 2016).
Due to Airbnbs status as a private company, there is no current data available
regarding the breakdown of domestic vs. international usage of Airbnb, particularly
for millennials. However, data exists on the general travel habits of millennials. In
2015, millennials accounted for an estimated 23% of US international travelers
(WYSE, 2016). Also, millennials who travel do so 69% domestically and 38%
internationally (Alvarez, 2016). In the 2010 Census, there were 71.66 million US
individuals aged 18-34 (US Census Data). According to primary data, 25.5% of
these US international millennials have used Airbnb internationally (see Findings #5
in Appendix A). In taking 38% of this 25.5%, it equates to an approximate 9.69%
or 6.9 million US millennials who have used Airbnb internationally previously. By
multiplying Airbnbs average night price in 32 international cities with the 15%
transaction fee Airbnb takes for each booking, the average revenue Airbnb receives
for each booking for one person occupancy is $12.48 (Airbnb). Though Airbnb does
not list average length stay for all of its cities, the lowest average stay Airbnb has for
its international listings are approximately 4 nights (Airbnb Economic Impact).

23
With this Open Something New Airbnb campaign, the goal is to increase the 6.9
million US millennials using Airbnb internationally by an additional 15% (1.035 million new international users) to 25% (1.725 million new international users). For the
revenue projection, the calculation is new millennial users multiplied by average revenue Airbnb makes per night multiplied by the average length stay at an international
Airbnb. Financially, for an additional 15% (the low benchmark), the math is 1.035 x
$12.48 x 4 = $51.66 million, a 1.72:1 ROI. For an additional 25% (the high benchmark), the math is 1.725 x $12.48 x 4 = $86.11 million, a 2.87:1 ROI.
Communication goals
The Open Something New Airbnb campaigns main communication goal is to convert consumers awareness into behavioral actions and to engage with Airbnbs new
offerings that can fulfill desires to try new cultural experiences. Managing brand equity and positioning the messages is crucial to the campaigns success (Parente, 2014).
Therefore, it is important to contextualize Airbnb international travel as a exciting
way to immerse in the culture, particularly with how Airbnb can customize a vacation
through options of locations available and their new Experiences.
Budget and contingency fund
The budget for the Open Something New Airbnb campaign over the course of
2017 is $30 million. The Out-of-Home budget (15%) will cover the costs of ambient
advertising in the select airports in the campaigns spot markets, as well as the experiential promotions set up, and the outdoor and billboard costs for the selected
spot markets. The Digital budget (35%) will cover all digital advertising on streaming
websites and applications, Snapchat ads, original content and filters, and sponsored
ads embedded into Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The TV budget (30%) will cover
late night network and cable ad spots on shows like Adult Swim, Jimmy Kimmel Live!,
and The Tonight Show as well as ad spots in spot market cable. The IMC budget (5%)
will share the costs of experiential promotions in the selected spot market airports and
cover the costs of the airport promotion, the online competition and select partnership
deals. The contingency fund will be $4.5 million (15%), covering any additional spot
markets if necessary and any additional costs for the airport promotion and digital
contest (See Chart Below).

24

100%
C1
97.6%

Audience Response Model

~100%
8.25
80%

A1
7.6*
A2
7.49*
60.1%

C2

50%
high

34.6%
low

24.6%
B1
9.69%
0%

Jan 2017

Dec 2017

*Denotes a rating instead of a percentage. Future analysis will give us a more accurate percentage

25
The Audience Response Model, above, portrays the current millennial cognitive,
affective, and behavioral processes of information towards Airbnb and international
travel. Using this data from the primary surveys Cuttlefish Creative conducted, this
model demonstrates the changes in these processes by the end of the campaign.
Translation Extracted from Primary Research (and Secondary Research for B1)
C1- Have you ever heard of Airbnb? 97.6% with hopes of maintaining high levels.
C2- Would you use internationally? 60.1% with hopes of increasing to 80%.
A1- Like Airbnb domestically. 7.6 mean rating with hopes of increasing to 8.25.
A2- Like Airbnb internationally. 7.49 mean rating with hopes of increasing to 8.25.
B1- US millennials who have traveled internationally and used Airbnb. This number,
9.69%, was calculated in the ROI section. In this campaign, Cuttlefish Creative
hope to increase it between 15% (24.7% - low benchmark) and 25% (34.7% - high
benchmark).
Cognitive and affective changes sought
The cognitive changes for Airbnb during this campaign will be fairly minimal.
According to the primary research, theres an extremely high recognition of Airbnb
as a travel company (See Above: C1). The other cognitive factor, the consideration of
using Airbnb internationally, is slightly lower. The cognitive change with this factor
then is to engage the target audience with the wide amount of options available
and how these benefit an international vacation. Affective attitudes towards Airbnb
are fairly high as well with a similarity in liking it for both domestic and international
usage. However, as shown in the primary research, theres a general sense of
distrust for individuals who have not used the product before. To combat this negative
emotion, the affective change sought is to relate how the ideal vacation style can help
the target audience achieve the most of their vacation. The relationship between these
cognitive and affective factors stems from the desire to connect Airbnb to this spirit of
adventure and of curiosity. This interchange between cognitive and affective changes
sought is to turn any potential negative beliefs and emotions to positive associations.
By addressing both of these domains of learning, they should influence the ideal
audience behavior positively.

26

Media strategy and tactics

Media selection, both traditional and non-traditional
The media strategy for the Open Something New campaign utilizes a mixture of
traditional and contemporary media. The traditional media selection will include
Out-of-Home (15% of budget), which will include ambient advertising, experiential
promotions set up, and billboards in the selected spot markets. Additional traditional
media will be TV spots (30% of budget), which will include late night network and
cable ad spots on shows as well as ad spots in spot market cable. The non-traditional
media selection includes digital (35% of budget), which includes all digital advertising
on streaming websites and applications, Snapchat ads, original content and filters,
and sponsored ads embedded into Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Though television viewing is lower in the millennial target group than older
generations, 31% of millennials considering watching TV a top-five leisure time
activity (See Chart Below). The Open Something New Airbnb campaign will utilize
TV ads during broadcasted late-night shows, which have a high index number for
millennials. Specifically, these programs are Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (115 index),
Jimmy Kimmel (149 index), and Adult Swim (208 index) (see chart #6 in Appendix
C). For out-of-home executions, this media will occur in the chosen spot markets as a
way to directly engage with the behavioral habits of the target audience.

27
For this target audience, the contemporary mediums are important to engage the
audience, particularly with making connections to the Airbnb Experiences and to the
app itself. For social media specifically, its important to consider the type of social
media used. According to eMarketer, 68.3% of millennials use Facebook, 42.6%
of millennials use Instagram, 40.9% of millennials use Snapchat, and 13.8% of
millennials use Twitter. These numbers are all expected to grow significantly by 2020
(eMarketer, 2016). Its important that the executions for these digital mediums need
to be cross-platformable, since millennials are 5 times more likely than Baby Boomers
(age 56 and older) to do research and book air travel and hotel rooms on their
smartphones (Signal, 2016). With 49% of millennials use smartphones when planning
trips and 35% book journeys on them, an important media usage is to create a call
of action to download the Airbnb smartphone app (NSight, 2016). Increasing the
amount of app downloads is a good tool to changing the behavior habits for this
target audience and resulting in booked trips.
Advertising on social media is a great way to [garner] brand advocacy,
[increase] time spent with brand, [and generate] buzz and word-of-mouth
(Parente & Strausbaugh-Huchinson, 2006). The hashtag for this campaign is
#OpenSomethingNew. Its important to tie in this hashtag, because millennials are
twice as likely as non-millennials to share travel photos on social media, blog or
recount travel experiences online, and post travel reviews (Barton et al. 2013). The
highest utilization of this hashtag will be within the social media platforms. However,
in considering Internet advertising, using different forms is important for millennials,
as some consumers are frustrated by mediocre Internet ads. Approximately 17%
of 18 to 24 year old US Internet users used a mobile ad blocker as of July 2016
in order to avoid said mediocre ads (eMarketer, 2016). The most intrusive forms
of advertising for millennials are pop-up ads on mobile websites (see Chart #4 in
Appendix C). Conversely, the least intrusive revolve around social media sites, such
as Facebook and Twitter (see Chart #4 in Appendix C). Its important to keep this
data in mind, so the creative strategy advertising is at its most effective.
Utilizing audio and video spots on streaming apps such as Spotify and Pandora
reaches a large number of millennials. According to data shared by Spotify to
Adweek, millennials are 72% of all weekly streams on the site with just under 1.3
billion tracks every week (McIntyre, 2016). Spotify CEO Daniel Ek revealed on Twitter
than there are tens of millions of subscribers that rely on the free, ad-supported tier

28
listening (McIntyre, 2016). For other online radio channels like Pandora, audio spots
reach a large percentage of millennials, as 89% of internet radio listeners prefer adsupported online radio to subscription models (Zurko, 2015).
In order to budget the digital advertising, Cuttlefish Creatives suggestion is to
purchase ad space, sponsored content and filters on Snapchat at a pulsing schedule.
This campaign will purchase sponsored ads in Buzzfeed, Comedy Central, CNN
and National Geographic one month prior to travel season (Wallenstein, 2016).
Then, two weeks prior to travel season, this campaign will place sponsored original
content in Buzzfeed, Comedy Central, CNN and National Geographic. Additionally,
to keep top-of-mind awareness during the travel season, this campaign will purchase
sponsored filters and geolocation filters during travel season.

29
Reach and frequency goals, including rationales
To achieve this media strategy, the predicted frequency goal for this campaign is
4.4 (calculated using Ostrow Model in Appendix C). Considering this frequency, the
reach goal is about 80% of the target audience. The reasonings behind these goals
are to obtain the largest amount of exposure for least cost. The frequency is middleof-the-road as knowledge of Airbnb with the target audience is relatively high, Airbnb
is currently prominent in the travel industry and the strategy is relatively consistent to
past campaigns (see Audience model response). However, there needs to be enough
frequency to show the new Experiences, to focus on international travel, and to
impact behavioral goals. This reach of 80% is important, as the campaign needs to
reach a large percentage of the target audience. Most millennials engage with these
recommended media, so advertising to this media would give high levels of exposure.
Via these media tactics, the campaign is estimated to reach 50.8% of the target
audience through traditional media purchases during non peak travel seasons
(63.25% of the reach goal). It also will reach 58.5% of the target audience
through traditional media purchases during peak travel seasons (65% of the
reach goal). Additionally, its expected to achieve an estimated frequency of 2.3
through traditional media purchases during non peak travel seasons (52.30% of
the frequency goal) as well as achieve a frequency of 2.3 through traditional media
purchase during peak travel seasons (43.6% of frequency goal). The reach and
frequency goals are not fully achieved in Media Flight Plan for the software does
not accurately calculate the reach and frequency of digital media, and thus, only the
traditional media was purchased via this software (see more MFP data in Appendix
B). Thus, its expected that the remainder of the reach and frequency goals will be
achieved through the digital media purchasing and placement plan.
Timing issues and scheduling patterns
The yearlong media scheduling pattern for the Open Something New Airbnb
campaign is pulsing. Throughout the January 2017 - December 2017 schedule, there
will be a continuous digital presence. However, there will be an increase in traditional
and contemporary media before the high season travel months. The peak moments
for US travelers internationally are between end of May and early September as well
as holiday periods, particularly in late December and early January (Hewitt, 2016).
In booking a vacation, CheapAir.com has referred to the booking window between
21 and 112 days before departure as the Prime Booking Window, a period when

30
prices tend to be at their lowest (Chew, 2016). Thus, 2 or 3 months before these peak
travel periods is the time to run the highest frequency of ads. Specifically, these peak
months are January, March, April, May, and October.

31

Spot markets
In terms of out-of-home and television spots, urban cities are a great way to target
a large percentage of millennials in a small geographical location. For example,
Dallas, TX is now the third fastest growing city with 25% of its population in the
millennial age bracket (Cathcart-Keays and Kwenortey, 2016). The spot markets for
this campaign will be focused in the Northeast, West Central, South, South West and
Pacific US states, as the Simmons data shows positive attributes for the population of
18-34 year olds (See Market List Below). According to Simmons, adults aged 18-34 in
these regions of the US are up to 10% more likely to try going somewhere different
for vacation every time (see Chart #4 in Appendix C). Thus, the spot markets for
this campaign are focused in the Northeast, South and Central West and the South
(see Chart #4 in Appendix C). These spot markets are justified by the horizontal
percentages in Simmons data that show 43.3% of 18-34 year old adults who live in
the Northeast try to go somewhere different for vacation every time (see Chart #4
in Appendix C). Similarly, of all 18-34 year old adults, the horizontal percentages
show 46.8% in the South West region, 42.8% in West Central region and 45.4% in
the South region try to go somewhere different for vacation every time (see Chart
#4 in Appendix C). Then, of all 18-34 year old adults, the vertical percentages show
20.6% the Northeast, 13.4% the South West, 15.0% in the West Central, and 35.2%
in the South try to go somewhere different for vacation every time (see Chart #4 in
Appendix C).

32
GRP and cost charts, MFP or other flowcharts

33

Creative strategy and creative executions

This creative strategy connects millennials desires for cultural experiences as well as
changes their behavior to directly book through Airbnb. We honed in on the idea of
contrasting their everyday lifestyles (represented in popular American stereotypes)
with a brand new adventure to entice them to use Airbnb and take a chance on an
experience outside what theyre normally used to. To sway millennials behavior
methods even more, we recommend using this strategy to make them feel as if they
were involved in the experience. Also, there is a heavy focus on digital platforms,
as these mediums are more interactive. Cuttlefish Creative want the consumer to feel
as if they were directly in the adventure themselves. Using this strategy, we created
promotional tactics that are interactive, spontaneous, and risk-seeking.
Our primary research helped us to better understand consumers mindsets in terms of
what they look for when traveling and what to not include when coming up with this
strategy. Cuttlefish Creative found that its important to focus on cultural immersion,
price, and location the most and luxury the least (see additional SPSS data in
Appendix A), as consumers are not as concerned with a fancy vacation as they are
with creating memories.
TV Spot
For the 60-second traditional TV spot, Cuttlefish Creative focused on the millennial
consumers desire to break out of the monotony of day-to-day life. The ad starts with
a woman in her mid-20s scrolling through her phone, which happens to be Airbnb
app. After clicking and booking a vacation, the doorbell rings. Opening the door,
she is lead through an unexpected international adventure. This ad will encourage
consumers to download the app and book with Airbnb by highlighting the systems
ease and accessibility.

34

35

36

37

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39
Digital Radio
The 30 second digital radio spot, which will be featured as an audio advertisement
on popular music streaming services such as iTunes, Spotify, and Pandora, reflects
the creative strategy of making the consumer feel as if they are directly placed into
the experience themselves. Clear, vibrant sound effects and a viscerally charged
narrative will draw the consumer in and engage them to book through Airbnb.
Narrator (deep male voice, late 20s): What if I told you its not a vacation, but a
story? (5 seconds, let SFX linger)

SFX: sounds of romantic Italian music playing, light waves lapping a boat
Narrator: Not a destination, but an adventure? (5 seconds, let SFX linger)

SFX: sounds of ziplining, wind whooshing through trees, loud yells and


whoops
Narrator: Not where you go, but what memories you make there? (5 seconds, SFX
lingers)

SFX: Irish jig music playing, sounds of feet slapping pavement and laughter
Narrator: When you book through Airbnb, you dont just purchase a place to live...
you purchase an experience. So take a chance, and immerse yourself in something
different. (8 seconds)

SFX: door opening, chatter and glasses clinking (3 seconds)
Narrator: Airbnb. Open something new. (3 seconds)
Social Media
Snapchat:
Discover Stories
The following are part of the Snapchat Discover, a form of digital magazine. As an
alternative to print magazine, the digital route reflects millennials patterns of heavy
social media usage. By swiping up on the graphic, the user will read the sponsored
article about travel-related topics and learn about how they could engage with similar
opportunities through Airbnbs Experiences. Airbnb will partner with brands, such
as Buzzfeed, National Geographic, and CNN, which already have Discover stories,
in order to sponsor this material on their stories.

40

41
Unlock Snapchat Geofilters
After making a purchase with Airbnb, users will be sent a custom geofilter for the
location they are traveling within. These filters will be interactive in order for the audience to feel engaged in the culture. The following example includes a door, which is
opened when touched to reveal yourself on the body of a sushi chef in Japan.

Instagram and Twitter

Instagram photos will be posted on the Airbnb Instagram profile. These photos will
be promoted through Instagram, which puts them on Instagram users timelines even
if they are not following Airbnb. Likewise, tweets will be promoted on Twitter with
images capturing Airbnbs message of Open Something New. On both platforms,
the campaign will use the hashtag #OpenSomethingNew with all associated posts.
Additionally, these social media posts will ask users to share their experiences on
social media with the hashtag.

42

43
Out-of-home
Ambient
This approach utilizes the creative strategy of Open Something New with having
consumers physically walk through a door in popular, crowded areas such as
subway stations. This strategy will stick in the consumers mind. At the bottom of
the door structure, there will be a call to action to download the app as well as the
#OpenSomethingNew hashtag.

44
Billboard
When driving down major roads, travelers will see this billboard with the
#OpenSomethingNew in order to create conversation and engage the audience. As
avid users of social media, promoting the hashtag is very important.

Airport
Experiential
While walking through the airport, travelers will have the chance of a lifetime to
experience Airbnb and another culture for free. People will be offered a free, allexpense paid trip to the location depending on what door they choose. The catch is,
though, that they have to drop their current travel plans and leave at that moment for
the trip, truly opening something new.

45
Also, while in the airport, travelers will get to experience physically walking through
culturally accurate doors while on the moving walkway. In addition to the multitude of
international doors they will be entering, the path will promote the Delta Skylines |
Airbnb airline points.

46

Promotional strategies with rationales (and cost estimates where

appropriate)
In addition to the media mix, the Open Something New promotional strategy
plan will provide a strong reinforcement of Airbnbs advertising. Combining several
promotional strategies with the current media mix can enhance the direction and
retention of the entire campaign. The idea is to create an incentive for millennials to
continue using Airbnb as its international travel agency through unique experiences,
offers, and tools. We recommend using these strategies such as promotional codes on
social media, experiential promotions, Airbnb memorabilia, and product integration.
These would cover any gaps in the traditional and contemporary advertising. The
experiential promotional strategy will be implemented before and during peak travel
months/holidays, heightening campaign awareness in select US major airports.
The couponing promotional strategy and the Google Home command development
strategy will be implemented during the entire campaign.
The promotional strategy includes media tactics that can create brand word-ofmouth and recognition. Some of these tactics include capitalizing on experiential
promotional strategies that align with Airbnbs brand. We recommend developing
and executing an airport promotion that catch millennial travelers off guard during
moments when vacation decisions and details are at the top of mind. This experiential
promotional strategy gives select millennials the opportunity to take a once in
a lifetime experience with Airbnb. This promotion would prompt unexpecting
millennials to trade in their current plans for an all-paid flight and accommodation
experience to an international city with Airbnb. Randomly chosen participants
at the select airports will be given the opportunity to walk through one of three
doors, of which only one will have the once in a lifetime experience, whilst the
others will contain an assortment of Airbnb memorabilia. This promotion would be
conducted until five individuals have been selected from around the country, whom
have agreed to participate in the Airbnb experience. Furthermore, this experiential
promotion will be treated as a promotion, and not a contest or sweepstakes. Cuttlefish
Creative understand that this promotion is based upon chance, and with no purchase
necessary in order to participate, it shall abide by FTC regulation and rules.
Additionally, Cuttlefish Creative also recommend a digitally focused contest promotion
via Airbnbs social media. Considering this campaign is heavily digital,

47
Airbnb has the opportunity to create even more engagement and user-generated
content via conversation and interaction. With an online promotional contest, Airbnb
can ask their audience to photoshop and create videos of themselves opening their
own front doors to new countries and experiences, embodying the Open Something
New campaign theme. Three winners would be chosen, sending them on a week
long vacation to their photoshopped destination, partnership with GoPro for usergenerated content assets (i.e. POV mini documentary) of everything the country and
Airbnb Experiences has to offer. Other runner up winners would also be given the
chance to win free Airbnb Experiences and/or discounts on international Airbnb
rentals. Experiential and digital promotions are optimal environments to stimulate
social media conversations and create multipurpose assets for online promotion.
Unique experiential and digital promotions can facilitate key partnerships, allow
Airbnb to share company insight, and engage with the millennials on a personal level.
Its understood that skill contests are defined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
as, Puzzles, games or other contests in which prizes are awarded based on skill,
knowledge or talent not on chance. This online contest will be executed through
the National Sweepstake Company, a third party company, who helps administer all
aspects of contests to abide by FTC regulation.
Note: All participants must be a US citizen; have a valid passport; be over the age
of 18.
Additionally, it is recommended the promotional strategy include special offers for
current and potential Airbnb users via couponing. These tactics can supplement
costs and/or barriers that may hinder users decisions to travel. In order to bridge
the gap between awareness and behavioral change, Cuttlefish Creative suggest
potential customers should earn a discount or redeemable coupons for select Airbnb
Experiences when they book an Airbnb rental in a foreign city. Additionally, Airbnb
can partner with a ride-share company, like Uber, to produce coupons for US Airbnb
users who book an international trip. The coupon will be redeemable for a ride to
and from the airport on the day of travel, making it easier for millennials to plan their
international vacation. It is also beneficial to utilize price-off promotions with a rideshare company in the international city to help Airbnb users explore their destination.
Lastly, it is recommended that Airbnb develop a Google Home command, like Okay
Google, open something new which will give consumers the option to choose from

48
Airbnb Rooms, Trips, and Experiences. Partnering with a company, like Google,
to build additional functionality for the Google Home will expand Airbnbs owned
media. It also will directly reach tech-savvy users who may be potential users, as well
as encourage Google Home owners to create an Airbnb profile. This tactic will have
a long-term investment return, allowing a partnership that would help Airbnb users
plan and book their trips more efficiently. This digital promotional partnership would
also help convert consumers awareness into behavioral actions and to use Airbnbs
new offerings that fulfill their desire to try new cultural experiences.

49

Campaign benchmarking
Cuttlefish Creative have designed, and integrated, most of these creative executions,
promotions, and digital tactics to include evaluative measures, as utilizing digital
analytics and SEO is important to make sure this campaign is as effective as possible.
Before the campaign, there will be pretests via mall-intercepts and focus groups to
find out how many people have the Airbnb app downloaded and to survey brand
behavior. Additionally, there will be measures implemented to test feedback to
television spot using the communication playback method (Parente & StrausbaughHuchinson, 2006).
As the campaign is heavily digital and the marketing goals are focused on
increasing international Airbnb usage for US consumers, Cuttlefish Creative would
copy test digitally, using analytics and SEO to test if this message is being received
favorably via click-through rates, likes, followers, and app downloads. Analytics
are an important and concurrent evaluative measure which will help direct message
adjustments or promotional increases if necessary. Using interactive advertisements
on video streaming services like Hulu to evaluate consumer awareness, message
reaction, behavior change and intended purchase decisions through a survey/video
advertisement (i.e. once the consumer has filled out the short survey and picked
from four short 15-sec Airbnb ads, they will receive uninterrupted streaming for 30
minutes). These tests will take place throughout the year-long campaign.
Other evaluative methods include looking at metrics for app downloads & site visits,
international booking increase via the app/website, and usage of Airbnbs new
Experiences. Additionally, to add creative incentive for consumers, promotions and
digital contests will provide chances to earn coupons for Uber and/or Experiences.
These will generate interactions and buzz. Additionally, the redemption of such
select coupons/discounts for international travelers will be a contributing factor to
evaluation of behavioral change.
After the campaign, post-testing methods will evaluate effectiveness and gather data
for future efforts. Tests would include mall-intercepts and focus groups to survey brand
behavior after post-campaign. Additionally, there will be a data collection analyzing
if there is an increase in people with the app downloaded compared to the metrics
before and during the campaign.

50
Summary
Cuttlefish Creative recommend a target demographic of millennials aged 18-34 to
target when executing creative, media, and promotional strategies. Utilizing Cuttlefish
Creatives recommendations, Airbnbs Open Something New campaign will
increase its international rentals to US millennials by 15% to 25%. The campaign
will run from January 2017 through December 2017. Key media would include social
media, such as Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, radio spots for music streaming apps,
and television spots for video streaming. Other traditional media includes outdoor,
television, and out-of-home. Finally, Promotional executions will help to cover any
gaps in other media placements.

51

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