Airbnb targets new hosts looking for extra income in new campaign

Founded in 2008, Airbnb is no stranger to times of economic stress. And now, the home-sharing company is tapping into heightened worries about a recession and rising prices with its latest campaign targeting homeowners who may want to supplement their income by becoming Airbnb hosts.

A new series of ads and marketing will begin rolling out this week, timed to Airbnb’s release of winter product offerings. The new tools include AirCover for Hosts, which includes guest identity verification, reservation screening and $3 million in damage protection; and Airbnb Setup, which helps hosts set up their homes and listings for sharing. That includes assistance for new hosts from seasoned “SuperHosts,” who operate as mentors and receive special rewards for helping newcomers.

The company said that in 2021, typical hosts on Airbnb earned $3,971 or more, and that total earnings for the host category increased 30% in the third quarter of 2022 compared with the year-earlier period.

“Airbnb was born in the Great Recession of ’08 and money was a big concern like it is now,” said Hiroki Asai, global head of marketing at the San Francisco-based company. “Airbnb is a fantastic way for people to earn extra income—we are seeing a lot of people come to hosting that are new and we want to help push this next wave of hosts.”

He noted that the new offerings and campaign should make it easier for potential hosts to take the next step and become actual hosts.

One 15-second animated spot shows how a house can change into an Airbnb. “If you want to start Airbnb-ing your home and you’re wondering how to get from Step One to Guest One, Airbnb Setup will help you get started,” a voiceover says.

“The key insight is people already have an Airbnb, but they just don’t know it yet,” said Asai. “For a new host or a returning host, it’s just the idea that if your kid goes off to college, you don’t have an empty house, you have an Airbnb.” The company also tapped into to the common use of the word “Airbnb” as a verb, he added, noting that it’s “natural language that people are already using.”

The new work follows a summer roll-out of new features for guests, like a split-stay option.

Like a push promoting that effort, the new campaign was done in-house by Airbnb’s creative team. WPP's Essence handled media duties.

The campaign will run on digital and social media platforms, and on some streaming TV platforms in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and some European markets. Airbnb also appears to be trying to make the most of its media dollars due to the state of the economy. Asai noted that the new campaign will be much “more targeted” than previous efforts.

Last week, Airbnb said it was revamping its cleaning fees to make them more clear following numerous customer complaints. The news followed third-quarter earnings released early this month that included $1.2 billion in profit, the brand’s best ever, and a 29% year-over-year rise in revenue to $2.9 billion. However, its fourth-quarter forecast missed analyst expectations. Airbnb founders also said an advertising shift to brand marketing and away from search-engine marketing was paying off.