Now here’s a real-time marketing execution that fits.
Airbnb has spent today tweeting reporters complaining of horrendous accommodations at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, offering to help them find more hygienic digs. The apartment- and house-sharing platform began this morning by putting out a general notice using the now-popular #SochiProblems hashtag.
Having #SochiProblems? Hotel lacking water? Floors? 500+ Airbnb listings in #Sochi are ready to welcome guests https://t.co/YHlvMS4jVU
— Airbnb (@Airbnb) February 7, 2014
It’s since moved on to sending @ replies to reporters who complain on Twitter. Here’s a message to National Sports columnist Bruce Arthur’s lamentation of living with cold water.
.@bruce_arthur We found your hot water & it has new friends: a heated towel rack & a cozy apartment https://t.co/0GvxjnF7aX #SochiProblems — Airbnb (@Airbnb) February 7, 2014
The haphazard conditions of many facilities at the Winter Olympics has been a leading early storyline of the games. The Twitter account @sochiproblems has attracted 265,000 followers in just three days by retweeting images of disrepair in Sochi.
We can’t have no dogs on roads here, all must be gone. #SochiProblems pic.twitter.com/ZaFBjCp5oq — Sochi Problems (@SochiProblems) February 4, 2014
The “It’s a great opportunity for Airbnb to offer influential people a bit of humor and a warm, comfortable, safe place to stay — a vacation from their hotel,” said Marisa Quiter, account director at AirBnB agency Periera & O’Dell, which has a team of creatives handling custom messages for the reporters and pre-checking with hosts to make sure they have available space. They’re adding a bit of flair to their messages to whining reporters.
Hey @DanWetzel – trade you 3 spare lightbulbs for a spare bedroom. We’ll even throw in a door handle https://t.co/KXyzmbIOgH #SochiProblems
— Airbnb (@Airbnb) February 7, 2014
As of yet, Airbnb has yet to seal the deal with any of the reporters it has contacted.
-
Travel marketers turn to ‘inspiration’ to stay top of mind
The point of the light marketing tactics, of course, are to inspire people to book through that travel brand or travel to that destination in the future whenever they are ready to travel again.
-
Facing a fundraising squeeze, charities turn to TV ads
Nonprofits face an unprecedented challenge: Donations are down, but their services are needed more than ever. Some organizations have been able to take advantage of relatively cheap TV ad rates to get their message out there.
-
‘Every state is different’: Inside Pepsi’s regional approach to increasing its advertising
Now that states like Texas and Georgia are lifting the stay at home order, the company is starting to spend more on advertising in those areas
-
SponsoredInterview: A media company weighs in on the power of automated publishing tools and cooperative thinking
In a new interview, an owner of seven media brands weighs in on the best strategies and toughest challenges around integrating automation and technology into publishers' workflows.
-
Miller High Life is starting to advertise again
The return to advertising was motivated by an increased interest in Miller High Life as well as a creative idea from adam&eveNYC and directed by Errol Morris that spoke to the time.
-
Member ExclusiveHow Anheuser-Busch adapted its ad messaging
DraftLine, Anheuser Busch InBev's in-house agency, has never been busier. This is because the role of the in-house agency has never been more crucial.
