Causes worth telling about
Connecting a brand to social goals worth fighting for is a proven marketing strategy, but not one without risks. Oil companies that claimed the green cause met their Waterloo (BP). So what is travel accomodation marketplace Airbnb risking by teaming up with the LGBTQ-community, the gay community (to keep it simple)? Airbnb is doing state-of-the-art storytelling with gay couples telling about their travel experiences and what they encounter doing so - things that straight people probably wouldn't know of.
It might be not so pompous reasons that made Airbnb doing so. Like confronting new competition like misterbnb.com, the fast-growing rival that is exclusively aiming at the gay community. But who cares what motivates Airbnb, as long as they do it right? And they do. The stories the company is telling have a great appeal and are sometimes heartbreaking.
They were launched the past few months on various social media platforms including their own community, accompanying international events regarding the LGBTQ cause like the Gay Pride in Amsterdam. The twitter hashtag #hostwithpride says it all.