“Whatever your community of consumers believes in, the brand should take that social stand”, said the CMO of Airbnb. This echoes the class readings on congruency of sustainability and branding. Brands that are incongruent won’t get the same reach, or worst yet be accused of greenwashing. But will politics push the congruency too far in the social pillar of sustainability?
In response to Trump’s immigration ban, Airbnb’s Super Bowl Ad seems to be getting messy with politics. When CMO of Airbnb was asked if he was getting too political, he answered no. He mentioned, that during the US Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage, there was a lot of energy from his team to do something about it. Despite the heated stir, he emphasizes the need for a brand to bipartisan, making sure that his community feels the brand is sensitive and not exclusionary.
Legitimizing the Airbnb brand is interesting because it started with an aspirational story for people who are looking to “live like a local”. It gained traction when celebrity influencers like Mariah Carey and Beyonce mentioned the platform on social media. More recently, other brands are looking for creative ways to partner and launch campaigns including Chicago Art Institute, Audi and Sonos. With presence in over 191 countries, how can the message of what Airbnb stands for be consistent? And would a sustainability marketing strategy work for this brand? There’s no doubt that the “We Accept” campaign hits home for a many americans. That’s great from a social standpoint. Looking at their most recent acquisition of luxury rental homes, it doesn’t seem that a sustainability marketing strategy is what Airbnb is going for.