Airbnb Nails Sochi Realtime Marketing

Real-time marketing is often hit or miss; Oreo was successful at hitting the nail on the head last Super Bowl, but since then many have tried and, in some cases, embarrassingly failed. Airbnb has another success story in this Olympic news cycle, after tweeting at reporters who were complaining about their accommodations at Sochi. Utilizing the now-trending #SochiProblems hashtag, they referred struggling reporters to their listings, complete with embedded pictures and enticing descriptions. The campaign has taken off, and it’s now progressed to brazenly replying to reporters who are tweeting their problems. It’s taking a problem and offering a creative, witty solution, and that type of work always sticks. 

Airbnb Plans Vine Movie Shoot

Although many marketers have been doing creative work with Vine, Airbnb is taking it to the next level: making the first ever movie created with the app. The campaign – called “Hollywood and Vines” – brings consumers together through contributed 6-second clips that will be edited into a short film about traveling and adventure. From August 22 through August 25, Airbnb will deliver “shot instructions” via Twitter at @airbnb. Participants pick a shot, shoot a Vine, and shair via #airbnbhv. The best Vines will be shown on the Sundance channel, and the users whose Vines appear in the film will get a $100 credit for an Airbnb stay. It’s a big step forward for the social medium and socially focused campaigns; it’s worth keeping an eye on.