Abstract
Airbnb has faced a ton of criticism due to discrimination complaints by both hosts and guests. The company is built on inclusivity values and offers accommodation services to anyone regardless of their background. It is important to develop a strategy to address this issue publicly and empower hosts and guests to embrace diversity. The PR campaign should focus on changing the perceptions of minorities and challenging the stereotypes that foster discrimination. It is important that Airbnb denounces any instances of discrimination and creates an environment that fosters inclusivity and diversity.
Introduction
There have been many reported cases of racial, LGBT+, and disability discrimination in Airbnb. Some users of the platform will avoid listings by minority groups, while some guests will provide poor reviews for hosts from minority communities (Clemence, 2022). It is, therefore, important that the message for diversity and inclusivity targets these minority groups. A huge proportion of users who seek to rent out Airbnb listings are millennials. The target audience should be young people between 20 and 35 (Hati et al., 2021). They are the most vocal on social media and are more likely to find an Airbnb listing instead of a hotel when traveling. Further, women are likely to face sexual assault when staying at an Airbnb. It is, therefore, important to include women in this message to ensure that they are assured of their safety when booking an Airbnb. The campaign’s main goal should be to affirm the commitment of Airbnb to ensuring that minorities and women have enjoyable stays in their listings.
The audience of the PR campaign will be the social media users on platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube. Data analytics can be used to provide a profile of the most common Airbnb users and how best to address the message of diversity (Appel et al., 2019). The campaign should focus on a responsive audience who can provide real-time feedback through different online platforms. Therefore, Airbnb must keep updating its messaging to ensure that all intended audiences receive the message and respond appropriately.
Concept Outlines
Social Media Event
This should be a coordinated event across all major social media platforms. Airbnb should formulate a message that can be spread in text and video to its target audience. The message should indicate that Airbnb is aware of the complaints of discrimination and sexual assault submitted to the company. The company should collaborate with the most popular content creators with a large following (Appel et al., 2019). The message can be curated to reach different categories of audiences around the world. A positive message of diversity and inclusion must be at the forefront of this campaign. Video content on TikTok and YouTube and pictures on Twitter and Instagram should reiterate Airbnb’s dedication to delisting users with a history of discrimination and facilitating a better user experience for minorities and women.
Video News Release
The Airbnb CEO should release a video highlighting the diversity issues against the company and provide an outline for the strategy to combat discrimination. The leadership at the top of the company must show its awareness of the pertinent issues among users. The video package should include submissions from users and hosts, especially minorities, who have had positive experiences in their Airbnb listings. The release should focus on challenging those who discriminate against minorities to adopt more inclusive policies and provide a good experience for everyone regardless of their background (Hati et al., 2021). The news release must highlight the strategies that Airbnb is currently applying to promote the inclusivity of minorities and guarantee safety for its female users.
An Interest Article
Airbnb should sponsor an article in a major newspaper publication to address discrimination among its users. This article should include the corporate social responsibility strategy for the company and the steps it is taking to promote diversity in the industry and society at large. The article should tell the stories of those who have faced discrimination and those who have had good experiences. It is important to tell both perspectives of the story to indicate that Airbnb understands the issue and is committed to finding lasting solutions (Hati et al., 2021). An article on Forbes, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Guardian, among other popular platforms, will reach a wider audience and get the intended message to Airbnb customers.
Evaluation of the Campaign
Intended Outcome
The campaign should encourage more minorities to list their apartments and homes on the Airbnb website. “Airbnb is for Everyone” should be the tagline for the PR campaign. Therefore, it will inspire a higher proportion of minorities to search for listings and to open up their houses to guests. This will inspire the growth of the Airbnb market share and the overall promotion of diversity in the vacation-rental industry. Showing the experiences of hosts and guests from different backgrounds and having great experiences and positive relationships. The campaign should eliminate all stereotypes that justify discrimination based on race, religion, sexuality, and disability (Hati et al., 2021). The organization must show that it values diversity as an essential aspect of corporate social responsibility.
The social media messages should encourage the most vocal social media users to stand up against cases of discrimination in any Airbnb listing. Customers are empowered to post their experiences in Airbnb locations and report any incidences of discrimination. This should highlight hosts or guests who are perpetuating a negative image of the company. Most importantly, it should inspire a positive movement of users who deny all forms of discrimination and promote an environment of diversity. As part of its CSR, Airbnb will work with minority communities to determine the best ways to increase its website visibility (Clemence, 2022). Further, working with local authorities to facilitate more listings in neighborhoods with minority communities. This strategy aims to compel more guests to search for listings in such areas and foster positive interactions between people of different backgrounds.
Non-intended Outcome
Airbnb will increase its market share and the corresponding revenues by addressing discrimination among its user base. The organization needs to change its brand image and the negative perception that has emerged due to discrimination by various groups. Creating a positive image of the brand will boost its influence over the industry and bring more users to list their houses and apartments on the website. Airbnb needs to become the leader in diversity and inclusivity in the industry. Therefore, through its social media messaging, Airbnb should create better relations with its target audience (Appel et al., 2019). The positive reviews by minorities will enhance the image of the company as an inclusive organization and a socially responsible entity.
The PR campaign should focus on practical policies that will result in a visible change in the industry. In the modern corporate world, diversity has evolved into a predominant issue in many strategic plans. Airbnb needs to support its policies with real-life applications. Follow up on the PR campaign objectives to avoid alienating the company from its stakeholders and customer base. The company should change its hiring policy to incorporate more minorities in leadership positions (Hati et al., 2021). Consequently, Airbnb will fulfill its CSR goals, advance its industry position, and increase its revenues worldwide.
New Direction
Airbnb should formulate its campaign to show its understanding of the core problem of discrimination in society. The diversity and inclusiveness policies may be seen as strategies to increase the company’s profits. The management should work closely with leaders from minority groups to determine the best approach to diversity and anti-discrimination policies (Hati et al., 2021). It should be clear from social media messaging that Airbnb prioritizes inclusivity over profitability. The organization can hire influencers from minority communities who will help to advance the anti-discrimination agenda and the inclusivity message.
The company should review its anti-discrimination policies regularly to ensure that all groups are valued and well-catered. The social media team should take advantage of social media trends on Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok to further their diversity message (Appel et al., 2019). Airbnb should constantly remind its customers of its anti-discrimination policies and offer avenues where users can report negative experiences from their listings. The website and its social media platforms should have a dedicated team of customer experience professionals who will offer real-time help to users reporting discrimination or assault in Airbnb locations. The persistent messaging will reassure minorities of their value to Airbnb and increase opportunities for hosts and guests to have a pleasant and inclusive vacation experience (Hati et al., 2021). The organization should further conduct an audit of its listings to ensure that minorities are well represented and their apartments receive equal visibility on the website.
Conclusion
Airbnb’s PR campaign should focus on millennials from minority communities. It should showcase awareness of hosts’ and users’ stereotypes and implicit bias when renting apartments. The company should conduct a review of its diversity policies, from the top management positions to its customer base. In essence, Airbnb should adopt inclusivity in its hiring, visibility of listings, and advertisement of its locations. Airbnb’s mission to create an inclusive world should be reflected in its response to discrimination against minorities and policies to promote diversity in all aspects of the industry
References
Appel, G., Grewal, L., Hadi, R., & Stephen, A. T. (2019). The future of social media in marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48(1), 79–95. Web.
Clemence, S. (2022). Black travelers say home-share hosts discriminate, and a new Airbnb report agrees. The New York Times. Web.
Hati, S. R., Balqiah, T. E., Hananto, A., & Yuliati, E. (2021). A decade of systematic literature review on Airbnb: The sharing economy from a multiple stakeholder perspective. Heliyon, 7(10). Web.