Why That Worked #31: Airbnb—The Brilliant Strategy Behind Their New Messaging Campaign (RE-RELEASE)

Aug 6, 2025

Discover how Airbnb's latest messaging campaign successfully addresses common travel frustrations and captures audience attention. The hosts delve into effective brand messaging strategies, emphasizing the importance of clarity and understanding customer needs. They analyze the balance of ease and trust in Airbnb's communications, critiquing previous taglines while showcasing the significance of tailored marketing approaches. Practical insights from the StoryBrand framework provide listeners with actionable tips to enhance their own brand messaging.

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ADVICE

Identify A Clear Customer Problem

Identify a problem that most people experience and dislike to capture attention quickly.
Focus on problems like cramped hotel rooms to clearly connect with your audience's pain.

ADVICE

Choose Clarity Over Cleverness

Avoid clever or elusive taglines that confuse customers.
Use clear, straightforward messaging that explains the product's benefits simply.

INSIGHT

Clarity Conserves Customer Energy

Simple, direct taglines instantly communicate value and require minimal mental effort.
The brain resists puzzles, so clear messaging saves customers' cognitive energy and boosts sales.

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Exciting news, Hero Makers! We’re sharing a new episode of Why That Worked – Presented by StoryBrand.AI, with Donald Miller back in the host seat. This new show uncovers why certain ideas, brands, and strategies succeed—so you can think differently and apply those insights to your business and life. Hopefully you're getting a chance to recharge this summer—but that doesn’t mean you have to lose momentum. Fall is just around the corner, and before you know it we’ll be heading into the final stretch of the year. That’s exactly why we’re rereleasing several of our high-impact episodes—designed to give you clarity, sharpen your message, attract the right customers, and ultimately drive more revenue, so you’re not stuck playing catch-up when it matters most! -- If your marketing isn’t working, it’s probably because you’re not talking about the right problem. Most businesses struggle to identify the most compelling issue their customer is trying to solve. They either talk about too many things or pick a problem that’s too vague. When that happens, customers stop listening. But when you finally address the problem that makes your customers say “yep, that’s me!”, sales start to climb. That's what Airbnb just nailed with their new messaging campaign. So, how do you figure out the exact problem your business solves in a way that drives real results?

In this episode, Don and Kyle break down Airbnb’s latest messaging campaign and why it hits the mark so effectively. They unpack the brilliance behind how Airbnb redefined the problem it solves and how you can apply the same strategy to your own business. You’ll learn a simple way to clarify the problem your customer actually cares about and how to build an effective messaging campaign around it. Listen in for strategic tips on how to get sharper messaging and more customer engagement.

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Learn how to make your marketing and messaging work using a proven framework in the updated book, Building a StoryBrand 2.0. Order it now on Amazon or wherever you buy books!