What Airbnb Teaches Us About Having a Strong Brand Identity
If you've ever planned a vacation, there's a good chance you're familiar with Airbnb. Founded in August of 2008, Airbnb (formerly known as AirBed & Breakfast) began as a way for founders Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia to make extra bucks for rent. Nine years later, the company has hosted over 160 million guests in more than 65,000 cities and 191 countries. The secret to their success? Refining their brand identity each step of the way.
What is Brand Identity?
Brand identity is how a brand intends to be perceived by its consumers. Brand identity is not to be mistaken with brand image, which is how consumers actually perceive the brand. Your goal should be to align your brand identity and brand image as closely as possible. A large disconnect will only communicate to the public that you're out of touch with your market. From your tagline to typeface, your brand identity tells people what your brand is really about. Ultimately, it's what distinguishes you from the competition. Airbnb does a stellar job in differentiating itself from the rest of the sharing economy by fine-tuning every component of their brand identity.3 Core Components of Airbnb's Brand Identity
No. 1: Vision and Mission Statement
A vision statement and mission statement are two separate ideas typically combined into one sentence. A mission statement is present-based and tells your consumers your brand's intention, while a vision statement is future-based and tells your consumers what you hope to accomplish with your mission. Together, these statements should inform and inspire. Airbnb aspires to create a diverse and inclusive global community (mission) where people can feel at home wherever they are (vision). They creatively communicate this with just two words: belong anywhere. Before adopting the slogan "belong anywhere," Airbnb's message was to "travel like a human." The change came to light in 2014, when Chesky and Gebbia realized that Airbnb was more than a tool people used to travel.“It turns out the answer was right in front of us. For so long, people thought Airbnb was about renting houses. But really, we’re about home. You see, a house is just a space, but a home is where you belong”, explained Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. “And what makes this global community so special is that for the very first time, you can belong anywhere.”Airbnb's short and sweet mission proves that less is often more. Such a concise statement strengthens their brand identity by being easy to remember and highly recognizable.