Overview

We carried out PR activities for Airbnb, a major private lodging service, during its launch in Japan. Aiming to popularize the new service of “private lodging,” a concept that was not yet widespread at the time, we aimed to establish brand credibility and expand recognition, and planned various PR measures.

In order to establish a brand image in the introductory phase, we strategically targeted domestic innovators and early adopters in order to gain recognition and enhance brand value. We actively approached media in categories such as fashion, art, culture, and music. In addition, we developed various exposure angles in order to encourage usage for seasonal topics and diverse opportunities, and carried out PR activities.

Activities

As an example of PR activities, as a solution to the issue of “We want people to visit not only houses in urban areas but also houses in rural areas,” we edited and issued the “Ranking of Houses Nationwide Where You Can See Fireworks This Summer” as a newsletter during the summer, creating opportunities for exposure. In addition, we created angles that focused on travel demand and regional revitalization, gained a large amount of publicity, and contributed to branding.

In addition, in order to deepen the understanding of the media, we conducted media tours to the head office in Japan, and in order to expand the market on the provider side, we conducted interviews focusing on the providers of houses (hosts) to turn the hosts into stars. We contributed to brand penetration to various stakeholders by taking such measures. In addition, we established a crisis management public relations system, and generally supported the PR activities necessary for the brand in the early stages of its launch in Japan.