Airbnb's 11-Step Formula

Airbnb's 11-Step Formula

Strategy

:

11-Star Experience

🚀 Success:

0.5B guests every year (2023)

🌱 Metrics Improved:

Activation Rate, Retention, Engagement, Viral Coefficient

Have you heard of the 11-Star Experience?

Is this a new marketing gimmick for hotels or is it a genius product strategy?

Keep reading to find out.

The formula

When it works best

How it looks in the real-world

11-Star Experience

Essentially Airbnb wanted to visualize an out-of-this-world ideal experience.

These days a 5-star experience is ubiquitous and nothing special. Think about it - when was the last time you rated your Uber driver less than 5 stars?

They took the thought experiment so seriously that they even hired a Pixar artist to help bring to life an experience like a movie.

The Pixar artist made a storyboard of the perfect holiday for a specific target persona. They went into insane detail. They obsessed over improving the Airbnb experience in creative, unrealistic ways.

How it works

Essentially Airbnb wanted to visualize an out-of-this-world ideal experience.

These days a 5-star experience is ubiquitous and nothing special. Think about it - when was the last time you rated your Uber driver less than 5 stars?

They took the thought experiment so seriously that they even hired a Pixar artist to help bring to life an experience like a movie.

The Pixar artist made a storyboard of the perfect holiday for a specific target persona. They went into insane detail. They obsessed over improving the Airbnb experience in creative, unrealistic ways.

Why it works

What it means for you

Exceed user expectations to create unforgettable experiences and build customer loyalty.

Think about the current status quo - a 5 star experience. Ask yourself what it would take to get a 6 star experience. Then repeat this exercise, adding 1 star at a time, until you get something ludicrous.

While the 11th star might be completely out of this world, it's a great strategy for thinking outside the box and realising what really is possible in order to provide truly unforgettable experiences.

Genius rating:

8

/10

At the end of the day creating products is about creating value, and the more value you can provide the better.

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Founder

Hey! I'm Cameron.

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