Airbnb
Media Strategy · 2025
A $20M media strategy built to reach the woman who plans everything for everyone else.
How do you reach a busy woman who plans every family vacation, balances work and home life, and rarely makes time for herself? This project explores how Airbnb can better connect with this audience through research, insights, and intentional media strategy.
$20M
Media Budget
88%
Target Reach
8
Western U.S. Cities
3
Audience Personas
The insight
No matter how well a trip is planned, a negative stay experience is enough to define the entire trip. Airbnb needed to show up before the decision was made, not after.
Who We Targeted
Meet Alex. A 35-49 year old working mom, married with kids and a dog, who researches every vacation months in advance and already prefers Airbnb over hotels. She plans the trips. She makes the calls. She was the one we needed to reach.
Alex Woods
Works in sales · Homemaker · Lives with husband & kids
Age 35–49
Married
Has a dog
Books 3–6 months ahead
Prefers Airbnb over hotels
From the full deck - persona development using MRI Simmons index data
Where We Focused
The Western U.S. showed the strongest CDI and BDI, meaning demand was high and Airbnb was already performing well there. The smart move was to defend that ground before competitors moved in across 8 high-opportunity cities.
CDI & BDI analysis
How We Reached Her
We met her where she already was. Netflix and Hulu during family downtime. Allure and Cosmopolitan during her rare moments alone. Premiere Female Focus radio on the morning drive. Mobile video when she was researching on her phone. Every vehicle chosen based on real index data, not assumptions.
Media spend by month - High vs Low pulse
The Strategy
A pulsing approach, going heavy in March, April, May and October, November, December when families are actively planning. Pulling back in summer when the decision is already made. Showing up when it matters, not when it's too late.
Key Takeaway
This project strengthened my ability to turn research into strategy. It taught me that the best media plans don't just reach people, they reach the right person, in the right moment, with the right message. And that data only matters when you know whose story it's telling.
Full deck