Airbnb has just learned that being passive aggressive gets you nowhere—at least in San Francisco.
Its latest ad campaign, which launched in NorCal's City by the Bay recently on ads which were pasted onto bilboards and MUNI shelters, showcased the contributions that Airbnb hosts and guests made with their taxes to the city's municipal resources, like public libraries, infrastructure (or, more pointedly, bike lanes), and recreational parks.
While everyone pays taxes that end up going toward these San Franciscan tenets, the ads ticked off citizens due to their sardonic tone, which came across as ungrateful, especially due to the fact that funding these services serves the entire body politic.
@sarahjeong @juliacarriew another @Airbnb sign at Oak and Stanyan directed at SF Recreation and Parks pic.twitter.com/CeVUVHJBY0
— Urvi Nagrani (@theurv) October 22, 2015
I cannot stop laughing at these Airbnb ads https://t.co/D71BCNy8U3 pic.twitter.com/WfoeZccFu6
— sp º o º ky psyduck (@sarahjeong) October 22, 2015
Dear Airbnb: if it's worth $8m to you to beat Prop F, please contribute as much to help build SF affordable housing. pic.twitter.com/hEoWDVQ0er
— Martha Bridegam (@MBridegam) October 21, 2015
The team behind Airbnb's marketing strategy also had poor timing: local ballot measures to vote on Prop F, which would extensively restrict the services and number of host sites Airbnb can provide, are coming up on Nov. 3, Election Day. The Prop F ballot measure would limit private rentals to 75 nights per year per unit, among other measures.
Airbnb issued an official apology for the campaign, promising to remove all ads as soon as possible:
"The intent was to show the hotel tax contribution from our hosts and guests, which is roughly $1 million per month. It was the wrong tone and we apologize to anyone who was offended. These ads are being taken down immediately."
Via: The Next Web
