Airbnb Targets Full-Trip Services Over Ads to Drive Brand Loyalty

Bloomberg Originals

Chief Experience Officer Hiroki Asai says the platform will expand customer lifetime value by integrating on-the-ground travel logistics and local experiences rather than relying on paid marketing.

AI-assisted summary of How Airbnb Hopes to Build Brand Loyalty | Quantum Marketing — original source. Check the original for full context.

Source published: 2026-10-01

Key ideas

Since its founding in 2008, more than 2.5 billion guests have checked into Airbnbs across nearly every country globally, shifting the company's core strategic challenge from simply providing lodging to curating the entire travel journey. (0:00)
Airbnb Chief Experience Officer Hiroki Asai identifies an 'inverse bell curve of travel happiness,' where consumer sentiment plummets during the friction-heavy planning and booking stages, prompting Airbnb to streamline booking while focusing engagement on the anticipation and travel phases. (5:35)
The platform's marketing philosophy is anchored on 'tell don't sell,' relying on advanced software personalization to preserve authentic, hyper-local recommendations at global scale rather than relying on heavy promotional ad spending. (11:32)
Airbnb aims to capture customer lifetime value during trips by integrating fragmented on-the-ground services—such as luggage transfers, transit pickups, and museum admissions—directly into the app as a proactive travel companion. (20:16)

Detailed notes

## Background Published by Bloomberg Originals on YouTube on September 30, 2026, this episode of 'Quantum Marketing' features host Raja Rajamannar speaking with Airbnb Chief Experience Officer Hiroki Asai. According to the page description, the conversation explores Airbnb's evolving marketing strategy, examining immersive, hyperlocal host-led activities and on-demand travel services designed to help guests engage more meaningfully with the culture and character of their destinations.

## TL;DR Host Raja Rajamannar and Airbnb Chief Experience Officer Hiroki Asai analyze how modern travel is evolving from passive sightseeing into active cultural participation and authentic human connection. Asai unpacks the 'inverse bell curve of travel happiness,' explaining how Airbnb works to eliminate friction during stressful planning and booking stages while focusing brand presence on the joyful dreaming and on-the-ground phases. Through an internal 'tell don't sell' marketing philosophy, the company leverages AI and thoughtful product design to deliver hyper-personalized local recommendations without sacrificing authenticity at scale. Ultimately, Airbnb aims to transform into an intuitive, end-to-end travel companion that unifies fragmented journey logistics and grounds brand equity in real-world trust rather than paid advertising.

## Atmosphere & style The piece carries a reflective, contemplative, and intellectually polished tone, blending outdoor walking footage in San Francisco's Presidio with measured executive dialogue. Raja Rajamannar's thoughtful, philosophical questioning meshes naturally with Hiroki Asai's design-oriented, Apple-honed insights on customer psychology. The exchange feels grounded and calm rather than promotional, balancing macro-level marketing analysis with an authentic appreciation for serendipity, community, and offline human interaction.

## Bulletin - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=0s) Since its founding in 2008, more than 2.5 billion guests have checked into Airbnbs across nearly every country globally, shifting the company's core strategic challenge from simply providing lodging to curating the entire travel journey. - [05:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=335s) Airbnb Chief Experience Officer Hiroki Asai identifies an 'inverse bell curve of travel happiness,' where consumer sentiment plummets during the friction-heavy planning and booking stages, prompting Airbnb to streamline booking while focusing engagement on the anticipation and travel phases. - [11:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=692s) The platform's marketing philosophy is anchored on 'tell don't sell,' relying on advanced software personalization to preserve authentic, hyper-local recommendations at global scale rather than relying on heavy promotional ad spending. - [20:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1216s) Airbnb aims to capture customer lifetime value during trips by integrating fragmented on-the-ground services—such as luggage transfers, transit pickups, and museum admissions—directly into the app as a proactive travel companion.

## Key takeaways - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=0s) Modern travel has evolved from passive sightseeing into active cultural participation and self-expression, requiring platforms to engage consumers dynamically rather than relying on static advertising. - [02:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=129s) Airbnb views its long-term business model not as an accommodation provider, but as a designer of human memories across the full arc of a trip. - [05:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=335s) The travel journey follows an inverse bell curve where satisfaction peaks during aspirational dreaming and drops to its lowest emotional point during the financial and logistical friction of booking. - [07:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=464s) Modern consumers increasingly prioritize authentic human connection and serendipitous local experiences over conventional, manufactured luxury. - [11:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=692s) Airbnb's guiding internal marketing mantra is 'tell don't sell,' operating on the premise that genuine product differentiation speaks for itself without aggressive promotional pushing. - [11:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=692s) To prevent standardization from diluting local character as the platform scales, Airbnb leverages software, design, and engineering to provide granular, individualized recommendations. - [12:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=773s) Simplicity is one of the hardest design challenges in technology, requiring platforms to keep operational complexity invisible and design around busy customer lives rather than corporate convenience. - [14:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=870s) A brand cannot be manufactured purely through marketing spend; it is fundamentally defined by real-world operational conduct, crisis responses, and community stewardship. - [16:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1018s) High-profile initiatives like 'Icons' and floating house installations are designed to inject wonder back into travel while acting as an antidote to screen-dominated lifestyles. - [16:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1018s) AI functions best not as an automated booking tool, but as a real-time context engine capable of surfacing timely neighborhood events and hyper-relevant cultural insights. - [18:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1102s) Technology innovation and trust innovation are inseparable at Airbnb; technological verification algorithms are only as valuable as the human willingness to open homes to strangers. - [20:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1216s) Expanding utility during active trips unlocks a powerful customer flywheel, converting infrequent annual travelers into frequent app users and organic brand advocates. - [20:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1216s) Consolidating fragmented travel friction—such as ticket lines, transit, and luggage management—transforms the platform into a unified digital companion that feels like 'traveling with somebody.' - [22:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1368s) Enduring brand loyalty in modern hospitality cannot be bought through transactional convenience or price discounting, but must be built on active cultural participation.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=0s) Rethinking Travel in the Age of "Quantum Marketing"

Host Raja Rajamannar meets up with his local guide, Alex, on the Presidio Main Post Parade grounds in San Francisco to embark on an Airbnb Experience. Setting the stage for the episode, Rajamannar explains how travel is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Historically centered on passive sightseeing, travelers are now chasing deeper, more authentic connections with local cuisine, culture, history, and community members.

```mermaid flowchart LR accTitle: Evolution of Travel Platform Model accDescr: Diagram contrasting traditional hotel-centric accommodations with the modern participatory travel model led by platforms like Airbnb. subgraph Traditional["Legacy Travel Model"] direction TB A["Pay for Ad Attention"] --> B["Traditional Hotel Stays"] B --> C["Passive Sightseeing"] end subgraph Modern["Modern Experience Model"] direction TB D["Data & Real-Time Engagement"] --> E["Hyperlocal Accommodations"] E --> F["Active Cultural Participation"] end Traditional -.->|"Industry Disruption"| Modern ```

In the modern landscape, marketing can no longer rely on the old formula of building a product, paying for advertising attention, and controlling a static message. Shifting market forces—including data science, behavioral economics, and artificial intelligence—require brands to engage consumers in real time at every touchpoint. In this transformed environment, Airbnb stands out as an industry disrupter:

- Since its founding in 2008, more than 2.5 billion guests have checked into Airbnbs across nearly every country in the world. - The platform faces the new strategic challenge of moving beyond simply answering *where* a guest will stay to becoming the gateway to the entire journey. - Airbnb's leadership argues that paid advertising alone does not create a brand; genuine brand identity runs much deeper than promotional output.

---

[02:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=129s) Designing Human Memory: Beyond Accommodations

Rajamannar sits down with Hiroki Asai, Airbnb’s Chief Experience Officer, who brings insights from an 18-year career at Apple working alongside Steve Jobs. Rajamannar opens with a foundational question: Is Airbnb still an accommodation company, or is it fundamentally in the business of designing human memories? Asai explains that while accommodations were the starting point, unforgettable memories are the natural outcome when a brand curates the entire arc of a trip.

Rather than standard tourist attractions, Airbnb focuses on delivering the most authentic versions of destinations like Tokyo, Paris, or Bali. This involves guiding travelers to unexpected neighborhood eateries, local shopping districts, hidden activities, and hard-to-access cultural performances. Asai and Rajamannar highlight that modern travelers are no longer just passive observers checking landmarks off a bucket list; they travel as an act of self-expression to connect with who they are, discover themselves, and engage as active participants. To see this philosophy in action, Rajamannar joins Alex in exploring the Presidio, a national park nestled directly within San Francisco.

---

[05:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=335s) The Inverse Bell Curve of Travel Happiness

Asai details the psychological journey of travel, highlighting an underlying "inverse bell curve of happiness" that defines the customer experience across trips of any length. Travelers start at an emotional peak during the dreaming phase, swept up in romantic visions of their vacation. However, satisfaction plunges as logistics, scheduling, and itineraries turn into work during the planning phase. Happiness hits rock bottom at the booking phase: spending significant money, committing to rigid dates and times, and navigating technical friction leave travelers feeling drained and eager to step away.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: The Inverse Bell Curve of Travel Happiness accDescr: Stages of the traveler journey showing the emotional dip during booking and the target phases for Airbnb engagement. subgraph Dip["The Operational Valley"] B["Planning Phase\n(Logistical friction & fatigue)"] --> C["Booking Phase\n(Peak unhappiness & financial stress)"] end subgraph Highs["Airbnb Target Engagement Zones"] A["Dreaming Phase\n(Inspiration & romantic anticipation)"] D["Anticipation Phase\n(Excitement building before departure)"] E["Traveling Phase\n(Rich, immersive local experiences)"] end A --> B C --> D D --> E E -.->|"Earning brand loyalty returns traveler to"| A ```

Historically, booking platforms inhabit this low point of consumer sentiment. Asai explains that Airbnb's strategic imperative is two-fold: 1. Strip away friction to make the booking step as fast, effortless, and painless as possible. 2. Shift the bulk of brand interaction toward the excitement of the anticipation phase and the on-the-ground travel phase.

By embedding the brand into the joyful parts of the trip where guests fall in love with the world, Airbnb earns the right to be front of mind during the aspirational dreaming phase, "which is where every travel company wants to be."

---

[07:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=464s) The Power of Human Connection Over Pure Luxury

Standing at an overlook in the Presidio with sweeping views of downtown San Francisco and the San Francisco National Cemetery—where over 30,000 service members are buried—Rajamannar reflects on a four-hour excursion he took the previous day during a normal workday. Although inexpensive and short, the experience felt deeply restorative. Asai agrees, observing that consumers are prioritizing authentic human connection over conventional luxury, especially given the screen-dominated, time-constrained nature of modern work life.

As a two-sided marketplace, Airbnb enables its hosts to offer activities at varied price tiers, proving that an experience does not need to be expensive or lengthy to be impactful. The true value lies in serendipity and meeting passionate local experts who share unique viewpoints. Asai emphasizes that whether through private homes or hosted activities, Airbnb’s offering is anchored in the human element rather than corporate, manufactured hospitality. This organic authenticity forms the core DNA of how the company presents its brand and products to the world.

[11:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=692s) "Tell Don't Sell" and Deep Personalization at Scale

Airbnb anchors its storytelling, app design, and guest experience on authenticity and human connection rather than aggressive commercial persuasion. The internal mantra guiding their strategy is "tell don't sell." For Hiroki Asai, if an organization offers authentic accommodations and experiences supported by genuine hosts and appreciative guests, marketing does not need to force a purchase. Instead, the team’s responsibility is simply to explain how to access the offering, articulate why it is distinctly different and better, and let the product experience inside the app prove it.

When Raja Rajamannar points out that small startups can execute handcrafted, bespoke curation easily, he raises the dilemma of scale: as a company expands, standardization often creeps in and threatens to "kill the soul" of the offering. Asai counters that modern technology has finally reached a threshold where personalization does not have to mean sterile uniformity. By heavily backing its software, design, and engineering teams, Airbnb uses technological capabilities to deliver hyper-granular recommendations, surfacing the best hidden pockets of a destination tailored directly to individual preferences.

- Internal marketing philosophy centers on "tell don't sell"—demonstrating differentiation through product quality rather than traditional promotional tactics. - Software and design investments are geared toward granular, deep personalization to preserve local character and nuance at massive global scale.

[12:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=773s) Simplicity as the Hardest Form of Innovation

Behind the curtain of a global travel platform lies massive operational complexity, yet travelers demand effortless simplicity, clear authenticity, and zero friction. Rajamannar frames this tension by asking whether achieving intuitive simplicity on the surface has become one of the most difficult feats of innovation today. Asai agrees wholeheartedly, emphasizing that travel is an extraordinarily crowded, noisy landscape where brands must earn and respect the finite attention spans of their users.

Keeping the complex technical mechanics invisible is central to Airbnb's design discipline. The platform aims to anticipate traveler needs, choices, and potential friction points before the guest even encounters them. Asai reflects that product creators often fall into the trap of assuming their app is the center of the customer's universe. In reality, travelers have busy, complicated lives, making it essential to design features strictly for the user's benefit rather than corporate convenience—a mindset that Asai describes as deceptively easy to articulate, but "actually the hardest thing to keep in mind."

[14:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=870s) Trust, Community, and What Truly Defines a Brand

Over its history, Airbnb has had to navigate city regulatory disputes, user friction, and the challenge of establishing confidence between strangers. Trust is the foundation without which the business model collapses. When Airbnb originally launched Experiences in 2016, the product struggled to gain meaningful traction. Reflecting on the core value proposition, Asai notes that while software facilitates the logistics and marketing spreads awareness, the brand's real value lies entirely in human moments: taking a guided hike with a passionate local expert or staying in a host's home. Technology can streamline discovery, eliminate friction, and speed up transactions, but it remains merely the conduit for the foundational belief that "people are basically good."

This dynamic informs Asai's critique of conventional corporate branding. He rejects the notion that marketing alone creates a brand, arguing that true brand perception cannot simply be bought through paid advertising campaigns. Instead, a brand is defined by operational conduct: how a company shows up in the community, how it safeguards guests and hosts, how it arbitrates disputes, and how it responds during humanitarian crises and disasters.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: The Airbnb Brand and Trust Engine accDescr: Diagram illustrating how invisible platform technology facilitates human trust and defines the brand beyond paid marketing.

subgraph PlatformLayer ["Invisible Digital Enablers"] A["Granular AI Discovery & Simplicity"] --> B["Trust & Safety Verification"] end

subgraph HumanLayer ["Real-World Human Connection"] B --> C["Host & Guest Trust"] C --> D["Local Experiences & Home Stays"] end

subgraph BrandLayer ["True Brand Equity"] D --> E["Community Impact & Disaster Support"] E --> F["Enduring Brand Loyalty ('Tell Don't Sell')"] end ```

[16:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1018s) Real-World Magic: Icons and the Role of AI

To inject wonder back into its offerings, Airbnb introduced "Icons"—a category of extraordinary experiences hosted by prominent figures in music, film, and culture, exemplified by stunts like building a real-life floating house inspired by Disney and Pixar's *Up*. This initiative aimed to capture cultural imagination and translate that aura into the broader catalog of host-led experiences. At the same time, Asai observes an emerging societal counter-reaction to digital saturation. As artificial intelligence accelerates, people spend an increasing portion of their waking lives behind glowing screens. Airbnb explicitly aims to be the antidote: a company that leverages digital infrastructure to pull people away from devices and out into the physical world.

When asked what role remains uniquely human if AI takes over discovery, itinerary planning, price comparison, and booking, Asai points to timing and relevance. AI's greatest asset is its capacity to synthesize what makes a city vibrant in real time, delivering hyper-personalized, contextual suggestions directly to travelers precisely when and where they need them.

- Icons program leverages culturally significant figures and imaginative spectacles—such as the floating *Up* house—to bring excitement to the platform. - Strategic objective to serve as a counterbalance to screen addiction by using technology to propel people into physical, real-world experiences. - AI is treated as a context engine that connects travelers to timely local events and hidden neighborhood gems rather than just an automated booking tool.

[18:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1102s) Trust Innovation and Technology Innovation Hand in Hand

Airbnb increasingly incorporates AI into backend operations, including listing verification, fraud prevention, and quality control. Addressing whether algorithmic oversight risks making the platform feel rigid or overly corporate, Asai explains that AI excels at asking the right question at the right moment. The difference between an annoying safeguard and a delightful customer experience comes down entirely to design execution. Technology can make trust verification far more effective and less cumbersome when thoughtfully integrated.

Rajamannar suggests that algorithms, apps, and marketing funnels can easily be duplicated by competitors, but competitors cannot replicate the millions of hosts and guests who trust the platform. When asked whether Airbnb is fundamentally a technology innovation company or a trust innovation company, Asai insists they are inseparable. Technology provides the tools, but the breakthrough was getting ordinary individuals to open their private homes to complete strangers. The platform operates as a bidirectional ecosystem where trusting people engenders mutual trust in return.

[20:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1216s) Eliminating Trip Friction Across the Entire Travel Journey

When evaluating customer lifetime value, Airbnb finds its largest commercial opportunity within the duration of the trip itself for existing customers. Currently, existing guests travel only a few times per year. By expanding the platform’s utility during the stay, Airbnb creates an engaging flywheel: travelers open the app repeatedly while on vacation to book services, which deepens engagement and encourages them to use the app for local experiences even after returning home, naturally driving word-of-mouth adoption for new users.

```mermaid flowchart LR accTitle: End-to-End Travel Friction Reduction accDescr: Flowchart illustrating how Airbnb integrates fragmented travel logistics into a single seamless guest journey.

subgraph Booking ["Planning & Arrival"] A["Ticketing & Access (e.g., Louvre)"] B["Welcome Pickups & Transit"] end

subgraph Logistics ["On-the-Ground Support"] C["Luggage Storage & Delivery"] D["Food Delivery & Car Rentals"] end

subgraph Outcome ["Travel Experience"] E["Unified In-App Companion ('Traveling with Somebody')"] end

A --> E B --> E C --> E D --> E ```

To deliver on this, Airbnb focuses on dismantling friction points that turn vacationing into an administrative chore. Travelers routinely find themselves juggling disjointed third-party vendors for museum admissions—such as securing difficult tickets for the Louvre—as well as airport pickups, food delivery, luggage storage, luggage transfer, and car rentals. By unifying these disparate services into a singular marketplace that serves them up proactively at the appropriate moment, the platform transforms the app into an intuitive digital travel companion, leaving travelers feeling as though they are "traveling with somebody." Rajamannar concludes by noting that modern marketing has moved beyond influencing what consumers choose—it now actively shapes the lived experiences that set platforms apart.

[22:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1368s) Beyond Convenience: Travel as Active Participation

Reflecting on the core takeaways of the discussion, host Raja Rajamannar underscores that building genuine, enduring brand loyalty has become significantly harder to achieve through price cuts or mere transactional convenience alone. Throughout the dialogue on Airbnb's evolving brand philosophy, a central thesis repeatedly surfaced: travel platforms need to evolve past simply facilitating logistics or helping someone get from point A to point B. Instead, the ultimate frontier of hospitality lies in active participation—empowering travelers to truly engage with the communities and environments they visit.

Airbnb is fundamentally staking its future on the premise that designing deeply meaningful, human-centered experiences is what cements lasting relationships with consumers. Ultimately, this approach demonstrates that the most powerful currency a modern brand can provide is far greater than just a transactional roof over a traveler's head; it is about unlocking "a deeper connection to the world around us."

## Notable quotes > [05:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=335s) which is where every travel company wants to be. — Hiroki Asai

> [11:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=692s) tell don't sell — Hiroki Asai

> [11:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=692s) kill the soul — Raja Rajamannar

> [12:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=773s) actually the hardest thing to keep in mind. — Hiroki Asai

> [14:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=870s) people are basically good. — Hiroki Asai

> [20:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1216s) traveling with somebody. — Hiroki Asai

> [22:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1368s) a deeper connection to the world around us. — Raja Rajamannar

## Mentioned Airbnb, Airbnb Experiences, Alex, Apple, Bali, Bloomberg Originals, Disney, Hiroki Asai, Icons, Louvre, Paris, Pixar, Presidio, Presidio Main Post Parade, Raja Rajamannar, San Francisco, San Francisco National Cemetery, Steve Jobs, Tokyo, Up

## Video description In this episode, host Raja Rajamannar sits down with Airbnb Chief Experience Officer Hiroki Asai to discuss the company’s evolving marketing strategy, from immersive, hyperlocal host-led activities to on-demand travel services designed to help guests engage more deeply with the culture and character of a destination.

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[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs)

中文简报

Airbnb聚焦全程旅行服务而非广告投放以提升品牌忠诚度首席体验官Hiroki Asai表示，该平台将通过整合地面出行后勤与本地体验来提升客户生命周期价值，而不是依赖付费营销。主持人Raja Rajamannar与Airbnb首席体验官Hiroki Asai分析了现代旅行如何从被动观光转变为积极的文化参与和真实的人际联结。Asai深入解读了“旅行幸福感的反钟形曲线”，阐述了Airbnb如何致力于消除充满压力的规划与预订阶段中的阻碍，同时将品牌重心放在令人愉悦的憧憬期和实地体验阶段。秉持内部“重告知而非强推销”（tell don't sell）的营销理念，该公司借助AI与贴心的产品设计提供高度个性化的本地推荐，且在大规模推广的同时不牺牲真实性。最终，Airbnb的目标是转型为一款直观的端到端旅行伴侣，整合碎片化的行程后勤服务，并将品牌资产建立在现实世界的信任之上，而非付费广告。自2008年成立以来，已有超过25亿人次房客入住全球几乎所有国家的Airbnb房源，这促使该公司的核心战略挑战从单纯提供住宿转变为策划整个旅行旅程。 (0:00) Airbnb首席体验官Hiroki Asai提出了“旅行幸福感的反钟形曲线”，即消费者情绪在充满阻碍的规划与预订阶段会大幅下滑，这促使Airbnb简化预订流程，同时将用户互动聚焦于期待期和实地旅行阶段。 (5:35) 该平台的营销理念立足于“重告知而非强推销”，依靠先进的软件个性化技术在全球范围内保持真实且高度本地化的推荐，而不是依赖大额的促销广告支出。 (11:32) Airbnb旨在扮演主动型旅行伴侣的角色，通过将行李托运、交通接送和博物馆门票等碎片化的地面服务直接整合到App中，在旅程中获取客户生命周期价值。 (20:16)

Reading summary

Airbnb is attempting to evolve from an accommodation marketplace into an end-to-end travel curator, arguing that enduring brand loyalty depends on authentic human connection and frictionless trip support rather than paid promotional advertising. According to Chief Experience Officer Hiroki Asai, long-term brand equity requires leveraging software to eliminate administrative travel fatigue while propelling guests into the physical world. Managing the Inverse Bell Curve of Happiness (5:35) Hiroki Asai identifies an "inverse bell curve of happiness" that governs the psychological journey of travel. While travelers reach an emotional peak during the inspirational dreaming phase, satisfaction plummets during logistical planning and hits rock bottom at the booking stage, where financial outlay, fixed schedules, and transaction friction cause stress. Asai observes that legacy travel platforms typically remain trapped in this low-sentiment booking phase. To reshape this dynamic, Airbnb's strategic priority is two-fold: strip away transaction friction so booking feels effortless, and redirect the brand's primary engagement toward the anticipation and active on-the-ground travel phases. By embedding the platform into the moments when guests explore new communities, Airbnb aims to earn front-of-mind status when travelers return to the aspirational dreaming phase for future trips. "Tell Don't Sell" and Operational Brand Equity (11:32) Airbnb relies on an internal marketing philosophy of "tell don't sell," prioritizing product design, host authenticity, and clear communication over aggressive commercial persuasion. Addressing the operational dilemma that scaling often standardizes and dilutes bespoke charm, Asai contends that modern engineering and design allow the platform to deliver hyper-granular, personalized recommendations across its global network of more than 2.5 billion guest check-ins since 2008 without imposing sterile uniformity. Furthermore, Asai rejects the premise that marketing alone builds a sustainable brand, asserting that true brand perception cannot be purchased with advertising dollars. Instead, brand equity is determined by real-world operational conduct: safeguarding hosts and guests, arbitrating disputes fairly, and providing community and humanitarian relief during crises. Technology acts merely as the facilitator for a business model rooted in mutual trust between strangers. Deploying AI as an Offline Catalyst (16:58) Amid growing societal fatigue with digital screens, Airbnb positions its technological platform as an antidote designed to push users away from devices and out into real-world environments. While brand initiatives like "Icons"—including a real-life replica of the floating house from Pixar's Up—are deployed to capture cultural attention, Asai views artificial intelligence primarily as a real-time context engine. Rather than replacing human judgment, AI is utilized to deliver hyper-relevant, local recommendations precisely when and where a traveler requires them. On the operational side, Airbnb integrates AI into backend trust systems, including listing verification and fraud prevention. Asai notes that thoughtful design separates helpful security verification from bureaucratic annoyance, maintaining that technological innovation and trust building must develop together to protect the two-sided marketplace. Unifying In-Trip Logistics into a Digital Companion (20:16) Airbnb sees its primary customer lifetime value opportunity in expanding utility throughout the duration of a guest's trip, noting that most users currently travel only a few times per year. Travelers frequently encounter administrative exhaustion when juggling separate third-party providers for museum admissions—such as tickets for the Louvre—as well as transit, luggage storage, luggage transfers, car rentals, and food delivery. By integrating these fragmented logistical steps into a centralized marketplace, the platform aims to function as an intuitive digital travel companion. Host Raja Rajamannar highlights that driving repeated utility during a vacation creates an engagement flywheel: guests use the app continually while traveling, remain engaged with local experiences after returning home, and foster organic word-of-mouth adoption without the company relying on transactional price cuts. Rajamannar concludes that transactional convenience and discounting are no longer sufficient to secure enduring consumer loyalty in the travel sector. Airbnb's long-term thesis rests on whether a digital platform can seamlessly manage complex physical logistics while preserving genuine, host-driven authenticity at global scale.

Detailed notes — zh

## Background 本期视频由彭博原创（Bloomberg Originals）于 2026 年 9 月 30 日在 YouTube 平台发布，属于《量子营销》（Quantum Marketing）系列节目。页面简介显示，主持人拉贾·拉贾曼纳（Raja Rajamannar）对话 Airbnb 首席体验官广木浅井（Hiroki Asai），共同探讨爱彼迎从沉浸式超本地房东体验到即时旅行服务等不断演进的营销与品牌策略，旨在帮助房客更深入地融入目的地的文化与特色。 ## TL;DR 节目深入剖析了 Airbnb 如何超越传统住宿业务，进化为设计人类全周期旅行记忆的文化平台。广木浅井阐述了旅行体验中的“幸福倒钟形曲线”，指出平台正发力攻克行前期待与行中体验，通过“只讲述，不推销”的沟通理念与隐形后台技术消除旅行摩擦。对话重点探讨了在 AI 时代人与人真实连结作为“新型奢侈品”的独特价值，论证了品牌忠诚度并非来自付费广告或低价便利，而是建立在深层信任、人性温度与文化参与感之上。 ## Atmosphere & style 全片呈现出一种兼具思想深度与人文温度的漫步对话风格。两位资深营销与体验专家置身于旧金山普雷西迪奥的宁静自然风光中，一边登高俯瞰城市，一边展开兼具战略洞见与哲学思辨的交谈。整体氛围从容而沉静，既有对技术与商业规模化的冷静剖析，又充满对人际温情和现实探索的热忱，带给观众一种脱离数字喧嚣、回归真实生活本质的启发感。 ## Bulletin - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=0s) 自 2008 年成立以来，Airbnb 全球累计接待房客已突破 25 亿人次，平台正从单一的住宿预订工具全面转向覆盖行前、行中全流程的深度在地体验大门。 - [05:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=318s) Airbnb 首席体验官广木浅井提出旅行心理呈现“幸福感倒钟形曲线”，预订期是用户情绪最低谷，平台正发力通过消除摩擦向行中与梦想阶段延伸渗透。 - [11:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=692s) Airbnb 坚持“只讲述，不推销”的沟通理念，明确反对纯广告造就品牌的传统观点，强调品牌实质由社区治理与人际真实互动共同定义。 - [16:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1001s) 面对 AI 与数字化浪潮，Airbnb 战略性加码“Icons”等现实体验，利用 AI 在后台隐形处理风控与上下文感知，致力于将用户从屏幕前拉回真实物理世界。 ## Key takeaways - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=0s) 营销底层逻辑已从单向的曝光控制与信息推送，演进为整合数据科学、行为经济学与 AI 实时响应的“量子营销”模式。 - [02:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=143s) 旅行者的核心动机正在从浅层观光转向文化深度共鸣与自我表达，这推动旅游产业向真实感与超本地化（hyper-local）体验倾斜。 - [05:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=318s) 旅行情绪经历梦想、规划、预订、期待与出行五大阶段，预订阶段决策繁重、支出大，属于体验的绝对谷底。 - [07:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=464s) 在屏幕主导的高压数字化时代，真实、有温度的现实人际互动正成为一种高溢价的新型“奢侈品”。 - [11:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=692s) 坚持“只讲述，不推销”（tell don't sell）原则，Airbnb 依托真实房源供给与顺畅的产品交互呈现差异，拒绝传统硬广推销。 - [11:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=692s) 通过在底层软件工程与算法上进行激进投入，Airbnb 尝试破解规模化与深度个性化定制之间的天然冲突，避免标准化抹杀品牌灵魂。 - [12:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=773s) 极致的极简设计需要把系统复杂性完全隐藏在后台，设计者必须克服“自恋视角”，真正站在用户生活诉求的角度提供零摩擦体验。 - [14:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=870s) 品牌从来不是单靠广告费砸出来的，而是由平台在面临灾难救助、规则治理以及对待房东和房客的每一个日常微小举动所塑造。 - [16:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1001s) 在 AI 接管大量搜索与规划的时代，Airbnb 视 AI 为隐形赋能工具，用于实时上下文感知与房源风控核验，前台则强化人与人的现实接触。 - [19:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1146s) 信任创新与技术创新是平台运作的双螺旋：打破防备接纳陌生人的底层善意需要匹配以高度安全流畅的技术基建。 - [19:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1146s) Airbnb 将业务重心转移至“行中”（during the trip）阶段，通过高频互动盘活低频出行场景中的老客户黏性并带动飞轮效应。 - [21:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1271s) 致力于消除旅行全链路摩擦，把租车、餐饮、门票等碎片化服务整合为一体化入口，使用户告别拼凑服务的“项目经理”状态。 - [22:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1368s) 单纯依赖低价和流程便利无法沉淀长久忠诚度，现代旅游平台的护城河在于激发用户的真实参与感与文化深度连接。 ## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=0s) 旅行本质的重塑与量子营销的变革在旧金山普雷西迪奥（Presidio）的主营区阅兵场上，向导亚历克斯（Alex）带着主持人拉贾·拉贾曼纳（Raja Rajamannar）开启了一场关于旅行体验的漫步。拉贾在旁白中指出，旅行长期以来一直被视为探索新地方的代名词，但当下的旅行者已不再满足于走马观花的观光（sightseeing），而是渴望与当地的美食、文化和历史建立更深层次的链接。正是那些将这些本土元素注入日常生活的当地居民，正在重新塑造整个旅游产业，驱动市场走向更具真实感与个性化的体验。与这一趋势共振的是，Airbnb（爱彼迎）首席体验官广木浅井（Hiroki Asai）抛出了一句耐人寻味的话：“我非常反感‘营销造就品牌’这种观点，因为品牌的内涵远比你花钱制作的营销内容要丰厚得多。” 在整个行业竞相重新定义旅行平台的浪潮中，Airbnb 的影响力不言而喻。自 2008 年创立以来，平台已接待了超过 25 亿人次的房客，足迹遍布全球几乎每一个国家。然而，颠覆传统连锁酒店主导的行业格局也带来了全新的命题：当下的竞争焦点不再是“你今晚睡在哪里”，而是 Airbnb 能否成为通往目的地整套完整体验的大门。拉贾指出，传统营销曾极其简单——制造产品、购买公众注意力、严密控制传播信息，但那个时代已经彻底终结。如今，数据科学、行为经济学以及人工智能技术重构了营销的底层逻辑，品牌必须在当下实时做出响应。拉贾作为畅销书作者与长期营销学者，希望通过这档《量子营销》（Quantum Marketing）深入企业腹地；本期对谈的主角广木浅井，在加入 Airbnb 之前曾在苹果公司工作了长达 18 年，并曾与史蒂夫·乔布斯（Steve Jobs）并肩共事。 - **Airbnb 平台规模**：自 2008 年成立以来，全球累计接待房客超过 25 亿人次，网络几乎覆盖全球所有国家和地区。 - **营销范式转变**：从过往“做产品、买曝光、控信息”的单向传递，演进至融合数据科学、行为经济学与 AI 的实时动态响应。 ### [02:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=143s) 从住宿服务到“人类记忆的设计者” 甫一坐定，拉贾便开门见山地抛出一个直击本质的问题：Airbnb 如今究竟仍然本质上是一家“住宿服务公司”，还是已经转变成了一家“设计人类记忆的机构”？广木浅井思索后回应道，令人难忘的记忆更像是自然产生的结果，而住宿确实是他们业务的原点。但团队眼下真正专注并极具热情的，是规划房客的“完整旅程”。他们不断思考的是：Airbnb 能够为旅客提供的最具本真感、最地道的东京究竟是什么模样？同理，最具链接感的巴黎、巴厘岛或任何一座城市又该如何呈现？广木阐述道，住宿仅是旅程的入口，随后还应涵盖带房客去未曾听闻的绝妙本地餐馆、去只有当地人才会闲逛购物的小众街区、参与鲜为人知的在地活动，乃至获取普通游客根本摸不着门路的小众演出门票。拉贾随之分享了自己的观察：年少及过去很长一段时间，旅行的目的往往纯粹是为了“发现新奇”，去日本就是为了看日本的风物，去自然公园就是为了看风景；然而近年来出现了一个显著趋势——旅行正在转变为一种“自我表达”的方式。广木对此表示认同，他认为现代人旅行更深层的动机，是在寻找自我本相与所访之地之间的深层共振；人们造访异国他乡，不再只是单向凝视奇异景观，而是在自身认知与所见所感之间建立对话。多感官营销战略正是品牌借以大规模策劃沉浸式体验、深化消费者心智粘性的核心。Airbnb 正在将战略重心逐步向特色体验、超本地化（hyper-local）的房东带领活动以及即时旅行服务倾斜，促使旅行者从旁观者变成深度参与者。 ```mermaid flowchart LR accTitle: Airbnb 业务维度演进 accDescr: 展示 Airbnb 从单点住宿逐步升级到全旅程文化参与的演进链条 subgraph 原点阶段 ["传统基础"] A["物理住宿体验"] end subgraph 扩展阶段 ["全旅程服务"] B["隐秘街区与餐饮"] C["本地特色活动/门票"] end subgraph 终极目标 ["心智与记忆"] D["文化共鸣与自我表达"] E["不可替代的人类记忆"] end A --> B B --> C C --> D D --> E ``` ### [05:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=318s) 旅行体验的“幸福倒钟形曲线”与全周期渗透在旧金山闹市中往往被忽略为国家公园的普雷西迪奥保护区内，广木浅井分享了一套关于旅行客户体验心理周期的独到见解。他指出，无论行程是一天、三天还是一周，旅行者的情绪体验都会经历一个特定的过程，并呈现出一种“幸福感的倒钟形曲线”（inverse bell curve of happiness）：首先是“梦想阶段”（Dreaming），此时旅客深陷对远方的憧憬与热爱中，情绪攀升至峰值；接着进入“规划阶段”（Planning），当梦想落地为具体的日程研究与琐碎后勤，满意度开始急转直下；紧接着是“预订阶段”（Booking），广木将其形容为极其煎熬甚至带有心理创伤的低谷期，“你不仅必须做出大量繁杂的决策、核对日期与时间，还要掏出真金白银完成大笔支付”，整个人往往陷入精疲力竭，甚至预订完成后需要一段心理休整期以抽离这种疲惫。随后是期待行期的“翘首以盼阶段”（Anticipating），情绪再度回暖；直至最终踏上旅程（Traveling），再次达到热爱世界的情感高潮。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 旅行情绪倒钟形曲线与平台切入策略 accDescr: 展现旅行生命周期各阶段的情绪起伏以及 Airbnb 战略延伸方向 subgraph 情感峰值 ["高愉悦区"] D1["1. 梦想阶段 对世界的无限憧憬"] T1["5. 旅行中阶段 深度体验与探索"] A1["4. 期待阶段 行前兴奋与筹备"] end subgraph 情绪低谷 ["痛苦与繁琐区"] P1["2. 规划阶段 繁杂攻略与后勤考量"] B1["3. 预订阶段（情绪谷底） 决策压力、掏钱支出与疲惫"] end D1 --> P1 P1 --> B1 B1 --> A1 A1 --> T1 T1 -.->|形成忠诚回流| D1 style B1 fill:#ffebee,stroke:#c62828,stroke-width:2px style D1 fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#2e7d32,stroke-width:2px style T1 fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#2e7d32,stroke-width:2px ``` 广木坦言，Airbnb 过去恰恰长期盘踞在用户最痛苦的“预订阶段”。因此，品牌的基本功必须是让预订变得极度快捷、顺畅无阻（frictionless）。但他们真正的野心绝不仅限于此——Airbnb 希望在人们跃跃欲试的“期待阶段”以及漫游在外的“旅行阶段”发挥核心作用。广木强调，只要在预订时提供无痛体验，在行前期待阶段提供贴心支持，并在旅行中成为游客不可或缺的向导，Airbnb 最终便能赢得入局“梦想阶段”的资格，而这正是所有旅游品牌梦寐以求的至高阵地。 ### [07:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=464s) 屏幕时代的新型“奢侈品”：人与人的真实连结二人驻足于普雷西迪奥俯瞰旧金山市中心的绝美据点，身旁是安葬着 3 万名逝者的旧金山国家公墓（San Francisco National Cemetery）。置身这片静谧之景，拉贾分享了一件前一天的切身经历：那本是一个忙碌的工作日，他抽空参加了一场仅耗时约 4 小时的小型体验项目。过去人们往往把旅行和高昂的花销、漫长的假期画上等号，而这场极度平价的短途体验却带来了意料之外的精神丰盈与愉悦感。广木对此深有共鸣。他指出，现代社会的人们整日被困在各种屏幕、手机和数字化事务之中，时间极其匮乏，因此“真实、高品质的人类互动体验在当下已经成为了一种新型奢侈品”。针对定价逻辑，广木解释称，作为一个双边市场（two-sided marketplace），Airbnb 既要覆盖各类消费水平的房客，也要赋予房东自主定价的弹性；许多极富魅力的体验收费并不高昂，耗时也短，但其所带来的发现感、人际链接与意外之喜（serendipity）却几乎是确定性的。广木道出了体验业务的核心魔法：“你不是为了去看一件冰冷的死物，而是去结识一个鲜活的人。”这个带队的人往往在某个领域拥有独特的专业知识或独到见解，正是那一点点真诚的人际温度，让整场体验的价值远远超越了其实际支付的金钱成本。拉贾随即提问，面对拥有遍布全球的热心房东网络与海量房客网络的双边壁垒，Airbnb 如何才能让更多大众意识到这种产品的存在？广木总结道，无论是民宿、体验还是服务，Airbnb 的底层基因都是纯粹的“人情味”（unbelievably human）。房客住进的是普通人的真实住所，而不是大集团在城市边缘批量标准化制造的无机质酒店，带领体验的也是各领域的真实达人，这种“真实性与人本体验”构成了渗透进品牌一切表达与营销策略的最核心 DNA。 ### [11:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=692s) “只讲述，不推销”：规模化之下的深度个性化 Hiroki Asai 深入探讨了 Airbnb 的沟通与产品哲学，指出无论是在对外讲故事、设计 App 界面还是规划整体旅程体验时，“真实感”（authenticity）与“人性化”（being human）始终是公司的最高准则。Airbnb 内部有一句广为流传的格言——“只讲述，不推销”（tell don't sell）。Hiroki 解释道，如果平台本身拥有真实独特的供给，房东与房客也真心认可这种价值，那么团队最该做的并非生硬地叫卖，而是清楚阐明如何获得这种体验、Airbnb 为何与众不同、为何体验更佳，并最终通过 App 端无缝的交互体验把这一切呈现出来。 ```mermaid flowchart LR accTitle: Tell Don't Sell Framework accDescr: Airbnb 的核心沟通逻辑：从真实供给出发，通过讲述与体验呈现价值，而非硬性推销。 subgraph Core["核心资产"] A["真实独特的房源与体验"] B["彼此认同的房东与房客"] end subgraph Strategy["沟通机制：只讲述，不推销"] C["阐明获取方式"] D["解释差异与优势"] E["App端交互体验印证"] end A --> C B --> D C --> E D --> E ``` 主持人 Raja Rajamannar 随即提出了一个经典的企业规模化困境：初创企业尚能以极高水平进行精雕细琢的人工策展（personalized curation），但当业务体量急剧放大时，标准化（standardization）往往不可避免，而失控的标准化往往会扼杀品牌的“灵魂”。面对如何防范这一陷阱，Hiroki 认为技术演进正在成为破局关键。当前的软件与技术能力让颗粒度极细的深度个性化成为可能。正因如此，Airbnb 正在软件工程、设计与技术团队上进行极其激进的投入，力求借助技术手段，将一座城市最精彩、最契合个人的部分精准呈现给用户。 - **核心沟通准则**：“只讲述，不推销”（tell don't sell），以真实体验驱动认知，拒绝传统硬广套路。 - **技术破局规模化矛盾**：利用软件与设计算法实现极细颗粒度的个性化匹配，防止标准化抹杀品牌灵魂。 --- ### [12:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=773s) 把复杂留给自己：隐形后台与极致简化的创新随着平台规模日益庞大，后台面临的系统协同、业务流程与算法逻辑极其错综复杂；但从用户视角出发，消费者不仅要求极致的真实，更要求零摩擦（frictionless）、直观且无缝的简单体验。Raja 提问：在当今环境下，“极致的简单”（simplicity）是否已成为最困难的一种创新形式？ Hiroki 对此深表认同。他指出，旅游本身是一条极度拥挤的赛道，外部世界的信息也充斥着噪音，品牌必须心怀敬畏地对待好不容易争得的用户注意力。在后台把巨大的技术复杂度完全“隐形化”（invisible），主动预判用户的思考脉络、偏好取舍与潜在需求，这本身就是极具挑战的创新。Hiroki 强调，团队在打造产品时最容易犯的错误，就是误以为自己是宇宙的中心，忽略了屏幕对面的真实用户生活中还有千头万绪的琐事。“你绝不是他们生活中最重要的事情”，Hiroki 坦言，真正从用户的利益出发而不是从企业自身的便利出发去设计产品，这句话听起来简单，做起来却是最难守住的底线。 --- ### [14:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=870s) 品牌并非广告买来的：机器背后的信任底色旁白回顾了 Airbnb 成立近二十年来的起伏波折，从早期与各大城市的监管合规博弈，到应对各类用户满意度危机；但从第一天起，Airbnb 商业模式能够运转的核心命脉，就在于建立并维系房客与房东之间的双向信任。尤其是 2016 年推出的“体验”（Experiences）业务初期反响平平、未能迅速打开局面，迫使团队在过去十年中反复反思如何利用新技术重构体验。 Hiroki 剖析了 Airbnb 平台的独特性：它在物理世界中把陌生人连接在一起，让旅行者住进陌生人家中，或是跟着当地人穿行于山野小径。软件在其中仅起到撮合作用，营销仅负责传递信息，但真正铸就 Airbnb 品牌认同的，是房客在徒步途中与向导促膝长谈所感受到的当地风土，是踏入他人屋檐下的温情片刻。Hiroki 明确反对“营销塑造品牌”的传统论调：“品牌远远不止于你花钱制作的广告营销。品牌是你如何出现在社区中、如何对待社区、如何对待房东与房客、如何在灾难发生时伸出援手。你面对社区展现出的每一个微小举动，才是品牌的全部实质。”平台的一切技术探索，其归宿都是不断印证公司创办时的底层信仰——“人性本善”（people are basically good）。 - **品牌的真实定义**：超越付费广告，涵盖突发灾难救助、社区治理、纠纷处理及对用户的尊重。 - **底层哲学假设**：坚信陌生人之间能够建立善意连接，平台软硬件仅是催化与保障手段。 --- ### [16:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1001s) 人工智能时代的人性：从 Icons 到现实生活连接 Airbnb 最引人瞩目的营销投入往往并不带有传统营销的痕迹，而是直接化身为产品功能与文化符号。例如平台推出的“Icons”（王牌）系列体验，深度结合全球顶级文化名流与超级 IP——不仅通过工程奇迹将电影《飞屋环游记》（Up）中的气球飞屋真正升上天空，更搭建起涵盖众多全球偶像的体验网络。Hiroki 强调，在全行业大谈 AI 的当下，人们生活在数字虚拟世界中的时间被无限拉长；但 Airbnb 的品牌野心恰恰相反，他们希望成为那家“把人们从电子屏幕前拉开、重新推向现实物理世界”的公司。面对 Raja 提出的犀利追问——“当 AI 接管了攻略搜索、行程规划、比价与预订，营销引擎中还有什么属于独特的‘人’的范畴？”，Hiroki 阐述了 Airbnb 审视 AI 的独特视角： ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: AI Role and Human Interface in Airbnb accDescr: 展示 AI 如何在后台赋能实时上下文理解与风控，并在前台交付充满温情的现实世界体验。 subgraph Backend["AI 赋能底层（隐形基础设施）"] AI_Trust["房源真实性核验 / 欺诈防范 / 质量品控"] AI_Context["感知时空上下文：在对的时间地点提出对的建议"] end subgraph Frontend["现实人际交互（品牌核心灵魂）"] Human_Host["房东的本地生活智慧与接待"] Offline_Exp["脱离屏幕的现实世界探索（如王牌体验 Icons）"] end AI_Trust --> Frontend AI_Context --> Frontend ``` Hiroki 认为，AI 令人振奋之处在于它具备前所未有的上下文感知能力，能在旅行者身处某地、正当其时的那一瞬间，为其精准推送当地最精彩的生活切面。至于利用 AI 进行房源核验（listing verification）、反欺诈监测和质量管控，Hiroki 认为只要产品交互设计得当，AI 不仅不会让平台变得机械冰冷，反而能在最合适的时间点抛出最合适的问题，让信任的交付更高效、更令人愉悦。 --- ### [19:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1146s) 信任创新与技术创新并重：盘活旅途中的飞轮针对 Raja 关于“Airbnb 究竟是一家技术创新公司，还是一家信任创新公司”的提问，Hiroki 明确指出两者绝非割裂，而是紧密咬合的双螺旋： 1. **信任创新先导**：Airbnb 创始人最初的洞见，在于打破世俗成见，让普通人打开家门接纳素未谋面的陌生人。这种“相信人性本善、且给予信任便能收获信任”的机制，建立起后来者无法轻易复制的双边情感纽带。 2. **技术工具托底**：如果没有匹配的底层工具、信用机制与流畅软件，庞大的信任网络便无法安全维系与规模化扩展。在谈及新老客户的商业生命周期时，Hiroki 表示 Airbnb 当前的战略重心高度聚焦于**“行中”（during the trip）**体验。老客户通常一年仅出行几次，但如果平台能够在旅程当下提供涵盖全维度的服务，让用户在行程中高频打开 App 并深度参与，就能促使他们在返回日常生活后依然对平台保持黏性。这种在行程中盘活老用户的生态飞轮，本身也是吸纳新用户最高效的招牌。 - **行中体验的商业杠杆**：挖掘现有存量客户在旅行途中的增量价值，而非仅局限于低频的机酒交易场景。 - **飞轮闭环效应**：旅途中的高频互动带动日常居家使用，进而借由口碑效应自然扩散至新用户群体。 --- ### [21:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1271s) 消除旅行全链路摩擦：做用户的贴身旅伴针对“Airbnb 是否应亲自构建全部体验生态，还是依托外部票务引擎进行战略结盟”的话题，Hiroki 直言公司的根本驱动力在于“消除旅行全链路上的所有摩擦”。现实中的旅行充满繁琐与痛点——远不仅是订房那一瞬间，还包括抵达成行、寻找地点、行程探索，甚至包括“如何搞到一张卢浮宫的门票”。在传统模式下，旅行者沦为了碎片化服务商的“项目经理”，疲于应对接送机、外卖订餐、行李寄存配送、租车自驾等割裂供应商。Airbnb 致力于通过自身的双边市场与软件生态，将这些痛点整合为一个无缝交付的统一入口。在精准的时机与地点呈现所需服务，不仅大幅降低了出行的认知负荷，更赋予旅途一种“仿佛有专属管家同行”的踏实感。Raja 总结道，营销的传统使命是影响人们的选择，但在以 Airbnb 为代表的未来战场上，营销的实质已进化为塑造用户的完整体验，在全链路旅程中构建不可替代的差异化壁垒。 ### [22:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1368s) 参与感与深度连接：超越价格与便利的品牌忠诚度哲学主持人拉贾·拉贾曼纳（Raja Rajamannar）在总结全篇对话时指出，在当下的市场竞争中，单凭价格优势或操作便利性，已经越来越难以建立起真正稳固的品牌忠诚度。在与爱彼迎（Airbnb）首席体验官浅井弘树（Hiroki Asai）的深入探讨中，一个核心理念始终贯穿始终：现代旅游平台的服务范畴绝不应仅仅局限于“将人送往某个目的地”，其终极价值应当在于激发旅行者的“参与感（participation）”。爱彼迎的发展策略正押注于此——坚信唯有那些充满意义的深度体验，才能够构筑起品牌与用户之间持久而牢固的关系。这场探讨深刻证明了，一个优秀的品牌能够为用户提供的最宝贵资产，往往远不仅是“一个遮风避雨的留宿之所”，而是帮助人们与身边的世界建立起一种更为深刻的情感纽带与文化连接。 - **超越功能性竞争**：单纯依靠打折促销或流程便捷已无法形成长期的用户黏性，唯有沉浸式的体验才能沉淀为品牌的护城河。 - **从“抵达”到“参与”**：旅游平台正经历从基础履约工具到文化体验载体的转变，旅行的目的不再只是到达某个地理坐标，而是深入融入当地生活。 - **品牌的情感价值**：爱彼迎的核心逻辑不仅在于提供住宿，更在于通过房东带领的本土化活动与个性化服务，为旅客搭建与外部世界产生深层共鸣的桥梁。 ## Notable quotes > [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=0s) 我非常反感‘营销造就品牌’这种观点，因为品牌的内涵远比你花钱制作的营销内容要丰厚得多。 — 广木浅井 > [05:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=318s) 你不仅必须做出大量繁杂的决策、核对日期与时间，还要掏出真金白银完成大笔支付 — 广木浅井 > [07:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=464s) 真实、高品质的人类互动体验在当下已经成为了一种新型奢侈品 — 广木浅井 > [07:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=464s) 你不是为了去看一件冰冷的死物，而是去结识一个鲜活的人。 — 广木浅井 > [11:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=692s) 只讲述，不推销 — 广木浅井 > [12:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=773s) 你绝不是他们生活中最重要的事情 — 广木浅井 > [14:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=870s) 品牌远远不止于你花钱制作的广告营销。品牌是你如何出现在社区中、如何对待社区、如何对待房东与房客、如何在灾难发生时伸出援手。你面对社区展现出的每一个微小举动，才是品牌的全部实质。 — 广木浅井 > [14:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=870s) 人性本善 — 广木浅井 > [16:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1001s) 把人们从电子屏幕前拉开、重新推向现实物理世界 — 广木浅井 > [21:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs&t=1271s) 消除旅行全链路上的所有摩擦 — 广木浅井 ## Mentioned Airbnb（爱彼迎）, Raja Rajamannar（拉贾·拉贾曼纳）, Hiroki Asai（广木浅井 / 浅井弘树）, Steve Jobs（史蒂夫·乔布斯）, Apple（苹果公司）, Bloomberg Originals, 《量子营销》（Quantum Marketing）, 普雷西迪奥（Presidio）, 旧金山国家公墓（San Francisco National Cemetery）, Icons（王牌体验）, 《飞屋环游记》（Up）, 卢浮宫（Louvre） ## Video description In this episode, host Raja Rajamannar sits down with Airbnb Chief Experience Officer Hiroki Asai to discuss the company’s evolving marketing strategy, from immersive, hyperlocal host-led activities to on-demand travel services designed to help guests engage more deeply with the culture and character of a destination. -------- Like this video? Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/Bloomberg?sub_confirmation=1 Get unlimited access to Bloomberg.com for just $1.99 your first month: https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions?in_source=YoutubeOriginals Bloomberg Originals offers bold takes for curious minds on today’s biggest topics. Hosted by experts covering stories you haven’t seen and viewpoints you haven’t heard, you’ll discover cinematic, data-led shows that investigate the intersection of business and culture. Exploring every angle of climate change, technology, finance, sports and beyond, Bloomberg Originals is business as you’ve never seen it. Subscribe for business news, but not as you've known it: exclusive interviews, fascinating profiles, data-driven analysis, and the latest in tech innovation from around the world. Visit our partner channel Bloomberg News for global news and insight in an instant. [Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiB3YHyDcbs)

Source quotes

[0:00] 广木浅井: 我非常反感‘营销造就品牌’这种观点，因为品牌的内涵远比你花钱制作的营销内容要丰厚得多。 [5:18] 广木浅井: 你不仅必须做出大量繁杂的决策、核对日期与时间，还要掏出真金白银完成大笔支付 [7:44] 广木浅井: 真实、高品质的人类互动体验在当下已经成为了一种新型奢侈品 [7:44] 广木浅井: 你不是为了去看一件冰冷的死物，而是去结识一个鲜活的人。 [11:32] 广木浅井: 只讲述，不推销 [12:53] 广木浅井: 你绝不是他们生活中最重要的事情 [14:30] 广木浅井: 品牌远远不止于你花钱制作的广告营销。品牌是你如何出现在社区中、如何对待社区、如何对待房东与房客、如何在灾难发生时伸出援手。你面对社区展现出的每一个微小举动，才是品牌的全部实质。 [14:30] 广木浅井: 人性本善 [16:41] 广木浅井: 把人们从电子屏幕前拉开、重新推向现实物理世界 [21:11] 广木浅井: 消除旅行全链路上的所有摩擦

Source quotes

[5:35] Hiroki Asai: which is where every travel company wants to be. [11:32] Hiroki Asai: tell don't sell [11:32] Raja Rajamannar: kill the soul [12:53] Hiroki Asai: actually the hardest thing to keep in mind. [14:30] Hiroki Asai: people are basically good. [20:16] Hiroki Asai: traveling with somebody. [22:48] Raja Rajamannar: a deeper connection to the world around us.

Original transcript

[0:00] Hi there! You must be Raja. [0:01] Yes, I am [0:02] I'm Alex. Nice to meet you. I'll be your guide today. [0:05] Are you ready to get started? [0:06] More than ready. [0:06] Let's go. So we are on the Presidio Main Post Parade [0:14] grounds. [0:15] Travel has always been about discovering new places, but more [0:19] and more travelers are looking for something more than [0:22] sightseeing. They are seeking deeper connections with local [0:26] cuisine, culture, and history. And the locals who bring these [0:30] elements to life are reshaping the travel industry as travelers [0:35] seek more authentic and personalized experiences. [0:41] I really don't like this idea that marketing builds a [0:44] brand because a brand is so much more than the marketing that you [0:48] pay to produce. [0:49] Companies across the sector are racing to redefine [0:52] what a travel platform can be. Few companies have had a bigger [0:56] impact on that conversation than Airbnb. Since its inception in [1:01] 2008, the company says more than two and a half billion guests [1:05] have checked into an Airbnb in almost every country around the [1:09] world. But reshaping an industry once dominated by traditional [1:13] hotels comes with a new set of challenges. The question is no [1:17] longer where you'll stay; it is whether Airbnb can become your [1:21] gateway to the whole experience. Marketing used to be simple: you [1:27] made a product, you bought attention, and you controlled [1:30] the message. That world is over. Data sciences, behavioral [1:35] economics, and technologies like artificial intelligence are all [1:39] changing the very nature of marketing. Now brands need to [1:43] respond to consumers in real time because every moment is an [1:47] opportunity. I'm Raja Rajamannar, lifelong student of marketing [1:52] and best-selling author. I'm going inside these companies to [1:55] explore the systems, the people, and the insights driving this [1:58] transformation. This is quantum marketing. In this episode, I [2:09] sat down with Hiroki Asai, Chief Experience Officer of Airbnb. [2:14] Before joining Airbnb, Asai spent 18 years at Apple, where [2:20] he worked alongside Steve Jobs. [2:23] Hey, hello, How are you? Absolutely, pleasure [2:26] meeting you. Yeah, nice meeting you too. [2:28] Let me jump in straight away. [2:30] Okay. [2:31] Would you say that Airbnb is still fundamentally in [2:34] the accommodation business, or are you now in the business of [2:37] designing human memory? [2:39] Good question. I think you know, incredible memories [2:43] are probably the outcome. The starting point for us was [2:46] accommodations, and what we're really interested in doing is [2:51] thinking about the entire trip for a guest, and really, you [2:56] know, interested in thinking about what is the most authentic [2:59] version of Tokyo that we can offer someone. What is the most [3:02] authentic, connected version of Paris that we could offer? Of [3:05] Bali? Of name your city? You know. And so, we think about the [3:09] accommodation as a starting point, but then also offering [3:12] you amazing places to eat, places that you never thought of [3:16] before, shopping and hanging out in neighborhoods that maybe only [3:19] locals go to, you know, doing activities that maybe only [3:23] locals know about. Shows, tickets to things that you [3:26] wouldn't otherwise know how to get. I think that that territory [3:30] is really interesting for us. [3:32] But I think in terms of travel, as a kid and many years [3:36] after, I would go to a place to discover a new place, like if [3:41] I'm going to Japan because I want to see Japan, if I want to [3:45] go to a nature park, I want to see the park. But of late, there [3:50] are some emerging trends which are being talked about, where [3:53] you are talking about I'm going to express. It's a point of [3:57] self-expression. [3:58] Yeah, I think the way I think about it is people are [4:01] probably traveling in order to find a deeper connection with [4:05] who they are and where they're visiting. You know, and so I [4:08] think people go to Japan not just to see crazy new things or [4:13] something amazing, but they probably connect with the [4:15] culture somehow, or they're looking for a connection between [4:18] who they are and who they think of themselves, and you know what [4:21] they're experiencing and discovering in any given [4:23] location. [4:26] A multisensory marketing strategy is key for [4:29] brands that curate immersive experiences at scale to deepen a [4:34] connection with consumers and earn loyalty. Airbnb's strategy [4:39] increasingly revolves around experiences, hyper-local hosted [4:43] activities, and on-demand travel services designed to help guests [4:48] engage more deeply with people, culture, and character of [4:52] destination. So, I decided to try one for myself. [4:57] Travel isn't just about looking, but. It's really about [5:01] participating richness that they get to that they're probably [5:04] also discovering that it informs who you are, and you discover a [5:08] lot about yourself. [5:11] So it's as opposed to being a passive observer, you're [5:15] actually being an active participant. [5:18] Yes. [5:19] An interesting thing about the Presidio is that most [5:23] people don't realize you're in a national park because you're [5:26] right in the middle of San Francisco, and what they've done [5:29] recently is added more infrastructure to make it feel [5:32] like a national park. [5:35] There's a consistent customer experience of travel, [5:38] whether you're going for one day, three days, or a week, and [5:42] it starts with dreaming about the trip. Then you plan the [5:46] trip, then you book the trip, and the booking is so traumatic [5:50] that you actually have to recover from the booking. And [5:53] then you kind of remember the trip's coming, so you anticipate [5:56] it, and then you're traveling again. There is this inverse [6:00] bell curve of happiness that follows that journey. When [6:02] you're dreaming, you're kind of you're you're in love with [6:05] travel. You're at a high. You're imagining you know how wonderful [6:10] things could be, all the experiences you could have, and [6:13] then as you start to plan it and it becomes real, and you start [6:16] to research logistics, and it takes time, that satisfaction [6:19] starts to dip. When you actually have to book it and spend the [6:23] money, that's when you're actually at your most unhappiest [6:27] in the travel journey because it's you're committed, you're [6:30] you're spending the money. It's a lot of money, it's a lot of [6:32] decision making, it's dates, it's times, and then you're [6:36] exhausted, and then you need a break, and people just kind of [6:39] want to back away from the whole experience a little bit. Now, [6:42] you know we occupy this space that's the most unhappiest for [6:47] people, which is the booking, and so you know our job is to [6:51] really make sure that the booking is quick, frictionless, [6:56] easy. But where we really want to you know interact with more [7:00] customers and more travelers is in the anticipation phase when [7:04] you're getting excited and ready for the trip, and being on the [7:07] trip. You know, and we think like when you're in love with [7:10] the world and when you love where you're at and when you're [7:12] experiencing new things, that's where we want you to participate [7:16] with Airbnb. That's where we want to play. You know, and then [7:18] hopefully, if you're great at the booking phase, and you're [7:23] really great and super helpful at the anticipating phase, and [7:27] you're really like you know can't live without us during the [7:31] traveling phase, then we have a shot at being considered for the [7:35] dreaming phase, which is where every travel company wants to [7:38] be, [7:39] And where the dreams come true. Where the dreams up [7:41] and up and up from there. [7:42] Yes. [7:44] We're going to look at one of my favorite views now. [7:46] Just watch your step here, of downtown from the Presidio. [7:53] Absolutely stunning. [7:55] I love this view. [7:58] In our increasingly online world, where real-world [8:01] encounters have never been more valuable, Airbnb is leveraging [8:06] the attention economy by curating travel experiences that [8:10] align with guests' interests and drive deeper brand engagement. [8:15] You know what was fascinating was yesterday because it was a [8:18] working day. I did not expect that I will go on a short trip. [8:24] For me, it was a beautiful experience, right? It took [8:26] probably all of four hours or so. [8:27] Yeah. [8:29] And normally I would not think of that as a vacation. [8:32] In the past, travel was considered to be luxury. [8:34] Yeah. [8:35] But the experience I had yesterday was anything but [8:37] luxury in terms of price point. Yeah, but still deeply [8:40] enjoyable. [8:41] I get the sense that people are really looking for [8:45] authentic and high-quality human experiences over luxury. You [8:49] know, to me, I almost feel like that almost feels like a luxury [8:53] these days because just of our constraints on time and the way [8:56] we spend our days on screens and on phones and whatever. So, I [9:02] really do think that that's what people are craving. And when it [9:05] comes to price point, you know, we're a two-sided marketplace, [9:10] and so we want to make sure that we're serving our guests at all [9:14] different price points. But then we also want to make sure that [9:16] we're offering our hosts the ability, you know, to price all [9:20] up and down, and you know, a lot of these experiences are not [9:24] that expensive. Don't take a lot of time, like what what you [9:29] experienced. But the connection and the discovery and the [9:32] serendipity is almost guaranteed. You know, that's [9:37] kind of the magic of experiences: is you're not going [9:41] to see a thing. You're going to meet a person, and that person [9:45] usually is an expert at something, or has a specialty in [9:48] something, or a different point of view, or can offer you a [9:52] little bit of insight. That little bit of human connection [9:55] is what makes these things so special, and I think a lot. Of [10:00] people experience what you have, where that so far outweighs the [10:06] cost that that's what makes it memorable. [10:11] So now we're going to head to the San Francisco [10:14] National Cemetery overlook. Believe it or not, there are [10:20] 30,000 people buried here. [10:26] Going back to my yesterday's one experience itself, you got the [10:30] entire network of hosts who are advocating for you, and you got [10:35] the network of consumers who are experiencing those. That is not [10:39] something really easy to replicate at all. So the [10:41] question is, what do you do to make people know that you know [10:45] what this is what exists? [10:47] Yeah, it's interesting when you think about everything [10:50] that Airbnb has to offer, from its you know homes and its [10:53] services and experiences, they are really unbelievably human. [10:58] You know, you're staying in someone's home. You're not [11:00] staying in a hotel that was created by a you know a big [11:05] brand and manufactured on the outside outskirts of the city. [11:09] You're taking experiences from regular people that are experts [11:12] in these things, and so you know our our offering, our brand, [11:17] what we give people is really about authenticity, you know, [11:21] and a human experience, and so that really permeates everything [11:25] that we do. It's really in our DNA, and so when we think about [11:29] how we talk about it, how we express ourselves, how we market [11:32] to people, how we story tell, how we design the app and the [11:35] experience, authenticity and being human is our number one [11:40] goal. We try very hard to to not sell. I guess another way to say [11:46] it is you know we have a saying around here it's, tell don't [11:48] sell, where if you you know if you have an authentic offering [11:52] and authentic hosts and guests that appreciate it, the best [11:55] thing to do is explain how to get it, explain why we're [11:59] different, explain why it's better, and then demonstrate it [12:01] through the experience in the app. [12:06] When you are a small company, you can do a lot of [12:10] personalized curation in a brilliant fashion. [12:13] Yeah. [12:14] But when you start scaling it, standardization has [12:18] to happen. But if you're not careful, standardization can [12:21] kill the soul. How do you guard yourself against that as a [12:24] company? [12:25] Yeah. Well, luckily for us, technology is reaching a [12:27] place where personalization can get much, much more granular. [12:31] That's one of the reasons why we invest so much in our software, [12:35] design, and technology teams. Is because the more that we can use [12:39] all of that in a really positive way to offer you the best parts [12:43] of that city, the more helpful we can be, you know. And in [12:46] order to do that, it is deep personalization. That's where [12:51] the real opportunity is. [12:53] Now, the more successful a platform becomes, [12:56] and the bigger the scale it accumulates, the more complex [13:00] the situation is behind the scenes. From a consumer's point [13:04] of view, though, they want even more simplicity, even more [13:08] authenticity, and absolutely no friction whatsoever. So, what [13:11] happens behind is incredibly complex, but what the consumer [13:14] faces is intuitive, simple, and totally seamless. Is simplicity [13:19] now one of the hardest forms of innovation. [13:23] Yeah, you know, I think travel is a very crowded space. [13:28] The world's a very crowded world, and you have to work [13:31] really hard and respect the attention that you get. And so, [13:35] in doing that, simplicity is is really really key. And then I [13:39] think to your question around scaling the company and staying [13:43] simple, and you know keeping the the back end of it really [13:48] invisible, I think, and is that innovation absolutely? We want [13:53] to take a lot of the work and anticipate a lot of their [13:56] thinking, and anticipate a lot of their desires and choices for [14:01] them and make it easy and make it simple. You know, it's really [14:06] easy to forget that the person that is on the in on the outside [14:10] on the other side of what you're doing has a lot of other things [14:13] going on. You're not the most important thing, and you want to [14:17] make sure that you're doing something for their benefit, not [14:20] for your benefit, and it's super easy to say, but it's actually [14:23] the hardest thing to keep in mind. [14:30] Over the course of the last 20 years, Airbnb has faced [14:34] its fair share of adversaries, from battling city regulations [14:38] to navigating user dissatisfaction. But from day [14:42] one, Airbnb's success has depended on earning and, on [14:46] occasions, re-earning the trust of both the guests and the [14:50] hosts, because without that trust, its business model falls [14:54] apart. Originally launched in 2016, experiences failed to. [15:00] Gain traction. So the question is now: How are they leveraging [15:03] technology to build on the lessons learned over the past [15:07] decade? [15:09] We have this really unique platform where we're [15:11] connecting people together. We're putting people in other [15:14] people's homes. We're putting people together with other [15:17] people to enjoy the city and do experiences. And it's a very, [15:20] very human connection, human product. The software [15:22] facilitates it, the marketing tells people about it. But at [15:25] the end of the day, it's your experience with this person on [15:28] this hike and talking to her and understanding everything that [15:31] she knows about where you went hiking. It's staying in this [15:35] person's home. You know, those are the things that actually [15:39] people associate to Airbnb, and those are the things that the [15:41] brand is about. And so, you know, no matter what technology [15:44] it is that's happening, it's going to make the discovery [15:48] easier, the personalization better. It'll release a lot of [15:50] the friction. It'll make things faster. But at the end of the [15:53] day, we're in the business of connecting people together, and [15:58] you know, those people have real and authentic experiences, and [16:01] they trust each other, and it really reinforces this concept [16:05] that the company was founded on-that people are basically [16:07] good. I really don't like this idea that marketing builds a [16:12] brand because a brand is so much more than the marketing that you [16:17] pay to produce. You know, the brand is how you show up in a [16:20] community. The brand is how you treat the community. The brand [16:22] is for us how you treat your guests, your hosts, how you [16:25] facilitate trust. The brand for us is, you know, helping people [16:30] in disasters. Every single way that you show up and you deal [16:35] with your community, and you deal with your guests and your [16:38] hosts, is the brand. [16:41] What's most interesting about Airbnb's approach is that [16:44] many of its biggest marketing investments don't look like [16:48] marketing at all. They show up as product decisions and efforts [16:52] to make travel feel more personal, more intuitive, and [16:56] more human. [16:58] We launched Icons, which are these extraordinary experiences [17:01] hosted by the biggest names in culture. We had, you know, we we [17:04] made the up house float in the sky, and we did all these really [17:07] cool experiences. And then we started thinking to ourselves, [17:09] how do we bring that magic to experiences? And we built this [17:13] network of really interesting celebrities and global icons. I [17:16] think the more we talk about AI, the more we start to realize [17:20] that we are accelerating our life living in a digital realm. [17:23] We're spending more and more time on devices, and we want to [17:25] be the kind of company that's getting people off devices into [17:28] the real world. [17:29] In the age of AI, and we cannot not have a discussion without [17:34] talking about AI, right? If AI is increasingly handling the [17:38] discovery process, the planning for the trip, the comparison of [17:41] the prices and doing the actual booking, then what remains [17:46] uniquely human in your entire marketing engine? [17:49] You know, when we look at AI, the thing that it offers [17:53] us that's really exciting is this level of personalization [17:57] and this level of connecting a traveler to all things that are [18:02] amazing in that city. What's happening at that time, in a way [18:06] that no other technology could, you know. And as we explore it, [18:10] I think there's a real future in being able to offer things to [18:14] someone at the moment that they need it in the place that [18:17] they're in that we couldn't before. [18:22] So Airbnb is increasingly using AI for [18:25] listing, verification, fraud detection, and quality control. [18:29] Do you think technology can solve trust problems without [18:32] making a platform feel overly managed or standardized? [18:37] Yeah, absolutely. I think you know AI has this [18:40] magical ability to be able to pose the right question at the [18:44] right time? I think, like all things AI, how you deploy it and [18:47] how you use it is going to depend on the results that you [18:50] get. And I think it's true that all those things, trust can be [18:54] much more efficient, much more effective, and the key into [18:59] making it a pleasant and delightful customer experience [19:03] is in designing it the right way. [19:06] One of the significant competitive advantages you, you [19:09] have clearly, I think, is not only the marketing engine and [19:14] the technology platform. All those actually, in a real sense, [19:17] can be replicated by somebody else, but what they cannot [19:20] replicate is the humans on both sides of the equation with whom [19:25] you have already built your brand, and through the brand [19:28] trust. So therefore, I would say, are you a technology [19:33] innovation company, or are your trust innovation company? [19:36] Yeah, I think both those things, trust innovation and [19:39] technology innovation, do you know go hand in hand. You have [19:42] to have the tools. The brilliance of Airbnb that the [19:46] founders had was that they got people to open up their homes [19:50] and accept strangers. I know it's just amazing. It was really [19:54] started with this belief that people are basically good. They [20:00] are basically trusting, and when provided with the trust, they [20:05] will engender that trust as well. And so, it is a two-way [20:09] system that they pioneered. It's trust innovation and it's [20:12] technology innovation, both hand in hand. [20:16] If you look at any industry, there is always a [20:19] difference between the profitabilities on existing [20:21] customers versus new customers, how is it in your industry? How [20:26] do you treat between existing customers and new customers? [20:29] I think for us there is so much opportunity for us in [20:34] the trip for our existing customers. You know, and I think [20:37] right now our existing customers travel a few times a year, you [20:42] know, and we know that the more that we can offer, the more that [20:47] they can open the app, the more that they can participate in [20:50] everything that we have during the trip, the more that we can [20:52] get them to do the same when they're at home. The more that [20:57] ecosystem and that flywheel will also attract new customers. So [21:01] right now, I would say our our focus is on the trip, and I [21:05] think the the biggest recipient of that is going to be our [21:09] existing customers. [21:11] When you are focusing so much, and rightly so, on the [21:14] consumer experience, does it make sense for Airbnb to hold on [21:20] the whole ecosystem of experience, or is it better to [21:24] have some kind of a strategic partnership with a ticket [21:27] booking engine with your ecosystem? [21:30] Listen, what motivates us is that there is so much [21:34] friction in travel. You know, there is so much friction in [21:36] travel-not just the booking, but the arriving, the finding, the [21:40] discovery, how to get a ticket for the Louvre, you know, none [21:44] of it is easy, and so that's where we're really interested, [21:48] is using our marketplace and using our software to reduce [21:53] that friction, you know, and because you end up being the [21:56] manager of all of these different services vendors, they [22:01] all come down to you to manage, right? Things like the welcome [22:05] pickups, things like food delivery, things like luggage [22:07] storage, luggage delivery, car rentals. When we can handle that [22:12] in a really seamless way, giving it to you just at the right [22:15] time, you know, in one place, it's a big deal. It's really [22:20] helpful. It just makes, I think, the entire trip simpler, easier, [22:25] and it makes it feel like you're traveling with somebody. [22:28] Hiroki, thank you so very much. Marketing has always [22:32] been about influencing what people choose, but increasingly, [22:37] it's also about shaping what people experience. And as travel [22:42] platforms compete to become indispensable throughout the [22:45] customer journey, differentiation is becoming [22:48] harder to achieve through price or convenience alone. Throughout [22:52] our conversation, one idea kept surfacing: travel platforms [22:57] shouldn't just be about getting somewhere; they should be about [23:01] participation. Airbnb is betting that meaningful experiences [23:07] create lasting relationships, proving that sometimes the most [23:11] valuable thing a brand can offer isn't simply a place to stay, [23:15] but a deeper connection to the world around [23:22] us.