Magazine B – Issue 48 (Airbnb)

Magazine B Issue 48 (Airbnb) is available now at LOREM (not Ipsum). Founded in 1961 in Bronx, New York, Häagen-Dazs has generated a lot of ink over the years with its Northern European-inspired naming strategy. Its creamy texture and deep flavours catapulted Häagen-Dazs to the ice cream of choice for leading restaurants and cafes as well as airlines and hotels. Hooking its marketing strategies into the sensuous and hedonistic qualities of ice cream, Häagen-Dazs has been successful in making a name for itself as a guilty pleasure for adults.

While business travelers gravitate toward hotel chains, people taking personal trips tend to prefer boutique hotels with unique designs. Chronic travelers or students, however, may opt for guesthouses, hostels and other alternative accommodations. Whatever the case, finding the optimal place to stay is rarely an easy task. Founded in 2008 in San Francisco, Airbnb is a sharing service that allows property owners to rent rooms or even houses to online users. Although the company is under 10 years old, it has exhibited astonishing growth, being valued at figures that rival those of Hilton Hotels and Resorts, and continues to be a key author in the tale of the modern startup.

Before Airbnb, accommodation sharing was mostly limited to companies like Couchsurfing, a service that allows homeowners to offer their couches to travelers for free. Operating on a similar principle, Airbnb applied all the advantages of the digital era to appeal to a wider consumer base, and is going further by offering new possibilities. In the course of building their company, Airbnb’s founders learned that users were interested in more than just accommodations: they wanted the local experience.

Despite all the information provided by travel agencies and magazines, we still tend to have more faith in the advice of locals. For whatever reason, the small eatery recommended by a local looks like it serves better food. The mere idea of a hidden gem known only among the locals is enough to win our confidence, regardless of a place’s actual quality. That’s because to travelers, “local” is equated with “real” or “genuine.” Brian Chesky, one of Airbnb’s co-founders, says that “going is travel, but living is a deeper experience.” With 2 million listings around the world, Airbnb’s greatest asset is the local experience, or a “more authentic” travel experience.

To borrow the thoughts of a travel expert we interviewed, one can’t become a local simply by staying somewhere for a few days, and as such, following Airbnb’s suggestion to “live like a local” requires one to become an actor of sorts; acting like you live there, even if it’s just for a moment. By lounging in a neighborhood coffeehouse, or taking a stroll in a nearby park instead of visiting a crowded shopping district, we trust you will have a more authentic experience.

While working on Magazine B Issue 48 (Airbnb), I thought of my own Airbnb experience in Italy at the beginning of this year. The host’s beautiful dwelling had a sweeping view of the red-tile roofs of Florence. I had departed the home with a heavy heart, as I had accidentally left behind a small scratch on a brand new chair the host had proudly exhibited. She had been more than generous about it. I wonder how she is doing. Perhaps I should send my regards. Discover Magazine B Issue 38 (Airbnb).

Magazine B is an ad-less monthly publication that introduces one well-balanced brand unearthed from around the globe in each issue. Between its covers, Magazine B not only shares untold stories behind the brand but also its sentiment and culture that any readers interested in brand marketing and management can leaf through with ease. Magazine B attempts to discover truly good brands from today’s market where countless brand-named products are overflowing. Magazine B pursues its quest for true value of a printed medium by becoming a magazine that would be worth possessing, not affected by advertisements since it receives no financial support from the brand, and maintains a unique and independent perspective which is increasingly disappearing due to overflowing information mingled among different media outlets.

Magazine B dedicates each issue to the story of one specific brand, which is one of the well-balanced brands that JOH. discovers from around the world based on four standards: beauty, practicality, price, and philosophy. And each issue is packed with B’s unique insights and in-depth analysis. Magazine B will continue to search brands that it pursues to introduce cover-to-cover, such as Swiss recycled bag manufacturer Freitag and Japanese camping gear maker Snow Peak.

Content

EDITOR’S LETTER

STAY
Hotels vs. Airbnb, in images

OPINION
Will Hide, travel writer

USER’S COMMENT
Impressions from Airbnb users

HEADLINES
Airbnb in the media

ANNOUNCEMENT
Company co-founder looks to the future

OPINION
Bryan Jung, host recognition manager

LIVE THERE
Five cities, five hosts

OPINION
Nathalie, superhost

MEMENTO
Gifts from guests around the world

INSPIRATION
Hosts and guests whose lives have been changed by Airbnb

BEYOND THE HOME
Local experiences in San Francisco

B’S CUT
Local perspective

BRAND STORY
The birth and rise of Airbnb

SEED
Airbnb’s funding history

QUOTES FROM THE FIELD
Industry insights on Airbnb and the startup scene

QUOTES FROM THE MEDIA
Media insights on the sharing economy

HOME SHARING
Key players in the shared accommodation market

SHARING ECONOMY
Noteworthy startups in the sharing economy

888 BRANNAN ST.
A look into the Airbnb headquarters in San Francisco, CA

ONE FINE STAY
Unique Airbnb events

INTERVIEW
Jonathan Mildenhall, chief marketing officer / Mark Levy, head of employee experience

FIGURES
Airbnb by the numbers

OUTRO

Details: Magazine B – Issue 48 (Airbnb)

240 x 170 mm, 164 pages