Rachel Haley, Global Connections Strategy Lead, Airbnb
When you think of Airbnb, one of the progenitors of the Internet-based gig economy, the assumption might be that they exclusively market their hospitality services in their native environment: online. Well, not so fast. According to Rachel Haley, the company's Global Connections Strategy Lead, partnerships are critical to their success. With a wide ranging partnership portfolio that includes Audi, Disney, and National Geographic, she provides some insights into how Airbnb approaches partnerships and what she looks for.
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"Partnerships are crucial for us, especially because we are outspent by competitors by at least ten to one."
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"I think partnerships are really the ultimate influencer. They can provide credibility in areas that we can’t, and they allow us to tell our brand story in a unique way."
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"One big thing we’re always looking at is do their brand values align? Are they speaking in a way that we feel comfortable to represent with them, to show that we’re partners?”
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"Don’t bring me a cookie-cutter version that you could present to any hotel brand. I’m never going to buy that.”
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"It needs to be the kind of partner that brings something completely unique that you could never do, and you do the same, and then that is where the magic happens.."