Has Airbnb cracked the code for effective sportsbook marketing?

There has been a lot written about the way in which online sportsbook operators have approached marketing in recent months. Many deployed an open chequebook approach, dropping hundreds of millions of dollars on TV and radio ads, brand ambassadors and sponsorship deals with leagues, teams and players.?

But many have now tightened the purse strings amid growing pressure from investors and shareholders pushing for profitability. This has seen some operators turn to other marketing channels such as performance marketing.?

While this channel certainly has its place in the customer acquisition mix, it’s interesting to note that Airbnb has recently reported a surge in earnings to a record high after following what it’s called an “incredibly effective” shift away from performance marketing to focus mostly on brand building.?

Airbnb took the decision to move away from “buying customers” (performance marketing) to educating customers (brand building) two years ago and it appears to have paid off with more than 90% of traffic now coming directly to its website and app. A main tactic in its brand-building efforts has been PR, with more than 600,000 articles written about the business in 2022 alone.?

This insight should make online sportsbook brands sit up and take note. Education is a powerful catalyst for brand awareness, especially when it comes to an activity such as online/mobile sports betting that has only recently been legalised in the US.?

While PR is a great driver of education, social media and influencers are just as effective and, right now, are being under-used by operators and their betting brands.?

Sportsbook brands can use influencers and the reach of social media to educate players that sports betting is legal in that state, and also tap into the audience and trust that micro-influencers have to build a connection with their brand – without having to spend millions of dollars.?

As with all brand-building activity, it may take time for this audience to engage with a betting brand (Airbnb has been pursuing its strategy for two years), but when they do, it’ll likely be the one backed by the influencer. Of course, brand awareness is not just good for acquisition, it’s vital for retention and this will prove to be just as important for sportsbook operators looking to build a successful, sustainable presence in the US.?