Michael Schaecher – @mschaecherMichael Schaecher – @mschaecher

Overview

In 2010, Airbnb had a brand problem. We were constantly compared with couchsurfing and budget backpackers, but we much bigger than that and we needed a way to communicate it. In the fall we came up with the positioning of a “community marketplace for space” that “unlocked the doors to unique properties all over the world.”

To support this repositioning I devised a viral PR stunt around renting the country of Lechtenstein and 11 other European villages through Airbnb. It doesn’t get much more unique than renting an entire country.

I lead the partnership negotiations with the broker that represented these governments, as well as all PR & communications strategy.

It was an astounding success. The news spread around the world like wildfire, first in every tech blog you can imagine, than mainstream outlets like the LA Times and the Guardian, the broadcast television at the BBC and CNN International.

Things I did

Project Manager & Strategist
Business Development
PR & Comms Strategy
Product Manager
Social Media

Launch website

Rent a Country Viral Campaign

Rent a Country Viral Campaign