A pop-up travel agency experience for Baby Boomers.
MY ROLE
Research, Strategy, Visual Design, Experiential Marketing
TOOLKIT
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Keynote
CHALLENGE
Get the Baby Boomer generation to trust Airbnb as a reputable source for all their travel needs.
PROBLEM
The Baby Boomer generation is overlooked and undervalued by society and the travel industry.
OPPORTUNITY
Airbnb can gain the trust of this generation by catering to their needs and using nostalgia to relate to them.
SOLUTION
A retro travel agency pop-up that helps make the Baby Boomer generation more trusting of Airbnb.
STRATEGY
CURRENT STATE
AIRBNB STRENGTHS
OFFERS UNIQUE EXPERIENCES
Gives "non-locals" the chance to feel like a "local"
CATERS TO
CUSTOMER NEEDS
Attentive to what is
important to their customers
SENSE OF
BELONGING
Good at living their 'Belong Anywhere' motto
Airbnb does a great job of catering to the adventure seekers in the Millennial and Gen Z generations, but what about the Baby Boomers?
The Baby Boomer generation is
overlooked and undervalued
by Airbnb and society as a whole.
BOOMER MISCONCEPTIONS
Society stereotypes the Baby Boomer generation and only views them as people who are:
TOO OLD FOR ADVENTURE
NOT TECH SAVVY
LIVING A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE
BOOMER TRUTHS
Boomers have the potential to be the most lucrative demographic for the travel industry.
THEY HAVE TIME & MONEY TO SPARE
Boomers are approaching retirement with optimism, creativity and a sense of adventure. Gen Z and Millennials do not have disposable income and free time like Boomers do.
THEY HAVE ADVENTUROUS SPIRITS
They grew up in the era of the Beatles & Rolling Stones, not Sinatra & Tom Jones. They’re rebellious and adventure seekers. They are wise, cherished, optimistic and have dreams & ambitions.
THEY ARE LOOKING FOR EXPERIENCES & CONNECTIONS
They are moving beyond ‘acquisition mode’ and are more interested in seizing the day. They seek out experiences and connections over possessions.
OPPORTUNITY
It’s all about the Boomers, baby.
We need to update our understanding of Baby Boomers. Airbnb has the opportunity to be front running in this by gaining the trust & loyalty of this market by catering to their needs & respecting them for their life experiences rather than overlooking them.
THE SOLUTION
DESIGN CONCEPT
Airbnb's customer service comes to life in a retro travel agency.
Part travel agency, part travel lounge. A place to hang out for people who arrive early before their check-in time or on a layover. It’s an information hub that is open to everyone, think of it kind of like a Capital One cafe.
KEY FEATURES
AIRBNB AMBASSADORS
A friendly Airbnb Ambassador serves as a travel agent. They can sign customers up as a guest or a host, curate trips, sign them up for events at the pop-up & answer any questions that they might have. Partnerships with Lyft, Uber, taxis, trains, & buses are available for booking transit accommodations.
FREE AMENITIES
Charging stations, wifi, snacks, drinks, and travel size accommodations all free of charge.
BELONGING & TOGETHERNESS
The pop-up will host events like “Monthly Culture Nights”, Facebook group meet ups for Boomers, and Local 55+ Airbnb Host events.
MARKETING
Signage will be placed throughout the airport to guide people to the pop-up.
THE PROCESS
RESEARCH
-
This year, US retirees will spend nearly $180bn on leisure travel, surging to an estimated $4.6tn over the next 20 years.
-
They are a lucrative and fast-growing demographic - 1 in 5 will be 60+ in 2050.
-
A staggering 71% of global boomers see retirement as a time to explore other cultures and places.
