• The “Make People Behave” marketing strategy is called behavioral marketing. 
• It leverages psychology and consumer behavior research.

The “Make People Behave” marketing strategy, also known as behavioral marketing, focuses on understanding customer psychology and decision-making procedures. Although it’s not a widely recognized phenomenon, it aggressively frames marketing strategy, messages, and narratives to alter customer behavior for good

Marketers generally utilize customer psychology and decision-making data to understand customers. They alter the marketing message and offerings according to specific audience segments, eventually influencing their desired action or behavior and aligning them with business objectives. 

The main focus of this marketing strategy should be on influencing, not controlling, the audience. It is about understanding the motivating factors and utilizing them to create a persuasive message and campaign that resonates with the target audience’s needs and desires. 

How is Airbnb’s “Belong Anywhere” Campaign a Great Example of Using the “ Make People Behave” Marketing Strategy?

Airbnb is a world-famous online marketing platform that connects people who want to rent out their homes with people looking for accommodations. It is a middleman between hosts and guests, facilitating bookings and payments. Airbnb’s “Belong Anywhere” campaign is a shining example of how a marketing campaign can successfully influence customer behavior.

Understanding the Target Audience

Airbnb intelligently targets travelers who crave an authentic living experience when they travel and a deeper connection with the places they visit. This is achieved by providing them with friendly hospitality and a homely feeling, and the unique Airbnb Superhost program pushes hosts to provide the best experience to their guests. 

The mediator and travel partner Airbnb focuses on people with a sense of adventure and a desire to experience something different and unique. They are clearly focused on individuals who are not afraid to step out of their comfort zone and embrace new cultures. 

Usually, guests, when traveling, had to book hotels and resorts for accommodations. Many hosts want to rent out their homes and properties to such guests in return for some remuneration. Airbnb targets individuals who value a different lifestyle and personalized or tailored experiences or home-like feelings when traveling and has successfully targeted and benefited from the target audience. 

Subtly Shifting Customer Behavior Through Emotional Connection

Airbnb’s “Belong Anywhere” campaign aimed to provide a sense of belonging wherever the target audience travels. The campaign went beyond showcasing rental properties or acting as a connecting platform. It subtly yet strategically emphasizes the feeling of belonging, fostering a crucial part of a community, a neighborhood, or even a family when traveling. 

Airbnb intelligently used powerful visuals and compelling narratives featuring real people sharing their unique experiences. This sparked and appealed to potential clients to replicate these experiences for themselves. This subtle art of storytelling appealed to the audience on a personal level and triggered their desire for a unique experience. 

The campaign successfully tried to strike a balance between aspiration and reality. It amalgamated aspirational travel goals with providing real-human connections facilitated by unique Airbnb experiences. The goal was not to offer luxury locations but to provide them with a welcoming feeling of home anywhere. 

How Does it Influence Booking Decisions? 

The “Belong Anywhere” campaign successfully positioned Airbnb as an experience, not just accommodation. By highlighting the unique aspects of each rental property and local surroundings, Airbnb encouraged travelers to consider the accommodation at their properties as an integral part of their trip and more than just a place to sleep. 

This campaign focused on establishing a human connection between hosts and guests, fostering trust and a sense of belonging. Eventually, Airbnb became a more attractive option than traditional and impersonal hotel stays, which might not entice customers. 

Airbnb’s campaign also showcased numerous listings and locations on its platform, influencing users to explore new destinations and actively consider alternative travel styles beyond traditional tourist hotspots, hotels, and resorts. 

Discussing the Long-term Impact

The “Belong Anywhere” campaign influenced and encouraged a more immersive travel style, inspiring people to seek local experiences and cultural connections at their travel destinations. Eventually, it contributed to a broader and budding trend in the target audience’s travel behavior. 

The campaign fostered a strong sense of community among Airbnb users, and this loyalty eventually translated into increased bookings and the establishment of a positive brand image. It also encouraged people to share their accommodation experiences, creating a positive feedback loop that influences travel decisions. 

In conclusion, Airbnb’s “Belong Anywhere” campaign is a great example of using the “Make People Behave” marketing strategy. First, they understood the target audience’s desires and aspirations and crafted a message that resonated seamlessly with them, influencing their booking decisions and creating a long-term impact on the travel industry. 

What is the “Make People Behave” Marketing Strategy?

Although this is not a universally recognized marketing strategy, the whole marketing field focuses on understanding and influencing customer behavior. This field is also known as behavioral marketing. The main idea is to influence the customer’s behavior to align with the long-term and short-term objectives.

This strategy subtly yet confidently leverages the psychology and in-depth knowledge of consumer behavior to influence the marketing message and offerings. Marketers use this approach to understand why people buy something and use that information to personalize experiences, ultimately influencing desired behavior. 

Some Common Tactics of Behavioral Marketing

Customer segmentation is a prominent tactic. To use the “Make People Behave” marketing strategy, brands should divide the target audience into smaller groups based on shared characteristics like demographics, interests, past behaviors, etc. It allows the brand to target messages that resonate better with the audience. 

They can also use the “Foot-in-the-Door” marketing strategy and start with small requests, increasing the likelihood of people agreeing to a larger audience. For example, they can offer free trials before asking for a subscription. Brands can create a sense of scarcity and urgency, which can motivate faster decision-making. 

Social proof can also be a great tactic. It involves highlighting positive reviews, testimonials, and user-generated content to build trust and encourage others in the market to follow suit. 

Ethical Considerations

When incorporating this marketing strategy, it is very important to be ethical and transparent in your approach. While using deceptive or manipulative techniques might bring you the desired results in the short term, they can significantly damage the brand’s reputation in the long run, which is not a good idea. 

Instead, marketers should focus on providing unique value propositions and make the product or service based on genuine benefits while focusing on how it can solve the customer’s problem. During the course, try to maintain transparency about pricing, terms and data collection practices. Also, they should not bombard customers with unwanted messages or use their data unethically. 

Pros and Cons of “Make People Behave” Marketing Strategy

Like other marketing strategies, this “Make People Behave” strategy has pros and cons, as discussed below. 

Pros

Understanding what motivates your customers could allow you to craft targeted messages and promotions that resonate seamlessly with the target market. Moreover, it can lead to more sales and conversions. Personalizing the experience based on behavior can also offer relevant recommendations, and markets have the knowledge to address specific needs, resulting in a more satisfying customer journey.

Positive experiences fostered through incorporating behavioral marketing help build trust and loyalty. They also encourage repeat business and foster positive word-of-mouth marketing. Targeting the market reduces wasted resources as it focuses on demographics, leading to more efficient use of the marketing budget. 

Cons

If customers feel pressured or tricked into taking desirable actions, the strategy can backfire and damage the brand reputation, which leads to a negative online reputation. People are increasingly aware of privacy concerns, and extensive data collection for behavioral marketing could raise speculations and apprehension.

Marketers should remember that behavioral marketing is not a foolproof marketing strategy. Many external factors and brand perceptions could influence customer decisions. Remember to never cross the line between influencing and manipulating, and unethical tactics like creating false scarcity can damage brand reputation and revenue. 
In conclusion, the “Make People Behave” marketing strategy can be a powerful marketing tool. Brands must focus on value, invest in providing personalization rather than manipulation, maintain transparency and control, and work on building trust. This strategy can help create lasting customer relationships and achieve objectives.