Vacation rentals had some trust issues: Airbnb had normalized hidden fees and evasive customer service, and the whole category was facing a backlash. But while our friends in SF were marketing quirky stays in UFOs, Vrbo decided to address things head-on to earn back that trust.

My partner and I led Vrbo’s first global in-house campaign, which was as much about what the company had always offered—upfront pricing, live support, and booking protection—as what that made possible: time away with your people.

The campaign, which ran in the US, Canada, UK, France, and Australia, outperformed previous campaigns with notable lifts in brand affinity and favorability. And by putting our guests first, we put our competition on the back foot.