Fairbnb.coop

Client Overview

Fairbnb.coop is a cooperative, sustainable vacation‑rental platform that reinvests 50% of its platform revenues into local community projects. For its first Canadian market entry, Fairbnb.coop engaged Yulu to design and run a soft‑launch homeowner acquisition campaign focused on South Georgian Bay (SGB), Ontario, including Collingwood, Blue Mountain, Meaford, Thornbury, Owen Sound, Wasaga Beach and nearby communities.

The Challenge

Break into a crowded short‑term rental (STR) market dominated by entrenched platforms while clearly differentiating Fairbnb.coop’s community‑benefit model. The brief:

• Refine and test audience‑specific messaging and differentiated positioning
• Identify impact narrative(s) that better tell the brand story and align to housing affordability
• Drive host sign‑ups (principal residences and small independent operators) via paid media in Canada’s South Georgian Bay

The Strategy 

Insight‑led, channel‑specific, and conversion‑oriented. Yulu delivered a strategic sprint to validate audiences, sharpen the value proposition, and deploy targeted paid media that met potential hosts where they were already searching.

Audience + message design

• Two primary segments: (1) Homeowners listing primary residences; (2) local accommodation operators (B&Bs, inns, campgrounds)
• Message pillars: Earn supplemental income; Sustainable tourism & responsible hosting; Preserving housing affordability via cooperative reinvestment; Simple onboarding & support

Paid media plan (multi‑channel)

• Meta (Facebook, Instagram & Audience Network): hyper‑localized imagery from South Georgian Bay with clear “Sign up” CTA; multiple ad sets to test headlines and visuals, optimized to increase clicks
• Google Search: intent capture on adjacent, high‑volume queries (e.g., “short‑term rentals,” “affordable housing,” “Canada housing”) using headlines such as “Equitable Short‑Term Renting” and “Community‑Powered Home Sharing”
• Google Display: visual storytelling to extend reach among South Georgian Bay homeowners interested in home improvement, DIY and local news

Results & Impact

Meta (Facebook/Instagram/Audience Network)

• 881,336 impressions | 4,244 clicks | $0.63 avg. CPC
• Strongest response among 65+ (retirees likely to list primary residences)

Google Search

• 78,165 impressions | 1,184 clicks | $1.16 avg. CPC
• Top click‑drivers: “affordable housing,” “short‑term rentals,” “Canada housing”
• Best‑performing headlines included: “Equitable Short‑Term Renting,” “Community‑Powered Home Sharing,” and “Short‑Term Rentals Done Right”

Google Display

• 46,936 impressions | 1,077 clicks | $0.93 avg. CPC
• Creative combination featuring “Responsible Home Sharing” delivered highest engagement

Geo insights

• Highest activity from Barrie, Owen Sound, and Collingwood, validating South Georgian Bay targeting and informing future regional expansion

What this means

• The value proposition of earning income while funding local affordable‑housing solutions resonated strongly, especially with older homeowners
• Search‑led demand capture plus highly local visuals created an efficient acquisition funnel that Fairbnb.coop can replicate in other Canadian regions

Services Provided

• Digital benchmarking (competitors and channels) and audience definition
• Message framework and impact narrative development
• Creative briefing + copy for paid assets (static & responsive)
• Paid media setup, management and optimization across Meta, Google Search, and Google Display
• Geo‑targeting, demographic tuning, and A/B testing
• Weekly performance reporting and wrap analysis