NEW YORK, May 1 (Reuters) - Airbnb ( ABNB ) announced

its newest marketing strategy geared towards bringing in new

customers by offering unique experiences as it expands beyond

its core business of vacation rentals, the company said on

Wednesday.

The San Francisco-based company's newest category called

"Icons" features 11 global experiences - including concerts and

celebrity meet and greets - for free or under $100 to try to

attract a larger audience.

"Icons is a compelling new way to do marketing...and help

shift the brand to be more than just a place to stay and create

space to offer new products and services," CEO Brian Chesky told

Reuters, adding that they have reallocated a portion of its

marketing budget towards the campaign.

The company's television ads were over 200% more effective

in driving consumer engagement before the pandemic in 2019,

according to the television data and analytics company EDO.

Now, Airbnb ( ABNB ) is getting creative in how it plans to drive new

customers to its platform as it focuses on re-branding.

The available experiences include winning tickets to attend

a tiny concert by singer Doja Cat or staying in a replica of the

home from Disney/Pixar animation "Up". Airbnb ( ABNB ) said it will

continue to roll out new experiences every few weeks.

Chesky has previously said he wants to make the Airbnb ( ABNB ) guest

experience more reliable to get more habitual hotel guests to

book accommodations on the platform instead.

Airbnb's ( ABNB ) nights and experiences booked in 2023 increased

about 14% year-over-year compared to 31% the year prior. Its

full-year revenue rose 18% in 2023, compared with a 40% increase

in 2022.

The company's sales and marketing expense in 2023 increased

16%.

The short-term rental company is launching icons as consumer

engagement with its television advertisements slowly recovers

from the pandemic.

Airbnb's ( ABNB ) TV ads in the third-quarter of 2019 were more

effective at driving online engagement than over the subsequent

four years, according to television data and analytics company

EDO.

The company's TV ad engagement has improved over the past

three quarters and is expected to fully recover this quarter,

however, EDO said.

The company said more than 4,000 tickets for icons will be

available in 2024 with plans to expand the category's offerings

over the next few years so that millions of people can

participate.