When Your Marketing Strategy Names the Competitor: What the Airbnb vs. Vrbo Rivalry Teaches Us

Daryn Leggo

Published on: 13/03/2026

In most industries, brands follow an unwritten rule: don’t say the competitor’s name. Yet one of the most interesting marketing battles in the travel industry ignores that rule entirely. In several recent campaigns, Vrbo has built advertisements that explicitly reference its largest competitor, Airbnb.