Find your locksmith moments, master your core strength and embrace functional design; this newsletter explores the power of simplicity. We examine how strategic positioning creates success, why doubling over complexity on a single channel, and the recent SEO collapse has taught us how to stay focused. From smart hotel innovation to ironic digital services, sometimes the most effective solution is also the easiest one.
because Equeco Newsletters used to sponsor this version:
EquecoPPC marketing agency serves leading brands such as Marriott and founded start-ups, gifts Case study About how we can help Tictactripa multi-modal OTA, achieves profitability on search advertising and grows +73%!
“Equeco has shaped our marketing strategies, thus achieving profitable growth. Their expertise It is crucial for sustainable travel visits. ” -Simon Robain, CEO
it’s great Matt Lerner Posted The growth of entrepreneurship is explained through a simple story: a locksmith who puts stickers on apartment doors; exactly where someone is when they need it. Soy milk position itself in the dairy aisle (even if it doesn’t require refrigeration) because that’s where people are when they want a milk alternative.
This insight explains why Otas is so successful despite criticism of performance being associated with marketing. They own digital real estate, and travelers first signal travel intentions. The locksmith theory works the same way in the physical world: when flights are cancelled, Hoteltonight targets airport baggage claims areas, or clear job registration tables with the longest safety lines. Everyone is talking about OTAS marketing spending, but that’s part of being there when it’s needed.
The May 2018 media title predicts that Alexa will soon take over Alexa is a major travel booking platform:
Fast forward to 2025. This is a funny thing The coolest water
“Alexa, tell me a joke”
Alexa: “My Income”
It can be fun to say “Airbnb is dead” (and may generate a click)…
…But data and growth outweigh opinions and headlines. This is Airbnb’s fourth quarter 2024 results and year-on-year growth:
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Total booking value: $17.6 billion, up 13%
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Revenue: $2.5 billion, up 12%
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Net income: $461 million, while net loss was $449 million, 4Q2023
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Adjusted EBITDA: $765 million, up 4%
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Free cash flow: $458 million with 18% free cash flow margin
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Night and experience bookings: 111 million, up 12%
Airbnb’s stock has consistently grown 22% in 2025, leading all other hotel companies in the chart; however, it has had the lowest stock earnings over the past year. This year’s market tells a story about who has momentum.
this Complexity bias From Farnam Street explores the tendency to prefer complexity over simplicity. We usually trust things more when we don’t fully understand them, which is probably why terms like “AI-driven advice”, “dynamic pricing algorithms” and “loyalty points for blockchain verification” have become quite common The reason for marketing language. But the greatest success of travel often comes from eliminating complexity. Whether it’s pricing (Ryanair), booking (Booking.com), comparison (kayaking) or route planning (Rome2Rio). We should be aware of this tension: While we instinctively pursue complexity, evidence suggests that simplicity usually wins.
Most geniuses, especially those who lead others, deconstruct not by deconstructing complexity but by exploiting unrecognized simplicity. – Andy Benoit
I came across this simple and clever hotel bathroom door design Jeremy Freemanwhich shocked me. Maybe some of you have seen it before, but I haven’t. The door has two functions, depending on how it is positioned. This is a perfect example of how best innovation is often associated with functional, elegant simplicity.
“Most businesses can work with zero channel: poor sales rather than bad products are the most common reasons for failure. If you can only get one distribution channel, you will have a great business. If you have tried several, but Don’t nail one, you’re done.” – Peter Till
Matt Lerner recently shared some Direct suggestions About marketing channels. It’s about ranking the highest 1% in one channel, not the mediocrity of many. SEO is a winner full game, with the top three receiving more than 70% of traffic. Paid ads are delivered to companies with the best conversion channels, the longest track record and the deepest pockets.
The types of questions he asks for each channel:
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SEO and inbound: Are people looking for products you sell, can you build enough domain permissions to rank?
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Paid advertising: Your product is easy to glimpse, do you have competitive experimental skills and budget?
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Organic societies and influencers:Does your prospects follow influencers, your product is visually significant or culturally significant?
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Direct promotion: Your product is expensive enough to justify the sales team. Can you attract sales talent?
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Virus/Product Lead: Your product is naturally multi-player, and you can introduce more users through use?
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Partner or dealer: Can your products help partners build their core business?
HubSpot has long been regarded as the gold standard for B2B content marketing, and just saw their natural traffic drop sharply from 13.5 million visits in November to 8.6 million in December, possibly due to a combination of Google Core updates and AI overviews . Traffic crashes may be related to their content strategies. HubSpot has been widely publishing topics about its core expertise, a strategy designed to capture search traffic rather than showcasing real expertise. Google’s December update appears to be targeting “SEO-First Content” that prioritizes traffic over expertise. Read + Search Engine Land
I don’t want a mental health company to be “why I feel funny when I’m in love” or “Thanksgiving” or “Love Quotes”, which is not a full use of resources, and we’re not a site like this. Our biggest competitors are so focused on transportation that they can’t even rank mental health keywords. And they still don’t. It’s all because they have a keyword strategy of “doing everything” – Taylor ChurchHeadspace Growth Director
Ted Gioia recently pointed out an interesting pattern: There are many things in the digital world that ultimately end up being the opposite of what they claim. He talked about how social media platforms can prevent people from living a social life and how chatgpt makes you less likely to chat with anyone. Read +.
Here are some other things that come to my mind.
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All-inclusive resorts work hard to exclude you from local culture
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Flyer programs that are frequently used reward you for spending on the ground rather than flying in the air.
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The hotel platform has automated the actual hospitality
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Navigation app ensures that you never learn how to get anywhere.
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The ride-sharing app means fewer people actually share rides.
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Instant messaging makes real-time conversations less common
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Relationship/dating apps make it easier to meet people, but harder to keep them.
This is a brand that fits its name. Lisboa timeout encourages people to take time out. “Shared tables, not posts” is a good reminder that the actual connections happen in person. The most powerful travel experience is a travel experience that never goes into social media.
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Mauricio Prieto
