Skift Take
HomeAway president John Kim, after a manner, is trying to turn HomeAway into the type of company that Airbnb is -- one that is focused on technology improvements and a great user experience. In many ways, Kim has the tougher job. He isn't starting from scratch, as Airbnb did, but is attempting to spur changes in a company that has been around since 2005 and grew through a flurry of acquisitions.
Consider the issues facing John Kim, formerly a top product guy at Expedia Inc., when he was tapped to lead vacation rental giant HomeAway's transformation as its new president in September.
A group of 40 or so sites ranging from HomeAway and VRBO in the U.S. to Arbitrel in France and Stayz.com in Australia, with 1.2 million vacation home listings in 190 countries, HomeAway was acquired by Expedia Inc. late last year in the midst of a major transition. HomeAway was moving away from a tiered subscription-only business model toward a single subscription plan plus a new pay-per booking model, and there also came a new emphasis on making vacation rentals online bookable.
To complicate matters, Kim, who joined HomeAway from Expedia in March before becoming its top executive seven months later, took over after HomeAway had instituted its first booking fee leveled at travelers in an effort to better monetize the site. But it drew the wrath of a considerable number of vacation home owners, who cited a decrease in demand because of the new fee.
Kim says HomeAway needs to "win some credibility back" from some vacation rental owners, communicate with them better and provide them with better tools and data to solve problems. The fee created some "bad feelings," he acknowledges.
As part of the changes under way, when Kim was appointed HomeAway president, HomeAway co-founder and then-
