Here’s what happened to Pineapple, Airbnb’s one-off print magazine
A year ago, Airbnb Inc. published the first issue of Pineapple, a print magazine designed for coffee tables in homes across the rental company’s expanding network.
The idea, at the time, was that Pineapple would publish quarterly and showcase stories of members of Airbnb, which in November raised more than $100m at a valuation of $25.5bn. Four quarters later, however, the arts and culture magazine has printed only one issue.
Airbnb may soon chart a different media strategy. The company has recently been in talks with Hearst Corp. to launch a new magazine as a joint venture, according to people familiar with the project, who also caution that it could still fall through. While it’s unclear if the publication would take on the Pineapple moniker, it would likely read more like a traditional travel publication, as opposed to Pineapple’s user-generated feel, the people said.
“We’re incredibly proud of Pineapple and the strong reception it received. Those who have launched a magazine know what an iterative process it is—from vision, to content, to distribution,” Airbnb said in a statement. “We are constantly reviewing and evaluating ways to curate and celebrate the stories that are relevant to our business, and the future of Pineapple is part of those discussions.”
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