Influencer Trips 101: All About the Benefits of Brand Trips
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If you follow any influencer on TikTok, chances are you’ve seen them take an extravagant holiday more than once. But, they’re not paying for all of them – some are sponsored by brands.
From the F1 Grand Prix in Miami to stays in charming Italian villas, it’s clear that influencer trips are nothing shy of luxurious.
But, are these influencer getaways still a smart move for brands? Or is it just pointless flaunting?
Let us spoil it for you – influencer trips do, in fact, have a point. There are more than a few benefits to it, and we’re here to discuss exactly what these include.
Let’s get into it!
So, How Do Influencer Brand Trips Actually Work?
The term influencer trip really gained popularity thanks to Revolve, the fashion brand that pretty much pioneered this whole trend.
They’ve been doing influencer-driven campaigns from the start, with exclusive events and those jaw-dropping #RevolveAroundTheWorld trips to get the word out about their brand and build a loyal community.
The strategy was so effective that in 2019, Revolve’s Chief Brand Officer, Raissa Gerona, revealed that around 70% of the brand’s sales came from influencer content.
Seeing the success Revolve had, it wasn’t long before other brands jumped on the bandwagon.
Here’s how it works: rather than paying influencers to attend, brands plan the entire trip – flights, accommodations, meals, and activities are all taken care of. While the trip may seem “free,” influencers are typically expected to create content during the vacation in exchange.
The Brand Trip Debate
While influencer trips may look like a dream come true, they’ve sparked some controversy.
On one hand, many people are excited about influencers getting these extravagant experiences, but on the other hand, some audiences feel that these trips are completely out of touch with the realities of everyday life – especially when so many are facing financial struggles.
Plus, some followers argue that this kind of content feels disconnected from the relatable, down-to-earth posts influencers are usually known for, like casual Get Ready With Me videos or outfit-of-the-day posts made at home.
It also seems that the concept of influencer trips is starting to wear thin. Even Raissa Gerona from Revolve has said that her brand will be scaling back on these trips. She pointed out that influencer trips are now “over-served” on social media, making them less impactful.
Still, despite the criticism, influencer trips aren’t going anywhere just yet. If they weren’t driving such impressive business results, brands like Tarte Cosmetics, Benefit, and NARS wouldn’t be pouring millions of dollars into these kinds of campaigns.
https://www.tiktok.com/@blakenewby_/video/7199088260902161706
So, what exactly are the benefits of hosting an influencer trip? Let’s break it down.
The Perks of Influencer Trips
It’s no secret that influencer trips don’t come cheap. The costs typically include first-class flights, fancy accommodations, gourmet meals, and exciting excursions – usually both for the influencer and their plus-one.
So, why do brands continue to pursue this strategy?
Surprisingly, influencer trips can actually be a more cost-effective option for brands than you might think.
Even though these trips can run into thousands (sometimes millions) of dollars, they often offer better value compared to paying influencers for multiple individual posts. Since brands typically invite high-profile influencers, the amount of content they generate during the trip can provide a much larger return than a single post or two.
Take Tarte Cosmetics, for example. They brought TikTok star Alix Earle (who has over 7M followers) to their Turks and Caicos influencer getaway.
https://www.tiktok.com/@alixearle/video/7226140716035067179
Normally, Tarte would have to pay her a hefty sum for the amount of content she produced during that trip. Instead, she got an all-expenses-paid vacation, and Tarte got to generate tons of buzz with the content from Alix and several other popular creators.
With examples like this one in mind, let’s break down all the benefits of influencer trips:
Influencer Trips Are a Treasure Trove for Content
While influencers have a special talent for turning any place into something wow-worthy, these trips create countless Instagrammable moments. From luxe hotel rooms featuring your brand’s products to stunning dinners and yacht parties, everything is made to be shared online.
So, naturally, influencers are likely to share a ton of non-sponsored content on top of the required brand deliverables.
And who wouldn’t? Just look at this gorgeous house Buffalo Jeans invited their influencers to!
https://www.tiktok.com/@torriwebster/video/7293243553415728390?q=brand%20trip&t=1737570566484
This content is a goldmine for brands – it can be repurposed across different marketing channels like your social media, email campaigns, website, paid ads, and more. It’s also worth mentioning that the variety of influencer-generated content lets you target different audiences.
Influencer Trips Boost Brand Awareness
Influencer trips are packed with fun activities and five-star meals, which makes for some of your most viral content. On TikTok, for example, influencer trip content is reaching millions of viewers as influencers document every moment in real time.
These posts often feature branded hashtags that encourage even more engagement and visibility.
https://www.tiktok.com/@sarahpalmyra/video/7239760920233364782?q=brand%20trip&t=1737570566484
Also, influencers tend to travel with their friends from the industry, and their followers are eager to see these group dynamics (and possible drama, but we’re not going to get into that…). The point is that taking influencers on luxurious trips means their audiences are more likely to check out your brand, too.
Influencer Trips Build Stronger Relationships with Creators
Influencer marketing is all about building relationships. So, by offering influencers experiences rather than just products, you’re nurturing that relationship and helping it blossom into a potentially long-term partnership. These relationships can then lead to more authentic brand endorsements down the road.
Tarte’s CEO, Maureen Kelly, sums it up perfectly: “Every day, brands make decisions about how to spend their marketing budgets. For some, that’s a Super Bowl ad or a big celebrity endorsement. For us, we’ve always focused on investing in relationships and communities.”
Since launching their #TrippinWithTarte trips, Tarte has hosted over 20 influencer trips because they know it pays off to keep their communities loyal & engaged.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjxLd7unw0X/
Working on these relationships doesn’t just mean more content. Keeping it genuine is something that shines through in their content, which then allows brands to:
- Add credibility and authenticity to their brand,
- Attract new influencers to join their community,
- Build long-term customer loyalty and secure repeat purchases,
- Stand out from competitors.
That said, choosing the right influencers for your trip is crucial since it’s so important to stay true to both your brand’s identity and the influencer’s persona.
For example, if an influencer is known for luxury and high-end content, a trip to the Ritz with designer gifts makes sense. But if their following is all about comfort and relatability, a more casual, thoughtful experience is the way to go.
Final Thoughts on Influencer Trips
At the end of the day, influencer trips are a worthwhile investment for brands and will likely stay so for a long time.
The key is to keep things authentic and relatable, even when offering influencers a luxurious vacation. Focus on creating meaningful experiences for your influencers so you can build a loyal community, boost brand awareness, and gather a bunch of content that you can use for various purposes.
And, although it might sound a little counter-intuitive, keep in mind you don’t actually need a massive budget to pull off an influencer trip.
Smaller brands are also jumping in, spending less than $100,000 and working with a select group of creators they already have relationships with. They’re opting for more intimate trips and choosing destinations that still pack a punch without breaking the bank.
So, if you’re already thinking about it, don’t be afraid to give planning an influencer trip a try!
About Dan Ragan
Founder of UGC Factory and expert in user-generated content marketing strategies
