Influencer Brand Trips: Why Are They The New and Best Staple In Brand Marketing

Most people follow certain influencers for different reasons. Whether it be beauty product reviews, fashion tips, comedy, or workout routines.

However, brand trips have become a common feature across all influencer pages, no matter the niche. 

The first example of this goes back to Tarte’s infamous “Trippin with Tarte” almost ten years ago. They were one of the first brands to show what a luxury trip with influencers looked like and set the tone for every trip since then. 

Whether it be to signify the launch of a new product or to celebrate the brand as a whole, these trips have become a huge marketing tool in today's climate. 

What exactly are “brand trips”?

When you open your Instagram or TikTok and see your favorite content creator packing a suitcase, there are usually two options: a personal trip or a brand trip. When brands do this, the majority of the time it's to launch a new product.

Other times, a brand may invite influencers on a trip to raise awareness for their brand and get their message in front of a larger audience.

Customers seeing their favorite creators collaborate with these brands speaks volumes about who they are. Consumers follow their favorite creators for specific reasons, sometimes for entertainment, but mostly because they relate to them. 

A brand trip is also one of the best ways for creators to establish a relationship with a brand. Inviting creators means that they believe the creator embodies their brand and can easily relate to the type of audience they’re trying to gain. 

What usually happens on trips

While these trips seem like vacations for creators, they come with a full schedule of activities that allow them to create content. If it's a tropical destination, it could be a day out on a boat, while a trip to a historic city could involve going to famous landmarks. 

To celebrate the launch of their new moisturizer in time for winter, Kiehl's invited creators to Finland to take part in activities like seeing the northern lights and going skiing. This gave consumers a chance to get to know Kiehl's better while also seeing their new moisturizer put to the test by invitees. 

These activities are all opportunities for influencers to create content for themselves while also promoting the product/brand to their audience. It also acts as a chance for creators to gain a larger audience by creating content for the brand. 

How do they help promote brands?

For larger, more well-known brands, it's a way to get their loyal customer base excited about a new product and gain new customers through inviting influencers to promote it.

For smaller brands, it's a chance to spread their name as well as their philosophy and gain customers who see themselves aligning with the brand. 

It's a huge chance for creators trying to gain a larger audience. Brands have their followings, and if their customer base sees a creator traveling with them, it can result in the creator getting more followers. 

Keys to making a good trip

So now we know what influencer trips are and how they can have a positive impact on companies. But how can a brand ensure it’s getting the most excitement and publicity from this trip? 

Curating the right itinerary as well as inviting the right influencers is key. All brands have a philosophy stating what their brand is all about, and they want influencers that can represent that philosophy. 

Using not only the destination, but also activities that align with the brand. The Movement Club, a lifestyle and fitness brand started by Dancing with the Stars alum Lindsey Arnold, held their first-ever trip in Maui, Hawaii. What filled their itinerary was morning yoga classes, nature hikes, and journaling sessions.

Their mission is to help women fall in love with their bodies, but most importantly with themselves.  

This was an amazing opportunity for The Movement Club because they were able to introduce the brand to an entirely new audience through the content their attendees made. 

Diversity in Brand Trips

What consumers want to see more than just their favorite influencers on traveling with brands is how these products relate to them, and if they can see themselves being a customer of the brand. Diversity lets consumers know that the brand hears and sees them. 

Benefits 2024 trip to Greece to celebrate the launch of their Porefessional matte primer saw one of the most diverse trips ever from a beauty brand. This was huge for Benefit to have this much diversity on a trip, especially in an industry that often faces criticism for not being diverse enough. 

Brands need to represent their customers in every way they can. These trips let customers know who the brand is, and opportunities like this are great examples for people to feel more connected. 

Future of Brand Trips

Influencer trips have become the norm in a brand's marketing strategies and seem like they're here to stay. However, there is some backlash that comes with brands constantly hosting them.

Some consumers argue that giving influencers a huge amount of gifts and flying them out for free isn't the best way to gain new customers. 

Some brands are starting to go against the norm. 

Topicals has started to give their customer base opportunities to join their infamous brand excursion through their Spottie Hottie rewards program.

This reward program acts as a system to make customers feel more connected to the Topicals brand. They regularly give customers the chance to get discounts on products, invites to exclusive events, and once in a while the chance to attend one of their trips. 

They also just had their first employee trip in Switzerland. 

Examples like this show how brands have the opportunity to celebrate their customer base and celebrate the people who always support them. 

Influencer brand trips are here to stay for the foreseeable future. Yes, it's usually to promote a new product and can eventually generate sales, but it's more than that. 

They help companies in conveying their message to their base audience as well as a larger audience. It's a huge chance for content creators who want to elevate not only their follower list but their platform as well by partnering with companies they relate to. 

But most importantly, these trips help a brand come to life and be more connected to their customers, strengthening the trust they have with one another.

✍️ Written by Alexis Dash