Yay! My favorite clothing brand is flying out 10-15 influencers—none of whom reflect the brand’s vibe—to an island, showering them with extravagant gifts that have nothing to do with the clothes they sell. That’s definitely going to make me rush to buy their clothes. (I hope you can sense the overwhelming sarcasm here.)
When a brand—whether it’s clothing, makeup, jewelry, or any other business—decides to take a group of influencers on a lavish retreat, I can’t help but wonder: what’s the real goal? Typically, it’s to build hype for a new product launch or celebrate a milestone, like reaching 100k online sales or a million Instagram followers. The hope is that consumers will think, “Ooh, what’s this brand all about?” or “They flew my favorite influencer out, I should check out their new collection.” But more often than not, the reaction is, “Okay… and how exactly is this supposed to make me want to buy your product?”
I remember when brand trips actually meant something. Not that long ago, these trips were exclusive, designed to make the product launch or milestone the focal point—not the influencers. Brands would ensure the invitees actively promoted the product, making it clear why they were there, rather than just flaunting that they were flown to a fancy destination.
In danger of sounding very cynical, brand trips have lost the spark they held in the influencer and social media world. They’ve lost the allure they once had.
Today, they follow a predictable script: invite the biggest influencers, take a few staged photos, hand out absurdly expensive gifts that have no connection to the product being promoted, and repeat. Yes, Tarte, I’m talking about your iPads and $900 camera gifts. It’s become an unspoken competition of which brand can host the most over-the-top trip, aiming to make their audience feel FOMO. But does FOMO really translate to sales?
Some brands, like Topicals, seem to get it. Instead of following the OTT trend, they’ve opted for more intimate trips that actually align with their brand and audience. They’ve even extended invitations to members of their community, making their trips feel more authentic and relatable. Their recent trip for the Faded Cleansing Bar launch, for instance, was a perfect example of keeping the product front and centre, with marketing that clearly tied back to the reason for the trip.
If only more brands would ditch the excessive, theatrical gifts that only highlight the disconnect between them and their customers. Instead, they could focus on offering thoughtful, practical gifts, organising smaller trips, and inviting influencers who genuinely represent the brand’s ethos. These trips should reflect diversity and inclusivity (not just as a buzzword) and build a sense of community.
I’m no expert on running brands who have decades of experience, but maybe scaling back the number of trips would also help. Some brands seem to host one every month – The constant cycle makes it feel less special and more like a routine marketing tactic.
At the end of the day, these extravagant trips might generate some short-term buzz, but are people really talking about the product, or just the lavishness? I suppose, as the saying goes, all press is good press—but is it really? Catch you in the next post!
Like this content? Subscribe to the weekly newsletter to be updated on new posts.