Have Influencer Brand Trips Transformed Travel Marketing?

Scrolling through Instagram on a rainy Sunday in the freezing early months of the year, your feed is overwhelmed by gorgeous people sipping on Aperol Spritzes on the Ligurian Coast. Millions of people just like you are suddenly searching for Camogli, a tiny pedestrianised fisherman’s village outside of Genoa. And it is not by accident. Every year, brands leverage influencer brand trips by partnering with top social media creators, sending them around the globe to elevate brand awareness through immersive, experiential campaigns.

Having evolved from traditional ‘press trips,’ these strategic excursions leverage the unique alchemy of brand messaging, influencer reach, and content specialities to spotlight and create buzz for locales in ways previously unimaginable.

Today, a strategically planned influencer brand trip can ensure alignment with both the brand’s identity and the destination’s cultural and social characteristics, creating campaigns that resonate authentically with diverse audiences. The intricate planning and significant impact made possible by influencer brand trips, underline how they benefit not just the brands and creators involved but also transform the way destinations capture global attention.

Beyond a Free Holiday: The Power of Creator-Led Travel

From the outside looking in, it can be easy to dismiss creator brand trips as little more than free holidays gifted to a group of young, attractive influencers, but this perception couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Our industry has shifted from the ‘traditional’ influencer landscape into a far richer and more diverse creator economy, which is reflected in building a successful brand trip. The influencers involved are selected for their ability to resonate with diverse demographics, tell compelling narratives, and generate authentic content that captivates their audiences. The ultimate goal is not just to show off a destination but to engrain its allure into the minds of potential visitors by creating hype and conversation through content.

What Goes on Behind the Scenes?

For every minute of influencer-produced content, we estimate there are approximately four hours of behind-the-scenes planning that the influencer may not even be aware of. This involves multiple stages including initial brainstorming, coordination between various stakeholders, logistical planning, and detailed itinerary curation. 

The purpose of this extensive preparation is to ensure that every moment captured not only looks effortless but also aligns with the brand’s messaging and the destination’s unique characteristics. A seamless end result is a testament to the labour-intensive process that shapes each campaign.

Strategic Alchemy: Crafting a Successful Influencer Trip

Crafting the success of an influencer brand trip has evolved alongside the recognition of the impact they can have on all stakeholders. Where it once would have sufficed to send 5 or 6 influencers abroad, kit them out with your products and let them have at it, this is no longer the case.

Success hinges on the alchemy of brand messaging, influencer reach, content specialisation,  location, and tourist board aims. This delicate balance has the power to transform ordinary campaigns into extraordinary ones.

Brand messaging must be clear, consistent, and aligned with both the influencer’s voice and the destination’s unique attributes. Choosing the right influencers is crucial; they should have an engaged audience, but one that resonates with the brand’s values and campaign goals.

Content specialisation further enhances this synergy, enabling influencers to create engaging, high-quality content that captivates their followers. This multifaceted approach ensures the campaign appeals to a broad yet targeted audience, driving meaningful engagement.

Additionally, the collaboration should extend beyond mere promotion; it should tell a compelling story that highlights the destination’s allure. This alchemy of elements creates a powerful and authentic narrative that benefits the brand, the influencers, and the destination, leading to successful campaigns.

Matching Influencers with the Right Destinations

Proper alignment between influencers and location ensures that influencer content feels authentic and will resonate with the right audience. 

It begins with thorough research to identify influencers whose values and lifestyles align with the destination. For instance, sending LGBTQ+ influencers to destinations known for their inclusivity or selecting culinary influencers for regions renowned for their cuisine ensures the content will be relevant and engaging. 

The timing of a trip is essential. Influencers should visit when the destination can provide maximum opportunity to create engaging content, whether it’s during a festival, peak season, or when key attractions are open. This not only boosts the visual appeal of the content but also portrays the location at its best. Careful planning and consideration in aligning influencers with locations ultimately create more coherent and impactful campaigns.

Ensuring Authenticity and Avoiding Pitfalls

Authenticity and due diligence are paramount in executing successful influencer brand trips, ensuring that the content produced lands with the intended audience, and fosters trust and engagement. 

Consideration must be given to the influencers who will be part of the group visiting these locations together. For instance, avoiding the selection of two influencers known to dislike each other or creating an environment where cliques form, leading to exclusion. These trips should foster a sense of togetherness and community, ensuring the content reflects this camaraderie.

Thorough research is needed to ensure the destination is suitable and safe for the influencers. It’s crucial to avoid sending them to locations where they might face discrimination or safety concerns.

Additionally, the activities planned should align with the influencers’ interests and lifestyles – sending sober influencers to nightlife-centric destinations wouldn’t result in content that aligns with them or their audience, and wouldn’t reflect as positively on the location.

Beyond personal safety, due diligence also includes ensuring that chosen destinations are in a position to have a need and want for tourist interest and investment and that the trip does not coincide with local issues such as fractious elections, travel strikes, or conflicts.

Case Study: Wizz Air’s ‘Let’s Get Lost’ Campaign

The Wizz Air “Let’s Get Lost: London” campaign provides a compelling case study. A group of 36 influencers with diverse yet strategically aligned audiences were able to generate 138 million organic impressions from a single trip, thanks to the alchemy of meticulous research, including managing logistics with multiple stakeholders and careful coordination with Türkiye’s Tourism board ensuring brilliant execution, engaging influencers through an adrenaline-pumping and scenic itinerary. 

The UK saw a 156% increase in the number of searches for flights to Antalya between 2021 and the first half of 2024. In 2021, there were 48,230 searches for flights to Antalya. Within just the first half of 2024, the search demand for flights has climbed to 123,700.

The “Let’s Get Lost” campaign illustrates that success isn’t merely about the number of influencers but about the strategic selection and alignment of those influencers with the brand and location. 36 well-chosen influencers, supported by meticulous planning and compelling activities, were able to create an overwhelming impact, putting Antalya prominently on the travel map. 

With the right approach, even a relatively modest number of influencers can achieve extraordinary results, transforming an under-the-radar destination into a viral sensation.

If you’re a brand keen to learn more about what influencer brand trips can do for your business this year, don’t hesitate to reach out for a chat! We’d love to learn more about your marketing goals – and develop a winning influencer strategy to achieve them.