What Are Press Trips?
In recent years, press trips, also known as media trips, have seen considerable growth among many brands. This marketing tool involves inviting journalists and influencers to discover new products just before their launch, promote them, and share their impressions with their audience.
Recently, several influencer shared on social media posts about a press trip organized by Dior Beauty to Los Angeles for the launch of the new Dior Addict fragrances and a new lip gloss formula.
Source: Instagram post of influencers attending the Dior Beauty press trip (links above)
The Strategy Behind Press Trips Marketing
One might wonder why brands bother organizing such expensive events, requiring meticulous logistics. The answer is relatively simple: target customers no longer watch television commercials; they follow the daily lives of their favorite influencers and consume the products they promote to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of this world and stay abreast of trends.
I’ve observed that the standards for press trips vary considerably depending on the brand’s image and reputation. For example, Dior Beauty invites influencers from around the world to spend a few days in Los Angeles at a luxury hotel with upscale restaurants, while Erborian rents a country house in France and organizes games, which are a bit more childlike.
Finally, an important point is the choice of individuals who will represent the brand on social media.
It seems that this step is taken very seriously, because the more prestigious the brand, the more influencers it will find with a large number of subscribers, better statistics and, consequently, greater notoriety.
The Role of Social Media
The amount of content shared via Instagram stories and posts, TikTok, and even YouTube videos is huge. During these press trips, influencers have countless opportunities to create content: new locations, new encounters, luxury hotels, free products, pop-up shops with a celebrity as an ambassador, and so on.
The goal is to produce as much content as possible to capitalize on the buzz surrounding the event, go viral, and perhaps even expand their audience.
It’s real-time marketing!
Benefits and Limits of this Strategy
Among its strengths is the immense audience reached by these press trips. Besides the guests, there are the millions of subscribers who discover the products and experience the trip through their screens. This gives the event a more human and natural dimension, creating a closer connection with the target audience.
Press trips also provide opportunities to meet the people who work behind the scenes on the projects, as they are often present.
However, this strategy also has its weaknesses, such as the creation of a utopian ideal.
Brands invite influencers to dream destinations, cover all expenses, and give them gifts. As a result, viewers may question the credibility of their opinions, since they could be biased. Furthermore, this trend may marginalize journalistic work, as influencers increasingly take their place.
Finally, a crucial aspect of this strategy is the budget.
Organizing a press trip is therefore expensive: hotels and restaurants must be booked, guests’ transportation paid for, etc. However, compared to an international campaign, this budget is significantly lower. This is why more and more brands are adopting this strategy. It allows them to recoup their investment thanks to the significant visibility generated by the content influencers produce.
My Thoughts on Press Trips Marketing
As a heavy consumer of this type of content on social media, I admit it’s enjoyable to discover new brands products from this perspective. This is reinforced by the fact that the influencers I follow have always been objective about the products they’ve promoted (both the good and the bad).
On the other hand, these same people talk about the reality of what happens at these press trips: the backstabbing between influencers and the constant competition. This negative aspect is somewhat disheartening, but it doesn’t really surprise me.
I think this strategy adopted by brands is necessary and appropriate, considering the world we live in. However, I believe it’s important for the target audience to maintain a critical mindset and follow the right objective sources for these kinds of events.
This article is based on my own knowledge of the subject, which has grown over the years. Google Translate and Grammarly helped me convey my thoughts as clearly and accessibly as possible. No AI was used in writing this article.