How Tarte Cosmetics Pioneered a Revolutionary PR Strategy
Through its innovative approach to influencer brand trips, Tarte Cosmetics undoubtedly changed public relations within the beauty industry. Known for its infamous tagline and hashtag #TrippinWithTarte, the cosmetic brand has created luxurious excursions to exotic destinations, enticing top-tier influencers in exchange for promoting Tarte's products on their social media platforms. Since 2016, Tarte has spearheaded this PR tactic, investing approximately $340,000 on each trip.
In an exclusive interview with Glossy, CEO Maureen Kelly set the record straight on their influencer marketing budget for these glamorous trips. She explained, “Every day, brands make decisions about how to spend their marketing budgets. For some companies, that means a huge Super Bowl commercial or a multi-million-dollar contract with a famous athlete or celebrity. We’ve never done traditional advertising, and instead we invest in building relationships and building up communities.”
As a brand, Tarte’s goal is to create long-lasting relationships with their selected influencers to build a loyal consumer base and cultivate brand recognition.
Influencer brand trips have become increasingly popular in the last several years, as it continuously evolves into the newest PR strategy for brands to attract and sell products to their target audience. Behind the romanticized getaways and aesthetic social media posts, Tarte only invites the most influential content creators. Beauty and fashion influencers with millions of followers, who embody the value of the brand, are selectively handpicked based on their viewership and engagement numbers. Curating an exclusive trip that is fully funded by the brand, serves as a platform to promote the brand’s latest product launch.
Most influencers consider brand trips as “work,” as they are required to create social media content using the product across all platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube, incorporating the brands specific hashtags in their posts. This type of exclusive content is an effective PR tactic, as it creates a huge buzz on social media, generating an increase in engagement on both the influencer’s and Tarte’s social platforms. The content created during these trips not only boosts Tarte's brand visibility but also instills a sense of appeal among consumers, which in turn increases the brands revenue. However, Tarte Cosmetics has experienced its fair share of controversy and drama, specifically surrounding their luxurious trips to Dubai, Bora Bora, and Turks and Caicos. One example is how the beauty brand faced a lot of criticism online regarding their lack of ethics and inclusivity. Despite the backlash from viewers, Tarte Cosmetics has pledged to move forward with diversity and inclusion in mind.
Tarte Cosmetics has undeniably revolutionized PR strategies within the beauty space, setting a high standard for immersive PR initiatives that resonate with today’s Gen Z audiences. As the world of influencer marketing and brand trips evolve, Tarte Cosmetics approach serves as a testament to the power of social media engagement in shaping consumer experience and brand visibility. Fashion, beauty and lifestyle companies are now more inclined to take the same approach towards their new product releases.
Nicole Khait, a third year student at California State University, Northridge, is studying journalism and public relations. Currently working as the events assistant at the Oasis Wellness Center, she will take on the role of social media and events coordinator for CSUN PRSSA, next year. As an avid concert-goer, die hard music lover, and tv/film enthusiast, Khait hopes to land a career in entertainment or music PR.