Have you heard about the influencer trip to Dubai that has been all over our feeds lately? The trip, taken by several of Tarte Cosmetics' top influencers, reportedly cost millions of dollars. But was it worth it? Let's take a closer look.
So basically, a group of influencers known for their makeup and lifestyle content boarded business class flights to Dubai and broke the Internet in doing so. Hosted by Tarte in collaboration with Sephora Middle East, TikTokers Meredith Duxbury, lifestyle blogger Monet McMichael, rising star Alix Earle, and more were all in attendance to enjoy #TarteDubai. The lucky chosen ones were put up in luxury villas at the Ritz Carlton Ras Al Khaimah and had the time of their lives promoting Tarte and their new products. So, it definitely got everyone talking.
The influencers' adventures in the Middle East were nothing short of extravagant—from their luxurious hotel stays to their private plane rides and trips to exotic locations. It quickly became a hot topic among the crowds due to its "call-out culture" and accountability focus. Some felt that if these influencers had such funds at their disposal, then they should be donating it to those in need instead. Others felt that this was yet another example of influencers getting rich off brand deals and was a completely "tone-deaf" trip. However, the #TrippinWithTarte has over 140 million views, and #TarteDubaiTrip has over 20 million views, so something is working...
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According to reports from Tarte Cosmetics CEO Maureen Kelly, room & board for each creator was $30K, travel expenses totaled $50K per person, and additional payments were made for content creation. However, the brand got major exposure without paying their favorite influencers to post on their social media. For someone like Earle, who is estimated to charge anywhere between $40K and $70K for a post, this trip was likely a win for Tarte's bank account. Kelly also confirmed they did not pay the content creators in addition to the trip but instead just let them freely post any content they felt called to. So, the big question now is: How do we become Tarte beauty ambassadors?
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