“If you're not I have no money, take your broken ass home!”
If the lyrics to Fergie's chart-topping hit “Glamorous” don't sound like a fitting soundtrack to the aesthetic of makeup brand Tarte's recent influence journey, the countless videos flooding TikTok's pages certainly will. Last week, Tarte sent a group of makeup, lifestyle and fashion influencers on an all-expenses-paid trip to a Four Seasons hotel on the Polynesian island of Bora Bora, where they drank, partied and at one point danced next to a life-size mascot of the brand's best-selling concealer. Some of the most popular creators on TikTok — like Vidya Gopalan and Mackenzie Ziegler — have posted dozens of videos of themselves opening huge boxes of free merchandise, flying private jets and partying by the pool. But since the specter of the tropical getaway, accusations that the trip was boring combined with the memory of Tarte's past faux pas have created a huge debate online. Brand trips have long been viewed as an essential part of influencer marketing — but are they past their prime?
Tarte Cosmetics, which has been around since 1999, has become known in recent years for selling its products to consumers primarily through an influencer approach, and in doing so is no stranger to online controversy. In 2018, YouTube beauty guru Jackie Aina slammed Tarte for a lack of diverse foundation and concealer shades at a time when most lines had expanded options for all skin tones—a huge moment where hundreds of beauty critics and creators refused to promote Tarte until they apologized and announced that more shades would be released. (They did.)
But it wasn't just their product that was being tested. The brand, which has been sending influencers on paid trips since 2013, faced backlash in January 2023 after a trip to Dubai was criticized for being attended mostly by white, wealthy influencers. The content from the trip that flooded TikTok and Instagram was dominated by a group of white, blonde women, which didn't sit well with Tarte's fans. And the brand had barely earned goodwill before it was embroiled in more drama in May after a black creator accused the company of prioritizing white creators with larger followings and ignoring her feelings while on a brand trip in Miami. CEO Maureen Kelly denied that white creators were treated better, but after her apology (given in the form of a makeup tutorial), the company announced an intensive DEI operation and vowed to do better.
Enter Tarte's latest trip to Bora Bora. Unlike most viral stories on TikTok right now, very little actually happened on the trip itself. Neither creator posted about the controversy — instead, the content revolved around how much fun everyone was having. (Some even cheekily poked fun at past mishaps, with Asian content creator Michelle Lee captioning her video on one of the private jets “DIVERSITY CREW BABYYYY!”) But that didn't stop those at home from stirring up a little drama on internet. In addition to an overwhelming wave of general complaints, some people called the trip a tawdry reward for creators who are already successful and could probably use their own vacation money. Others have consumed the content like a crossover episode of their favorite show, specifically celebrating the smaller creators chosen to attend.
Ed East, co-founder and group CEO of Billion Dollar Boy, an influencer marketing firm, says Rolling rock that the current debates surrounding Tarte highlight some of the hidden pitfalls of multi-gift campaigns. “I think the reason [Tarte’s] Accepting this reaction is because it feels very tone-deaf to the kind of economic climate most of us are in. Treating people to luxury trips while we're all here in our offices working away doesn't seem like the best way to entertain people,” says East. “However, the other side's argument is if you think about it like reality TV. Some people deal with it in a very positive way. They like this escape from reality. ”
East also notes that for many brands, all-expenses-paid travel isn't just about selling products, it's about building a community of creators who want to work with them — which can have a return on investment far greater than the cost of a few private jets. and some beachfront bungalows. “We've always believed in the power of genuine links over traditional advertising. Some brands find it worthwhile to invest in $10 million TV commercials, celebrity campaigns or print ads, we focus on relationships through our brand journeys which is a much smaller investment,” said Kelly, CEO of Tarte, in a statement to Rolling rock. “These more authentic relationships have proven to not only drive product sales in the short and long term, but expand our reach and community exponentially. ”
For Tarte, much of its recent gifting and social media strategy over the past year has focused on redeeming the brand among black creators. But while it appears to have worked to get back into the good graces of influencers of color — a large number of whom made the trip to Bora Bora — there's still a disconnect online between who to blame. During the May 2023 debacle, it was Black creators who took most of the heat when Tarte was accused of being racist. Commenters accused Fannita Legget, a Black creator invited on the trip at the last minute, of condoning the company's alleged treatment of creators of color, peppering her comments with insults until Legget muted them.
Sofi, a 26-year-old lifestyle and beauty content creator, was aware of Tarte's reputation for brand travel long before she was invited to the Bora Bora vacation. “I remember like Dubai happening and being like, 'How can they afford this?' And also, like, 'Damn, I want to be on this trip,'” he says Rolling rock. But while she's open to hearing people's views on the journey, especially in light of past mishaps, she balks at the idea that the push should fall on creators of color to advocate for change. “There's such a heavy burden on Black creators to be the moral compass for a lot of these companies instead of just taking up space,” he says. “When I posted [I was going] there was a camp that was like, 'Oh my God, you're sold out.' And that's not to ignore other creators who have had a bad time. But are we looking for a change from brands? I wonder what the end goal is in situations like these and how, as a black woman, I'm supposed to be responding to the same criticisms all the time.”
As long as influencers remain a major force in the market, there will always be fatigue from those same influencers selling affluent lifestyles. But what much of the massive amount of buzz surrounding Tarte's big swing failed to capture is how even big conversations can help brands and influencers alike. The hashtag #tarteborabora has 37 million videos on TikTok alone — which doesn't include the thousands of followers each trip participant has gained since leaving their island retreat. If Tarte's goal was the eyes, millions have them. “I don't think anyone running an exciting big initiative like this is looking for negative answers,” West adds. “But they say any PR is good PR, right? I mean, look at how much coverage there was.”
from our partners at https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/bora-bora-tarte-brand-trip-influencer-tiktok-drama-1234983865/
