The innovative new influencer concept that’s going global
Jul 04, 2018Original Article on husskie.com
Influencer marketing is no new thing. Nor are influencer trips. But an influencer travel agency that partners brands with influencers for an all-organised international getaway? Now that’s a new concept, and one that’s got wings (literally). Meet Somewear Elsewhere, the travel agency with a difference.
Recently holding the agency’s inaugural trip to Bali, Husskie was lucky enough to be there on the ground to see it all unfold. Shooting the campaign imagery for the 15 brands involved, we were thoroughly impressed as Somewear Elsewhere founder Jessica Williamson managed to organise the crew of 9 from one location to the next – all the while making sure each brief was met (and that everyone was having fun).
Below, we chat to Jessica about how she came up with the agency idea, how it benefits both brands and influencers, plus what happened on the first trip and what she’s got planned for the next…
Kim Juan wearing Ete Swimwear
Can you tell me a bit about the concept behind Somewear Elsewhere?
Somewear Elsewhere is Australia’s first influencer travel agency pairing the world’s top influencers with the best brands, destinations and resorts in a one-off travel experiences. We offer Influencers fun travel experiences where they get to meet and hang out with other influencers in the most amazing locations. For brands, we help them navigate the world of influencer marketing as they partner with us on our trips to get mass exposure for their brand and work with us on content packages where we create stunning imagery to be used in their own marketing. We showcase the world’s best influencers enjoying their products so you get major bragging rights, plus it creates more hype around the brand rather than a one-off post.
What made you decide to launch the company?
I noticed a gap in the market for an agency that creates maximum value for both parties – brands and influencers. Where traditional agencies look to only maximise the revenue for the influencer, we are looking to maximise value for brands and are able to offer much more value than 1 post on an influencer account by creating high quality content for the brands too! As for the influencers, we take the stress out of curating trips by organising everything for them.
I also noticed that while influencer marketing is not a new concept, a lot of brands still struggle to get ROI from their influencer activities or are too hesitant to even try! I have experience working with many influencers worldwide and know the impact they can have on a business – so I set out to create Somewear Elsewhere to help brands elevate their company with this amazing tool. By doing it in a group vacation setting, the hype created is much larger due to many influencers posting about the brands at once. People also love following others on their adventures, so fans are watching their every move on the trips.
Your Passport and Kimi Juan both wearing Cool Change
You recently ran your first influencer trip. Can you give me a general outline of it?
We just came back from our first ever Somewear Elsewhere trip where we spent 4 days in the tropical paradise of Bali, Indonesia – and it was a huge success! We stayed at the Palm House Bali and had such an amazing team with Kimi Juan-Caja and her husband Thomas Caja, Emily Gurr, Your Passport’s Lara Kamnik and Your Passage’s Uros Polajzer and also the amazing Laura Jade Stone!
What did the schedule look like while you were in Bali?
We stayed in Canggu – so got to enjoy many local cafés between Canggu and Seminyak. We also spent a lot of time at the most amazing Villa (The Palm House), and of course created a lot of beautiful content along the way for all the brands that were on board.
Laura Jade Stone wearing Ete Swimwear
Would you call it a success?!
Yes! It exceeded my own expectations for our first ever trip. The influencers all loved it and said they’d love to come on all our future trips, plus the brands were more than impressed with the quality of the content produced – some of which are getting back on board for our next trip. Everyone was so great to work with and fun to be with for the 3 days in paradise – so it couldn’t have gone better! Everyone felt like family by the end of the trip and no-one wanted to leave.
How did you choose which influencers to work with?
I am very selective when it comes to who we work with. I generally have followed the influencers for quite some time before they are invited on the trip, and usually I will choose girls who I have worked with before so I know their professionalism and the impact they can have on a brand.
Other than that, I make sure we look at their stats, audiences and most importantly engagement. While it is important to have followers, it is much more important to have an engaged audience – so all the influencers we work with must have an engaged and quality audience. Sometimes this means their follower count maybe lower than another influencer, but their impact would be much larger for the brands involved.
What were some of the brands you worked with and why?
Again, I am very selective on the brands we work with because I want to make sure the influencers truly love the products. By being more selective and offering the influencers brands they truly love, it has more impact and creates greater awareness for the brands. We mainly work within the fashion/lifestyle industries to ensure the products work organically into the vacation lifestyle. In addition to the brands, we work with location providers such as activities, restaurants, and accommodation to provide the same services we offer brands.
Emily Gurr wearing Olivia & Co
Do you think being involved in an influencer trip away is a smart move for a brand?
Definitely! It can skyrocket a brand when done correctly, so we try to help brands with this strategy to ensure they get the most out of their influencer campaigns.
You also run successful swimwear label Ete Swimwear. Will you be looking to still continue operating Ete?
I founded my brand Ete Swimwear two years ago at the age of 22 and we have since grown to reaching over 70,000 swim lovers across all of our channels. Like many other brands, I found there is a real struggle to continue to produce content, work with influencers, and generate PR traction. So Somewear Elsewhere was born. I will definitely still be running Ete Swimwear – which gives me the added benefit of great insight into a trip via a brand’s perspective, allowing me to provide the best value to brands as possible.
Kimi Juan wearing Caslazur
Are you looking to do another trip soon?
Yes! We loved Bali so much we are going back in October. I am super excited about this as the brands and partners for our first trip were so happy with the deliverables that most of the local venues have invited us back.
How can interested brands and influencers get involved?
We are always excited to meet new influencers and work with new brands – so they can all apply via our website and then we can send over more information!
https://www.somewearelsewhere.com/copy-of-contact
Where are you hoping to take Somewear Elsewhere in terms of business goals?
The influencer industry is continually growing and expanding so I am looking to take this business worldwide with trips to locations all around the world, working with international brands and influencers!
Emily Gurr, Kimi Juan, Laura Jade Stone, Husskie Editor Yelena Fairfax, and Somewear Elsewhere Founder Jessica Williamson.
All images taken by Husskie Press | Main image featuring: EmmGurr
Click here to find out more about Somewear Elsewhere