Even if you’re not a die-hard “Swiftie” like me (I’m more of a Paramore/pop-punk kind of gal), we all have to admit, in one way or another, admire her lyrical genius and know most of her songs by involuntary memory.
This, by far, is not by accident or just by the stroke of Taylor Swift’s lucky stars. It’s not even just her massive talents alone! It’s because as much as obsessive-compulsive Swifties study her every creative and romantic decision, Taylor Swift deeply understands and tries to know her audience, and by the looks of it, is more obsessive in trying to be on the top of her fans’ minds.
I think it is safe to say that no other artist or brand in our modern time, has dedicated so much of her career to giving back to her fans as much as her fans have offered their hearts and souls to such a mortal idol.
Apart from being a massive talent, Taylor Swift is no doubt a master storyteller—both in her music and in her brand marketing. To give you just a bit of a bigger picture, but with no “bad blood” whatsoever to my beloved Paramore (who, in their own right, have revolutionised the pop-punk genre most, if not the same way as Avril Lavigne has), I will discuss the marketing techniques which Taylor Swift utilised that made her reach her Eras Tour-level of fame. To the extent that, Paramore already being “Paramore”, could still be an “opener” for her (never mind the fact that they are friends).
Therefore, I ask you this: would you like to be a brand that has the power to appeal to the entire masses or a niche one? The correct answer is, it really depends on your industry, but no matter what, every brand should take notes from Taylor Swift – not only with her poignant lyrics but also her marketing techniques!
Evaluate Your Current Strategy in 10 Minutes
In just 10 minutes, you’ll have a clear understanding of your current
marketing strategy’s strengths and areas for improvement.
Storytelling:
In any Advertising 101 lesson, the fundamental thing you should know is that brands only become real, long-lasting brands through great storytelling because stories are how we, as a species, connect with each other.
Through Swift’s openness to authenticity and personalisation, her art has not only become a way to communicate her personality and her personal life to her audiences, but her songs also can be her fans’ own. Hashtag: Relatable!–because who hasn’t had their hearts broken or who hasn’t been vindicated by life’s karma against one’s enemies? This has been pivotal in building a dedicated fan base making her one of the most influential artists of her generation.
Audience Engagement:
Related to Taylor Swift’s brilliant storytelling, what really sets her apart in her marketing skills is her expert use of social media and engagement. One of the useful tools to use in effective marketing is “gamification”, and Taylor has practically gamified her entire career, and that’s why obsessed fans of hers are always on edge–ready to decrypt every Tweet or Instagram post and story—in the hopes of predicting the next album or hidden celebrity identity in her lyrics.
These “Easter Eggs” are powerful tools for building anticipation and driving engagement – tactics adding a touch of mystery, keeping fans hooked and excited, and driving her reach and popularity further.
Even her Eras Tour is unique in a way that Taylor Swift invites different big openers (like Gracie Abrams, HAIM, Paramore, Girl In Red, etc.), which creates added incentive to uber fans to literally try and go to ALL of her concerts in different cities, or at least try to predict on the online forums which artist will be opening for her in X city based on online easter egg analyses!
And not to make this a tabloid write-up, but “unwittingly” (mind the quotation), Taylor has even become somewhat of a “gay icon” even though, historically, she’s been dating dudes and is dating the “dudest” of them all – Travis Kelce! I won’t even be surprised if Taylor made a deal with the NFL first before dating that guy.
The stock for The Chiefs has risen since Taylor and Kelce started dating! The unofficial face (a.k.a. Taylor) of the NFL changed the world of football as we know it thanks to her love story with Travis Kelce.
Ahead of the Chiefs’ AFC title win over the Ravens on Jan. 28, Apex Marketing Group calculated how much brand value Swift has generated for the league and the Kansas City-based franchise. The revenue added by the singer came out to an estimated $331.5 million between print, digital, radio, TV, highlights, and social media according to Front Office Sports.
One of the things which I marveled at and made me truly appreciate what a genius capitalist Taylor Swift is, was when she released her “Midnight” album; because it was not only one album but the same album with FOUR different vinyl jacket designs – which when bought together would make a literal clock!
Talk about making your fans work! Nevertheless, what a brilliant concept that makes you realise how she truly thinks these things through and tries to personalise (and capitalise) anything and everything!
Hand-in-hand with personalisation, Taylor also curates promotional events for her special fans like “Swiftmas” and makes hand-written notes to those fans who are truly devoted to her (with their time and money). And even though The Eras Tour has been the biggest sale Ticketmaster has ever had and helped the US economy rise (one analysis estimated that the Eras Tour could generate $5 billion for the U.S. economy), it is not easy to get the tickets.
If you cannot get the expensive tiers, the only way to acquire some is through contests and raffles. Plus, she has done “Secret Sessions” offered to selected fans with exclusive previews of her upcoming music, cultivating a deeper connection between Swift and her dedicated audience.
Shock Factor:
Taylor Swift fans may think they have her all figured out but the ball is always in Taylor’s court, as she only lets fans predict what she wants to be revealed sooner or later.
Taylor is THE master of not letting anyone know her next move, and this was proven over the world’s pandemic era when she, frustrating for all of us, became the most productive human being during the Covid pandemic and released not one, but TWO albums – Folklore and Evermore.
Furthermore, not only were these two albums released willy-nilly through Spotify and without much promotion whatsoever, but the genre of these two albums was super different from her usual sound.
These were categorised as “cottage core” rather than her usual bubble gum pop or country sound! There are many ways to create online buzz and “silent killers” can be one of them — but this might only work when you’re already as big as Taylor Swift.
Reinvention:
Marketing genius, check! Marketing butterfly, double check! Whether it be high-fame collaborations, or brand deals, Taylor Swift is the epitome of a metamorphosis done well and that’s why she can do an “Eras” tour.
It is her decade’s worth of artistic accomplishments and all the reinventions she has done for her brand. During this tour, she has showcased to her fans all the transformations of her songs, personalities, and genres as an artist — her versatility and the box, or rather, unboxing she has done for herself!
Her sense of authenticity, pushing her standards up by her reinventions and growth as a person and artist, and her masterful storytelling are all intertwined in her intricate marketing web which she had carefully curated and created ever since she was sixteen.
Her brand is the “anti-brand”, creating for our generation the “anti-hero” as our modern-day hero—communicating the “trend” of how being the odd girl and the weirdo is actually a cool thing.
To follow in Taylor Swift’s marketing footsteps, it’s important that you:
Have a strong online presence – Creating compelling and relevant IG stories, Tiktok, or videos for your brand identity
Strategic collaborations – Aligning your brand with philanthropy, social activism, and other brands that will be to your advantage and work well with your brand image
Experiential and Adaptive Marketing – Create memorable experiences for your target audience through the use of technology or grassroots campaigns (ie. Surprise pop-up events, virtual concerts, and gamification)
Personalisation and Exclusivity – Merchandising offerings with different tiers and limited edition releases
Transparency – Maintaining the trust of your audience and handling controversies with grace and openness
Taking advantage of Data and Analytics – Study audience insights, optimise content, planning, and social media strategies
As brand marketers, you are never “Out Of The Woods”, building and maintaining your brand is a never-ending process—and lots of cardio on Taylor’s part!
How we can help
So…
Nice to meet you, where have you been?
I could show you incredible things
Magic, madness, heaven, sin
Saw you there and I thought
“Oh, my God, look at that face
You look like my next mistake
Marketing’s a game, wanna play?
Book a FREE Discovery call today for a limited-time offer for a free consultation and digital marketing assessment!
Exclusivity and Scarcity: