Taylor Swift, ever heard of her?
Of course you have – because at this point, unless you dwell on the moon, she’s everywhere; a global musical force to be reckoned with. Her albums break streaming records as they garner all the awards. Her ticket sales break the internet and bolster national GDPs. And now she’s the unofficial spokeswoman for *checks notes*…the NFL?
Look the girl knows her way around a guitar and piano, but insane musical talent aside, Swift is a keen and clever marketing wizard.
Don’t believe us? Let’s look at some of the most recent evidence, and keep in mind, this was all indirect. None of this was a planned marketing campaign:
- Travis Kelce’s jersey sales spiked 400% after she attended a game…and she wasn’t even wearing a jersey.
- Kelce’s Instagram gained 900k NEW followers.
- From Arby’s personal Twitter to an article in Yahoo News, we’ve never seen so much hubbub over a singular chicken nugget before.
- “Seemingly Ranch” is everyone’s new favorite pop-culture joke.
Again, those examples are just byproducts of her eating lunch at a football game (imagine her intentional marketing prowess), showing you how once you build a brand, the marketing opportunities present and sustain themselves. Cool.
But how did Swift go from a 15-year-old with a dream and a fake country accent (by the way, are we all just pretending that didn’t happen? Is that the plan?) to mega popstar with a bigger business portfolio than a marketing person on Wall Street?
If we’re being real, some of it is luck and a darn good publicist, but there are definitely a few components that you yourself can take notes from in terms of building your own brand. We can’t guarantee that you’ll be featured in an NFL TikTok bio anytime soon, but these should help you at least a little bit.
- Very strategic social media – after the Kanye and Kim debacle, Taylor really scaled back her social media usage. Now she employs it as a way to connect with fans and sustain engagement with her puzzle games and clues before album releases. She does post the occasional personal photo now and again, but all this is to say that her social media presence is almost more special because it’s so rare. Truly this is a testament to the fact that ultimately, if what you’re selling is good, then quality over quantity wins every time (ok but what did the last lyric clue puzzle mean, I’m spiraling).
- The power of narrative – has anyone ever harnessed the power of storytelling quite like Swift? Whether it’s her own trials and tribulations searching for love, or stories of nonexistent people she just felt like making up/singing about, she makes us care. Granted, narrative is a bit more seamless in your business model if what you do is inherently creative (like songwriting) but the real reason narrative resonates is because it makes us feel like we know her; we care because we can tell she does. In a world where your clients want to feel like they know you before they buy, this is an important reminder to let them know your story.
- Evolution and adaptability – Again, one minute she’s twanging like there’s no tomorrow, and the next we’ve got a synth-pop baseline without a banjo in sight. And Swift’s audience eats it all up every time. She’s mastered the balance of giving people what they love while also pushing them right along with her own transformative process. This ensures that her audience pull is well-rounded and that fans still get what they love without feeling bored.
Along with being a lyrical genius, Swift is, without a doubt, a marketing expert and is a true testament to the power that is carving out and constantly refining your brand voice. She’s literal proof that with connection comes conversion. She is also our sun, our moon, and all our stars.
Ok, we promise we’re done – we’re gonna go eat some chicken tenders with seemingly ranch in our 87 Jersey and we hope you have a great day.