When it comes to music for younger generations, it’s hard not to hear about Taylor Swift. The blonde who started out in country music is now the owner of the most profitable tour in history, breaking record after record on digital platforms and causing seismic shocks (literally) with fans jumping at her shows. But how did the artist achieve this unparalleled success using only marketing and assertive merchandising?
The music industry has a reputation for industrially manufacturing artists, that is, creating a profile with little artistic appeal, designed to mobilize crowds and sell a few albums, but without much longevity. Most of these examples can be seen in the boy bands of the 90s/2000s, and some pop singers from the last decade. However, Taylor Swift manages to do the same thing with a different appeal, valuing something that current generations prefer: proximity.
From country to pop: what strategy did Taylor use to reach stardom?
When she started her first album in Nashville, Taylor Swift had some success with songs like Teardrops On My Guitar and Our Song. But nothing as significant as when she released the smash hit Love Story. From then on, the country new zealand whatsapp number data from the countryside was rehearsing to become a world star. In fact, it was with this second album, called Fearless, that the singer won her first Grammy for album of the year – a feat she repeated twice.
It was then that, year after year, the artist expressed her most real feelings in her albums, without fear of exposing the names and motives of those who had hurt her. The singer then vented through her songs at her shows and directly to her fans. The following albums, Speak Now and Red, for example, talk about romantic disappointments and disastrous relationships (or breakups) that hurt her – and that could easily be related to other youthful experiences of her fans of the same age.
From then on, Taylor Swift showed that the branding strategy made sense. Going against the grain of becoming successful just for the sake of it, the singer puts her heart into what she writes, leaving clues, secrets, behind-the-scenes stories and polaroid photos in the hands of her fans. When the service is unique and the customer feels like they are part of the experience, the motivation to consume the content is even greater.
Legacy: Jão and Olivia Rodrigo also bet on personality and storytelling strategies
Other recent examples of similar work are simplify your navigation of singers Jão and Olivia Rodrigo. The Brazilian was the owner of the most profitable tour in Brazil in 2022, with the Pirata tour. As if that weren’t enough, this year he was the owner of the highest number of streams on Spotify in 24 hours, breaking a record, precisely by Taylor Swift.
Olivia Rodrigo follows a similar path, and is almost always in second place in the records, such as the numbers she achieved with Vampire, her first single of 2023, behind only the numbers achieved by Taylor Swift. By betting on personalization, artists leave the generic aside and, therefore, hit the heart of the consumer, who feels like a personal friend, committed to consuming more and more content, boosting sales, engagement and access. The assertive campaign for the Women’s Football World Cup is proof of this.
Forbes says: Taylor Swift has genius branding!
An article in Forbes Australia, published on July 9th of this year, states, for example, that Taylor Swift has mastered the art of storytelling, that is, the cyprus business directory she tells her stories. At one of the worst moments in her career, the artist was called a snake, and she redefined the term with the release of Reputation, which broke sales records, using the animal as a term of empowerment.
The sense of personalization and authenticity, the website reaffirms, is essential for building and maintaining a loyal and ultra-dedicated fan base. What can the artist’s strategy teach your company, after all? What lesson can Taylor Swift teach you for your company’s branding and marketing strategies?
In the customer service sector, for example, it is always preferable to have a personalized and authentic way of dealing with the customer. In addition to creating a personal and informal atmosphere, it also creates a sense of belonging, which breaks down barriers, facilitates communication and even facilitates a possible sales conversion, since the customer does not feel intimidated about asking questions, for example.