If you want an example of a marketing genius, look no further than Taylor Swift. She has created an empire of crazy fans, like myself, who are completely transfixed with her every move.
Taylor Swift's success is largely owed to her ability to make her fans feel involved. True fans are into the theories and trying to learn more. She reveals just enough to keep people interested, but not too much so as to keep them wanting more.
Brand marketing is so important. Remember when Taylor Swift was apolitical and everybody was angry about it and thought she was a selfish pansy? For a minute there, it seemed like Taylor Swift was #canceled.
But then, her brand was too predictable. Songs about boys, an album every two years then a tour. She would stay out of issues, and some would argue, play the victim.
Now she stands up for what she believes in and is self-deprecating and humorous. She's no longer miss perfect, and she's adaptable. She is incredibly dynamic unlike many celebrities who seem to fade from the spotlight sooner or later. She is fiercely loyal to her friends, and even mails presents to her ex's babies. The glow up is immaculate.
She stopped writing as directly about herself, which allowed her work to be met with less personal scrutiny compared to her earlier works, which was more sustainble for her.
More than this, Taylor Swift's marketing keeps her fans guessing. Ever since her reputation era, the Easter eggs have been out of this world. Look What You Made Me Do, perhaps better known as LWYMMD, was a cultural reset of sorts.
Lest we forget, the lyric “Reputation precedes Me” foreshadowed that after Reputation, ‘Me’ was the first single dropped from her album, Lover. That is why Taylor Swift is such a cultural phenomena. She’s smart.
Her songs and symbolism make me feel like I am in an English class that I actually want to be in.
People care about brands. Some of the leading authorities in the field of marketing also recognize her genius. Forbes discusses how her techniques drive customer engagement. Getting your fans to talk about you and share excitement and theories is basically free marketing! In 2017, Marketo wrote a piece on how Taylor Swift's going dark pre-reputation was an amazing play.
However, despite all of these brilliant moves, the reason she is able to pull all of this off is because she is just so damn likable. She's more than every celebrity with a perfume scent and fashion line. In recent years she has blossomed into being unapologetically herself and
When she went dark during reputation, rumors had it she was being carried around in trunks, and even further back in time, during the heyday of tumblr, someone posted this gem:
How did Taylor Swift respond, you might ask?
In her latest bamboozle of her fans, she announced another surprise album, Evermore, just months after Folklore. Further analysis to come, right now gotta go enjoy it!
Feature image by Raphael Lovaski.