Whether you’re a Taylor Swift fan or not, you can’t deny Taylor Swift is rock her brand. Her new CD came out this week but she’s been promoting it for months. Her marketing team has got to be second to none. It’s on brand, attention getting and clever. Every. Single. Time.
She instagrams photos of her cookie baking endeavors, is genuinely giddy about the things she loves and goes out of her way to thank her fans. She’s happy, likes kittens, red lipstick and dances like no one is watching (literally). She’s tied this personality into her brand and her fans love it. They feel like they could be her best friend, these little nuances make her relatable, and completely lovable to her fans. Sure, some people turn their noses her way, but those people aren’t her target market. And it’s okay that they don’t like her. Why? Because the ones that do are loyal and will follow her (even as she progressed from country to pop to slightly techno) and they just got more and more excited.
Here’s what she’s done to promote her new album:
These Awesome Videos:
Why they work: In both videos you can see Taylor totally being herself. In one, she’s excitedly playing with a bunch of kittens (one of which is actually her own!). If you follow her at all you know she loves cats of any kind. In the other she’s showing of her own style in a ton of Polaroids. And the best part is that she released new, never before heard snippets of her songs. You know that got people listening! And even better, she was able to do this while collaborating with other brands. Genius. I don’t even like kittens (and I’m a Diet Dr. Pepper Girl), but I watched that Diet Coke commercial multiples times.
Instagram Sneak Peaks:
Why they work: Taylor’s been releasing one line of song each day on Instagram- and writes nothings but the Track #. It’s been awesome. One line doesn’t tell us exactly what the song’s about, but it’s got us interested. We’re excited to know more, to hear more and counting down the days until we can buy the songs ourselves. She’s also putting her personality into it- they’re all handwritten and photographed by T-Swizzle herself.
Getting Fans involved:
Taylor Swift hosted 1989 Secret Sessions months before the cd was officially set to release. She scoured the internet for her biggest fans and invited them to a secret party where she gave them a preview of all the new songs.
Why this Works: Taylor went out of her way to meet her new fans, to give them the extra experience, to really show she cared about them. As small business owners, isn’t this what we strive for? To go the extra mile for our fans (clients)? Why? Because we know that’s what really creates loyal fans, the kind that will keep coming back to cheer you on.
There have been more- from releasing a new song from the album a week on iTunes, interviews with talk shows, and a release party with Ellen Degeneres on her show. Although I’ll admit I’m a Taylor Swift fan (no guilt here!), I’m writing this because I respect and admire the approach she’s taking on her brand. She’s a smart business woman, she knows what she wants and has plans to get there (Of course, I realize she’s got a team that helps her, but I also really think she’s actually in charge unlike so many other pop artists on the music scene). I’m so impressed by the continual buzz about the album she’s creating. It’s fresh, exciting and original. I love it.
I’ll admit, I do kind of love her. Especially after seeing her video for “Shake it off.” And yes, she seems like a really savvy business woman who knows her peeps and what they want. Interesting points to consider from a small business perspective—while we don’t have the budget to make killer commercials, we can certainly build interest in our services and go above and beyond for our clients in creative ways that are “on brand” for us.
Exactly! The funny thing is, when she first started out she was contracted with a music label that was a start up and was their first singer they partnered with. Her and her family actually packaged (and I think shipped) them all. She started very small, but grew it because fans reacted and related her her- her style, her lyrics and her personality. In the beginning, she didn’t have the budget for any of those things either, but 5 albums later, she’s totally there. And for me, there’s so much to take away and learn from that.
I do like Taylor Swift and I just saw her on Good Morning America this morning. I think that she is sweet and easy to relate to. She even writes her own songs! That is so clever to share phrases from her upcoming songs on IG!
Yes, I think that’s the biggest way people relate to her! They hear her songs, know that she’s the one that’s written them and that they’re from her own experiences and think “she’s describing exactly how I feel too.” That’s actually the reason I started listening to her songs in the first place! :)
Ah, soooo well explained and researched Megan! i don’t know if it’s her or her PR team, but it’s pretty amazing. I’m officially jealous of TS, never thought I’d say that! She is pretty cool though I guess ;)
I’ve never been jealous of her songwriting talent (though I do think that is what originally made her a star and is the basis for her entire brand), but you’re right, I so admire her what she’s doing with her style, her brand and her fans. And I want to learn from what she’s doing!
Great post! I’m not really a Taylor Swift fan, but she’s doing an awesome job with her branding and promotions–and that Coke commercial; amazing! But I’m a crazy cat lady! ;)
That’s why the commericial is so genius, you love it and aren’t a fan, and I love it and don’t like cats. Its so charming all together.
This is an interesting topic to blog about, as I just watched an interview of her on E news the other night. I wouldn’t say I am a HUGE fan of her music (although there are a couple of songs that I do like), after watching some more recent interviews of her, I think you hit this right on the nail. After her interviews, I thought to myself, ‘Man, she seems like someone I would really enjoy hanging out with and who would be a loyal great friend, and who cares if Im not a huge fan of her music’. She markets herself as relatable, people want to be her friend, ( and they kind of are), and that’s why she is killing it.
“People want to be her friend, (and they kind of are)” – You described that perfectly! She’s made them all into friends and not just fans. So Smart.
Awesome! When I heard about the secret sessions she held with fans, I thought “wow, what a brilliant business tactic!” I don’t know of any other celebrity who has done something like that.
And the craziest part is that NOT A SINGLE PERSON leaked information about the songs afterwards — just because she asked them not to! That alone shows she is so respected by her audience.
And you know that they had to be so excited and just bursting to tell every single person they talked to! That loyalty is crazy (and awesome!)
I totally agree! Her brand is brilliant, and her promotions for this album have been top-notch. Love her or hate her, you have to admit she’s good at what she’s doing. I thought the secret sessions and the album lyrics were brilliant. She has a cult following for a reason!
For sure! And she doesn’t take that following lightly, she actually has a genuine desire to meet them and know them.
I think what she has done with Instagram is brilliant! It’s smart, engaging, attention-grabber – all while doing what she loves to do. I truly believe she has found her “style” and isn’t afraid to flaunt it.
I’m a designer and I’m inspired to do the same – to promote my business. Thank you for this wonderful post!
ps. S
Exactly! There is so much to take away from her business and social strategy. It’s admirable.
The thing I take away from this is to know who your target market is, and serve them while ignoring those who don’t want your services. Taylor illustrates that being yourself and caring about your fans will bring you success. That and not every girl can rock with Def Leopard.
I knew about the Instagram campaign, but not the secret sessions. That’s brilliant and genuinely thoughtful. All of it shows you the importance of knowing your audience and not trying to appeal to everyone, just the ones who matter. (U2’s PR team should take a lesson from that following the Apple free music blunder…and I write that as a lifelong U2 fan.)