Taylor Swift’s Mastermind Era: Marketing Strategies from The Eras Tour You Can Use for Your Brand

As a Swiftie for over 16 years, I’ve always admired her as a mastermind in the music industry. Nothing about her work seems coincidental; every song, every video, and every public appearance is meticulously planned to leave her fans curious and wanting more. Swift’s knack for including easter eggs in her videos, leading fans on a thrilling treasure hunt of hidden messages and symbolism, has helped her so much in her career and it’s as if it is always expected from her already.

But it was during The Eras Tour that I truly realized just how dominant she is at the top of the music food chain. Every move she made, whether intentional or spontaneous, seemed to ignite a frenzy of excitement and anticipation among fans.

The tour wasn’t just a concert; it was a very well-crafted series of events that captivated audiences worldwide. In this article, we’ll delve into the genius behind Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour and explore the marketing strategies that propelled her to success and how you can apply them to your brand.

The Great War

Also known as the “Ticketmaster War” or whatever ticketing platform used in your country, Taylor Swift’s approach showcased several effective tactics for creating hype:

a. Scarcity Creation: Taylor leveraged scarcity by limiting ticket availability, fueling a sense of exclusivity and desire among fans.

b. Strategic Pricing and Time Pressure: Swift fairly priced the tickets and introduced designated “ticket release days,” instilling a sense of urgency and prompting fans to act “swiftly”.

c. VIP Bundles and Travel Packages: Offering limited VIP bundles with exclusive merchandise and partnering with local hotels provided fans with a complete travel experience, raising the concert’s value.

d. Exclusive Presales: Partnering with specific banks or credit card companies for exclusive presales, such as AMEX Presale in Japan or DBS Bank in Singapore, incentivized fans to use specific payment methods to secure tickets.

As a brand, you can do the following:

The Few-Items-Left Tactic: Limiting availability creates a sense of urgency, compelling customers to act quickly to secure desired items.

Importance of Call To Action (CTAs): Incorporating clear and compelling CTAs in marketing content can significantly increase sales or leads, aligning with your marketing objectives.

Limited-Time Bonus Items: Offering bonus items for a limited time, especially with smaller products, can motivate purchases and encourage customers to spend more.

Early Access Discounts: Providing time-sensitive discounts for pre-orders or exclusive promotions for loyal customers can drive early purchases and create a sense of urgency, potentially leading to quicker sell-outs.

This Scene Feels Like What I Once Saw On A Screen

Whether you’re a Swiftie since “Debut” or a newcomer to her music, attending The Eras Tour is an immersive brand experience. It showcases Taylor Swift’s remarkable storytelling prowess as audiences journey through each of her musical eras. The meticulous production design, cohesive sequencing of eras, and thematic staging and lighting all contribute to a seamless and engaging experience. The inclusion of theatrical elements for songs like ‘The Man’ and ‘tolerate it’ adds an extra layer of connection. Fans worldwide even invest months in planning their ‘Eras Outfit’ to feel a sense of belonging.

Storytelling is a potent marketing tool, and you can leverage it for your brand by:

Establishing Brand Guidelines: These guidelines define your brand’s visual and overall identity, ensuring consistency across all platforms. Taylor Swift’s strong branding for each era, recognizable by color alone, serves as a prime example.

Creating Relatable Content: Build connections with your audience by delivering content that resonates with their interests. Understanding your target audience enables you to curate relevant content while staying true to your brand. Don’t be afraid to jump on trends but make sure it is still aligned to your branding.

Make the Friendship Bracelets

Taylor mentioned a line about friendship bracelets from the song “You’re On Your Own Kid” from the album Midnights and was seen wearing some during the Lover era sparked an unexpected phenomenon. While Swift never explicitly encouraged fans to do this tradition during her tour, it quickly gained momentum among concert-goers.

Suddenly, friendship bracelets became a trend among Swifties, exchanged between fans and even sported by celebrities like Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lawrence, and Gigi Hadid. What began as a passing reference in Swift’s lyrics evolved into a cherished tradition within her community.

One of the most remarkable aspects of these friendship bracelets is the freedom of expression. There are no strict rules about how you should make it; fans use album titles, song lyrics, inside jokes, or even personal messages to customize their bracelets. Also if you are following Taylor’s personal life, her current beau, Travis Kelce made a bracelet with his phone number to catch her attention during the tour.

The widespread popularity of friendship bracelets served as a powerful form of free marketing for Taylor Swift by her fans.

What you can do as a brand:

Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC): Encouraging customers to create and share content related to your brand fosters a sense of community and belonging. UGC not only amplifies brand visibility but also cultivates affinity among customers.

Community Engagement: Building relationships with your audience is crucial for content marketing success. By creating content that resonates with your audience and actively engaging with them, you can deepen connections, and increase engagement.

Hits Different

One of the highlights of the tour is undoubtedly the ‘Acoustic Sessions.’ In addition to her greatest hits, Taylor surprises her audience with two unplugged performances, one on guitar and one on piano, reaching from her extensive music catalog. This special segment has sparked immense excitement and ongoing anticipation among fans, as each night brings the thrill of unexpected song choices. It’s become a social media sensation, with fans eagerly guessing the song combinations and speculating on Taylor’s reasons behind each selection, often linking them to her current personal life.

This excitement is a catalyst for action; when the body is energized, marketing messages are more likely to hit their mark. As marketers, we understand the power of excitement in driving prompt decision-making.

Here’s how to infuse your brand with that same “electric touch”:

Build anticipation: Whether it’s a new product launch or an upcoming event, stoke anticipation in the lead-up. Encourage discussions and generate buzz on social media platforms so that when the moment arrives, excitement is at its peak.

Offer a unique experience: What sets your brand apart? Highlight your distinctiveness and give people something they can’t find elsewhere. A unique offering is a magnet for excitement and attention.

If This Was A Movie

At this point, The Eras Tour has been unstoppable. In October 2023, she released ‘The Eras Tour Film,’ which became the highest-grossing concert film in history, raking in an impressive $261.7 million during its limited theatrical run worldwide. Partnering with Disney+ in a deal reportedly exceeding $75 million, she triumphed over competing bids from Netflix and Universal. The film shattered records on Disney+, amassing 4.6 million views and securing its position as the platform’s top music film. Swift’s strategic move not only made her tour accessible to fans who were unable to attend live but also showcased her ability to capitalize more on her existing activities effectively.

Here’s how you can apply this concept to your brand:

Repurpose content: By breathing new life into existing material — be it a blog post, video, or podcast — you can maximize its value and reach. Repurposing content not only saves time and effort but also offers numerous competitive advantages, including increased efficiency, enhanced SEO, and more targeted audience engagement.

Timing strategy: This involves planning and scheduling when to publish or share content, ads, or promotions to achieve optimal results. This approach considers factors, including audience behavior, platform algorithms, and industry trends, to ensure that messages reach the right people at the right time for maximum impact and effectiveness.

In conclusion, Taylor Swift’s branding and marketing strategies serve as a guide for marketers worldwide. Through her scheming but innovative approaches, she has not only delivered a well-put performance but also provided valuable insights for brands to draw inspiration from. My experience at The Eras Tour was not just a dream fulfilled but also a profound learning journey as a marketer. As we continue to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of marketing, let us ponder upon Swift’s “fearless” tactics to craft compelling narratives and connections that will “long live.”