If you have a mobile phone and an internet connection, then chances are you are aware of Taylor Swift, in some context or the other, however old you may be. Taylor Swift has reached an all-time high in regards to fame, popularity, and money, especially following ‘The Eras Tour,’ which began on March, 17th 2023, in Glendale, Arizona, and is set to close on December, 8th 2024, consists of 149 shows that span five continents. The country-turned-pop star always had a large fan following, but the tour has brought in a new amount of popularity to her. Taylor Swift is a phenomenon; she is a sensation; she has accomplished incredulous feats at an extremely young age. At the age of 34, became the first artist to achieve the billionaire status solely on the basis of her music, an estimated $1.1 billion fortune. Could she become bigger than Micheal Jackson and The Beatles? Well, at this rate, as she might as well.
Now, the question is how did this girl become one of the biggest names in the world, and what is the appeal about her? You might have asked this yourself. Well, the singer is a genius, not just the fact that she’s one of the greatest writers of all times but she makes incredibly bold moves. Taylor Swift is fearless – pun intended. She is a marketing strategist, a businesswoman, and a powerhouse of ideas, she’s created these innovative, comprehensive, and brilliant plans that she’s carried out consistently for over a decade.
The Tortured Poets Department?
It’s not just a “fandom”, it’s this exclusive club with all her 200 million-something-fans, (just a rough estimate since there are around 550 million followers on Instagram.)
This ‘minuscule’ club, where the fans get personal interactions from the icon herself – whether it’s commenting on a TikTok, liking an Instagram reel, or tweeting back. She gives them the attention, the validation. And in return, they shower her with love affection, and attention, and finally posting more about her or tweet her, so they can have the chance to get noticed by her, it’s a vicious cycle you see.
Taylor Swift used to invite fans to her house, now that is something not everyone does or would do, especially if they’re a public figure. Pre-covid era, Swift would frequently host fans at her own place, make homemade cookies, sing with them, and dance with them. She would know their names, take individual pictures, and all the works. This is not something every pop star would do and someone at her level, but she has and that too multiple times.
Through this and her music, resonating lyrics, and girl-next-door personality, she’s built a loyal, dedicated, and powerful fanbase, they call themselves the ‘Swifties.’
She messages privately, pays for their tuition fee, recognises them from their Twitter usernames, joins their live streams, and just makes them feel special.
The Mastermind
How is she a marketing genius you may ask, Taylor has created these interactive, delightful, and incredibly fun puzzles for the fans. The Instagram posts, never just Instagram posts, there is almost always a clue behind them, ‘easter eggs’, they call them. The braid she’s been wearing recently out for the dinners is never just a hairstyle, it might be a hint about the new album. The 1-second hand gesture that she made at some award show, a secret sign about a performance. Taylor is a Mastermind – pun intended – at these. This entire game between the singer and her fan base has not only created a bond between them but always keeps them on their toes thus keeping her in the limelight constantly.
Swift released her albums ‘Folklore’ and ‘Evermore’ with little to no prior notice or marketing, announcing them just hours before their release. This surprising tactic created significant media attention and social media buzz, leading to increased streams and sales. Everyone just had to have the surprise that Taylor Swift planned. As mentioned, the fans don’t get to rest, anything can happen at any given moment, except the unexpected when it comes to T-Swift.
Superstar/Untouchable?
The next thing that Taylor Swift does, which I feel isn’t only admirable it’s one that is most admirable, she’s as transparent as one can be in her position with her following. She’s honest, direct, and quite connectable with her Swifties. It’s a difficult task at her position, she’s one person who has to write, sing, dance, produce, do appearances, record, and of course, practice and on top of all that for her to be reachable and as connected as she is with her fans, it’s commendable. This is how she wins; this is how she keeps the 200 million fans and counting around that keep paying her, that keep buying the albums, streaming her music, attending the concerts, and everything that comes along with it.
The Great War
The songwriter partners with various brands to market her music and creates this one-of-a-kind version of music, now the die-hard Swifties would do anything to have their hands on the ‘exclusive’ items. For example, she collaborated with Capital One for a series of commercials promoting their credit card, tying in her “Lover” album release. She also partnered with Disney+ for streaming release of her “Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions” concert film that was only made for them, although they’re the same songs, and the exact same lyrics, the production might be a little different, but the fans eat it up. An amazing business tactic, as mentioned above she’s a smart entrepreneur. With this comes the greatest, boldest, cleverest trick of all; the re-recordings.
Taylor Swift began re-recording her first six albums to regain ownership of her music after her original masters were sold to Scooter Braun without her consent. By re-recording the albums, she creates new masters that she fully owns, allowing her to control future revenue. This has reduced the value of her original masters, which aren’t owned by Taylor. The move also highlights issues of artist rights and ownership in the music industry. Fans and businesses can then choose to use her new versions (often labelled as “Taylor’s Version”) rather than the original ones controlled by Braun and his investment group, Taylor’s re-recording process allows her to revisit her old work, sometimes updating it or releasing tracks she had written at the time but never officially released (known as “From the Vault” tracks).
This adds value and freshness to the new versions and becomes incentive for fans to buy the new versions, justifying the same music sold again to fans that already have the previous versions. A genius, don’t you agree?
Wonderland
The most amount of revenue generated is from her live performances and tours. Taylor Swift’s tours are some of the highest-grossing in music history. They’re are known for their large-scale production, engaging stage designs, intimate moments with fans, secret songs, celebrity guests and so much more. It’s not just a concert, it’s an experience where fans have inside jokes, they make friendship bracelets, exchange them, dress up as the different eras. The shows sell out quickly, with ticket prices often ranging from hidden views to VIP packages costing hundreds to thousands of dollars.
For the Eras Tour, high demand has resulted in some fans paying top dollar for resale tickets, Swift interacts with fans during shows, creating an emotional connection, jokes with them, carries the inside jokes that make her concerts more than just performances. This relationship drives repeat concertgoers. Each tour is meticulously planned, with set designs, incredible costumes, and visuals that reflect the theme of the associated album. And finally, her brand partnerships with companies like Capital One and Apple Music enhance her earnings while aligning with her image.
End Game
Taylor Swift has changed the game for the music industry, for branding, and for women all over the world. She’s not just a pretty face, singing and dancing to love songs, she has created this universe that makes girls feel seen, understood, and included. Whether it be for artists getting their rights over their music over streaming platforms (Read: Spotify issue) or owning the music that she had written, produced, and sung. Or it’s making girls and women feel brave and bold, she has changed the world one song at a time. She’s called out the inequality between men and women not just in the workplace but also the terms we associate with women and men how they’re incredibly different, the double standards for their love lives or business deals or their ideas, Taylor has always been outspoken and loud and unapologetic, She does not Tolerate it – pun intended.