Brands are ‘Down Bad’– for Taylor Swift
Fans aren’t the only ones celebrating Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour arriving in the UK – brands everywhere are joining the trend to connect their content to the singer. We explore some notable examples – and what this means for your brand.
She’s causing unprecedented music sales. She’s disrupting film distribution. She’s popping up on Wall Street earnings calls. It seems everywhere you look is Taylor Swift. Call it what you want, but since the start of her record-breaking The Eras Tour, Swift’s influence has been on another level.
And some unexpected brands have taken note. Uber, Ancestry.com and Mastercard have all tied their recent content output to Swift. BBC News even had to hit back after complaints were made about its excessive coverage of the singer’s new album.
Genealogy company Ancestry released a news report claiming that Swift is related to the famed poet Emily Dickinson. By releasing this data as an ‘exclusive’, the company generated tons of press coverage worldwide – arguably helping promote their services.
Meanwhile, travel service Uber released specially designed friendship bracelets (an Eras Tour necessity) for passengers attending concerts – with some bracelets featuring a special code for £20 off Uber Reserve.
Are these companies all ‘masterminds’ for connecting their comms to Swift? Or is jumping on the bandwagon simply an empty grab for clicks, offering views that amount to no more than ‘sweet nothings’? (Okay, I’ll stop with the puns now.)
There’s nothing wrong with your team being in their Swiftie era, but make sure you don’t just shoehorn anything Taylor-related into your content. Draw only on meaningful connections and create assets that will offer something to your target audience – and your brand.
After all, The Eras Tour might generate millions of views – but that won’t guarantee fans get on board with your comms strategy.
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Need help creating compelling content for your brand? Contact Gabrielle Bridle from our client services team at gabriellebridle@speakmedia.co.uk or on LinkedIn.