Whether you’re a fan of her music or not, Taylor Swift’s impact on the world is simply undeniable. In 2023, she joined a small, elite group of celebrity billionaires. However, Taylor Swift’s billions come almost exclusively from songwriting and performing, a testament to her loyal fans (or Swifties, as she lovingly calls them). Swifties across the world have been spending their hard-earned money on Taylor’s albums, concerts, and merchandise for the last 15+ years, and they show no signs of slowing down or closing their wallets.
Swift has achieved levels of stardom that put her on par with some of the biggest names in the music world: Elvis, the Beatles, and Michael Jackson. A single tweet from Taylor resulted in more than 35,000 voter registrations in 2023. It is estimated that upon its conclusion, her Eras Tour will become the highest grossing tour of all time. The Eras Tour film, in partnership with AMC, earned $100 million in advanced ticket sales, proving her fans can’t get enough of her content.
She’s even influencing the NFL simply by showing up to cheer on boyfriend Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs: Kelce jersey sales went up by 400% and ticket sales for Chiefs home games shot up 3x on StubHub. This year’s Super Bowl was the most watched broadcast since the 1969 Moon landing, with many crediting that to the boost in female viewership because of Taylor Swift. Put simply, her loyal fans won’t hesitate to support their favourite superstar.
‘QUESTION…?’ Her influence in building fan relationships and keeping lifelong superfans is undeniable, so it must be asked: how does she do it?
Swift builds relationships with her best customers, entices fans to stay engaged, and drives lifelong loyalty with exclusive offers and unique opportunities.
The Marigold Relationship Marketing Trends: Brand Rankings Report underscores just how valuable brand loyalty is when it comes to consumers: 68% of consumers state that they will pay more to shop with their preferred brands. So who stands to benefit most? Brands that focus on building strong bonds with customers, much like Swift does with her own fans. From loyalty programmes, brand engagement, and customer retention, let Marigold help you build your own superfans.
Ready for your superfan era? Marigold can help your marketing message sing!
A fundamental key to Swift’s relationship with her fans is her authentic portrayal of herself, and in turn, her brand. Through her personal storytelling and song lyrics, she shares heartbreak and personal achievements without breaking from her original identity. Love or hate her post-breakup swooning, Swift has built a strong sense of authentic community and belonging among her fanbase that keeps fans coming back.
Consumers want to support brands that are transparent in their messaging and remain true to their brand values. In a survey conducted by Stackla, 90% of customers note authenticity as an important factor in deciding which brands they will support. In a crowded and often saturated market, capturing and keeping consumer attention means staying authentic about who you are and what you stand for as a brand, all of which can make the difference in building long-lasting customer relationships.
Authenticity is one of 7 key ingredients for cultivating customer loyalty. Ready to find out more? Watch our webinar The 7 Essential Components for Cultivating Customer Loyalty with Let’s Talk Loyalty!
Since the beginning of her career, Swift has interacted with fans via social media and offered up surprise events and interactive experiences. She creates a sense of purpose and belonging, all while deepening relationships and driving engagement. Take the friendship bracelets made famous at her tour: a single lyric spurned a fan-driven movement that connects her fans and builds her brand.
In an increasingly digital world, consumers crave meaningful, personalised interactions. One-way marketing messages no longer resonate with the majority of consumers, and brands must adapt their content strategies to include greater engagement with their community. This can include personalisation and targeted emails based on their interests, sharing conversational prompts on social media to foster dialogue, or implementing reward programmes to encourage your top fans.
Swift is famous for her use of hidden messages and ‘easter eggs’ to share information with her fans. From capitalised letters encoding secret messages within her lyrics, to colour-coded social media posts, numerology, word searches, and elaborate hints, Swift has created puzzles for her fans. Past hidden messages have revealed everything from exclusive new albums to special offers and events. Most recently, Swift partnered with Google for a 1989 (Taylor’s Version) search where fans could work together to solve puzzles that ultimately unlocked the tracklist for her upcoming album. Swift is a master of gamifying engagement and rewarding participation.
Gamification can be a powerful tool to set your brand apart from the competition: enhancing customer engagement, incentivising desired behaviours, and building meaningful, lasting loyalty. The 2024 Marigold European Consumer Trends Index Report found that roughly a third of consumers find value in receiving exclusive access to products, events, and services.
Ready to get started? Here are our favourite 7 ways to gamify your email campaigns!
Swift has become a pro at reinvention and rebranding herself. From her country music roots to her pop break-up ballads, Taylor’s music spans several genres and covers a wide range of topics. She’s evolved in her storytelling, performance style, and even her look as she’s grown up alongside her fans.
Brands must take a similar approach to maintain a competitive edge. As competition and the consumer continue to evolve, so should you. Keeping up with industry trends and focusing on innovation – for example, the latest advancements in personalisation – ensures your brand stays relevant to potential new customers and strengthens loyalty among your existing customer base.
The key to brand loyalty is building and maintaining strong relationships. While Swift’s chart-topping and record-breaking albums are definitely a factor in her massive success, it’s no secret that her focus on her fans is the key to her longevity. The Swifties are at the centre of everything she does, and her strategic engagement keeps them loyal, both in their dedication to her brand and their willingness to spend on that brand. At Marigold, our focus on building relationships is at the heart of everything we do, from finding and engaging your customers to personalising offers that turn them into loyal superfans.
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Marigold: where relationships take root.
