The PR Playbook of Taylor Swift
It’s no surprise that Taylor Swift reigns supreme as the media darling of 2023. Her Eras Tour has become a cultural and economic phenomenon. It’s projected to gross $1 billion, making it the most successfully financial tour in music history.
Market research firm QuestionPro estimated that the tour could bolster the worldwide economy by $5 billion, with Swifties dropping thousands on hotels, restaurants, costumes, merchandise and local transportation, a trend the Wall Street Journal dubbed “Taylornomics.”
The pop powerhouse is no stranger to breaking records. Last fall’s infamous ticketing disasterbroke the Ticketmaster website and emboldened fans to file a class-action lawsuit for suspected antitrust violations; the opening night of the Eras Tour in Glendale, Ariz., broke Madonna’s record for highest-attended concert by a female artist; a week later Swift became the first woman to headline Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas; and most recently, ticket sales for her concert film, which premieres Oct. 13, garnered the highest advance sales in AMC’s 103-year history.
And for the first time in her career, the megastar has 11 albums simultaneously on the Billboard 200 chart (with four albums in the top 10 and nine in the top 40). Her latest album, “Midnights,” continues its hot streak at No. 5.
Whether you're a Swiftie or not, you can’t deny her and her team's business prowess and savvy communications strategies. If your PR and brand-building muscles could use a reboot, take a page out of Ms. Swift’s playbook and consider these lessons for success.