Love her or hate her, it seems like you just can’t get away from someone mentioning Taylor Swift. Me? I happen to rock out to 1989 in my car every moment possible, but that’s not the focus of today’s discussion… so I digress.

Last week Gini Dietrich posted Taylor’s “#swiftmas” video on her weekly post: Gin and Topics. Shortly, a conversation ensued about whether it was genuine, if she had help wrapping aaaall of those presents or if it was just a staged publicity stunt. In summary, we came to the conclusion that she HAD to have help and it was definitely a coordinated publicity effort – but her solid brand platform was reason enough for its success. A lightbulb appeared and the rest of this blog post was born.

Let’s take a recap of Ms. Swift’s success this year, shall we?

• In February, she gave a killer performance at the 2014 Grammy’s, overshadowing the fact she didn’t win a single award.
• In June, she ended her “Red” world tour as the highest grossing tour of 2013-2014
• In July, Big Machine Records announced to the world that she had recorded her first pop album.
• In August, she dropped her single “Shake It Off.”
• In September, she submerged herself in the world of social media – meeting her fans where they were.
• In October, she dropped her 1989 album and became New York City’s Global Welcome Ambassador.
• In November, she removed all of her music from Spotify.
• In December, she celebrated her 25th birthday in style, received several awards and made many media appearances. She also pulled off what has been deemed the most epic-fan experience with #swiftmas, sending gifts customized to the wants/desires/personalities of select fans – creating a digital response most brands would go crazy for.

Just so we are on the same page… that list is pretty exhaustive; however, it includes a few items that could have been damaging to the Taylor Swift brand.

Each time a country performer has experienced pop success, he or she has been met with backlash from fans, the industry, etc… Think Shania Twain, the Dixie Chicks and LeAnn Rimes. However, Taylor was met with a lot of industry support.

Pulling from Spotify was another bold move. Fans could have revolted, but they didn’t. They still purchased the music… her album sales did not waver.

Question: Why? Why did the country music industry not shun her. Why did her fans not revolt? 

Answer: Because Taylor Swift has bottled the one thing that all brands should really seek to emulate – generosity, kindness and human-to-human interaction.

Was #swiftmas coordinated? Yes, it had to be; however, the gift-giving extravaganza is just one point in her career-long history of being nice to her fans. She understands very well that her success depends on her audience – and she caters her messaging/actions to them. Simply – being nice goes a long way for her. Now, what does all of that have to do with our industry? A lot. Press onward for three takeaways that brands can use to achieve Swift-status:

1. Remember your audience is human, regardless of demographic or sociographic. Be real with them. Have real conversations where they are – whether on Tumblr or the town community center.

2. Research is important. Each fan’s gifts from Taylor were personalized. That didn’t come without some serious research. Brands should always dive a little deeper. If content isn’t resonating with an audience – figure out why! Dive into analytics. Talk to people. Do your research!

3. Don’t be too big for your britches. Taylor has been in the music industry since the age of 13. She has had plenty of time to become arrogant – but she hasn’t. She always acknowledges that she would be nothing without her fans. Brands would not be anything without the consumer targets that purchase or buy into products and ideas. If brands keep that as a guiding light throughout all endeavors, they should fair pretty well.

See? Boom. Swift-status. Now… which Taylor Swift song is your favorite? 

Samantha McCain
PR & Content Manager