In all aspects of my life, I value finding truth and meaning to get the most out of my time here. For me, a commitment to authenticity gets me there. It requires self awareness, self reflection and the openness to learn from others and find real connection.
Forbes Communications Council sought insight regarding what marketers and communications execs can learn from artists like Taylor Swift, an entertainment powerhouse and marketing trailblazer.
OUR TAKE:
7. Find Your Truth And Meaning
Artists can teach us a lot about marketing. Influential musical artists are authentic. They thrive on fully expressing their ideas. We advise clients that you cannot message yourself out of a problem or into an aspiration. Find the truth and meaning first. This kind of authentic approach, similar to how an artist digs deep for inspiration, goes a long way in establishing relevance and trust. - Rachel Kule, Pursuit PR
FULL ARTICLE:
Whether you’re a music fan or not, you’ve likely come across Taylor Swift on social media, the news, the radio or really any other platform. And there’s a good reason for that—excellent marketing. Intentionally and maybe sometimes unintentionally, Swift and her team have created a massive community of loyal followers and unmatched hype and buzz, especially in recent years. Many other music legends have leveraged similar star power to build unbeatable personal brands—so what can companies learn from these artists for their own brands?
Below, the communications and marketing experts of Forbes Communications Council weigh in on the top lessons they think companies can learn from Taylor Swift and other influential musical artists and the reasons why these tips are so effective. Their marketing secrets may not be as difficult to implement as you may think.
1. Build A Strong Connection With Your Fans
Taylor Swift's genius is the connection she built with her fans from the beginning—allowing them in and letting them be a part of her story and journey. If she were a company, the fans would be more than just employees or shareholders; they feel like her co-founders. That coupled with her authenticity and ability to weave a cohesive and concurrent story makes everything feel fresh and urgent. - Nina Mehta, MIT Technology Review
2. Know You Can't (And Won't) Please Everyone
Understand your audience and stakeholders and then curate content, experiences and products for them. Make what you offer interesting, engaging and worth buying. And last but not least, "haters gonna hate." You can't and shouldn't please everyone. Chasing total acceptance is the surest way to win the race to mediocrity. - Eric Brown, JumpCloud
3. Create Anticipation Through Intentional Moments
It's partially the anticipation artists build and the moments they create. Taylor's The Eras Tour streaming release dropped on her birthday (December 13) and the cost was, of course, $19.89 (like the album). Fans scrambled to ask their parents for it—believe me, I know! While accepting her 13th Grammy, she teased a new album to be released in April. Debatable if that was the right time, but it was a moment—and genius. - Chris Cradduck, LDWW
4. Figure Out What Makes Your Brand Unique
The common thread among influential musical artists is how uniquely they stand out in their industry. For that reason, influential artists (like Michael Jackson, Prince and Bob Marley) possessed a standout uniqueness in their personal brands (including their personal style and performance signature). The lesson? For a brand to be influential, it must be able to uniquely stand out. - Kerry-Ann Betton Stimpson, JMMB Group
5. Stay Authentic To Who You Are
Authenticity is the key driver. Artists and brands alike will find they can drive a more deep, meaningful connection when they are most true to their authentic selves. That connection is what keeps fans and customers coming back to engage because it inevitably adds value to their lives in some way. - Maggie Mistovich, TextUs
6. Use The Four P's
Keep it simple. Use the four P's: product, premium, promotion and price. If your product is amazing, like Taylor Swift, and you promote creatively and effectively, such as using the NFL as a channel, the price you charge will move toward a premium. - Doug Vinson, Secuvy Inc.
7. Find Your Truth And Meaning
Artists can teach us a lot about marketing. Influential musical artists are authentic. They thrive on fully expressing their ideas. We advise clients that you cannot message yourself out of a problem or into an aspiration. Find the truth and meaning first. This kind of authentic approach, similar to how an artist digs deep for inspiration, goes a long way in establishing relevance and trust. - Rachel Kule, Pursuit PR
8. Take A Proactive Approach To Relevance
Demonstrating agility, Swift carefully orchestrates long-term plans, strategically teasing releases to engage her audience interactively. This underscores the importance for businesses to adapt and refine their brand, matching evolving market dynamics for continued relevance. A proactive mindset, embracing agility, leads to greater profitability when compared to a reactive approach. - Emily Burroughs, BGSF
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9. Walk Beside Your Customers Rather Than Selling
The most influential musical artists have a vision and a platform. They have a team that can properly articulate that vision, sharing their values and beliefs in a way that resonates and connects with fans. A brand can apply this to their own marketing by simplifying their message and working to be an empathetic ally that walks beside someone to solve a challenge rather than simply selling something. - Tiffany Staples, Celebrus
10. Build And Nurture Your Own Community
Taylor Swift is a master marketer because she has one focus: her fans. She makes them feel like they're a part of her inner circle. Brands can learn from this by focusing on their own community of "Swifties" and creating unique experiences that will not only get people talking, but that will also make others want to be a part of that inner circle too. - Kathy Sucich, Dimensional Insight
11. Let Your Brand Speak For Itself
Brands can learn a lot from Taylor Swift. Most of all, the lesson is that authenticity wins. She doesn’t take herself too seriously, and she doesn’t get caught up in how people interpret her life. She just lives. Brands tend to overthink every nuance of their campaigns. In reality, they should focus on the things that are most authentic and let those speak for themselves. - Layla Kasha, Grocery Outlet
12. Create A Sense Of Mystery And Intrigue
When analyzing the marketing of the most influential artists, you’ll find they all have something in common: mystery. Creating some intrigue and not giving your customers all the answers at once can be a great way to keep people interested and returning to your brand. Holding back can create more suspense and get your client asking questions, allowing you to answer and put your brand in the right light. - Sarah Lero, A.L. Huber
13. Tell Genuine, Relatable Stories
Taylor Swift captivates fans with genuine stories, earning loyalty through unique, relatable experiences. Prioritizing authenticity, she nurtures a welcoming community, showing real connections can lift a brand to legendary status. This underscores the power of personal engagement and inclusivity in crafting a lasting legacy. - Cord Himelstein, HALO
14. Invest In The Brand Experience
Emotional connections are lasting connections. This is why it's so important to invest in the brand experience. When competitors enter your space or product friction occurs, brand connections hold companies and their customers together. - Nat Lennox, Nat Lennox
15. Embrace Innovation And Adaptability
Authenticity comes first. Swift’s heartfelt, relatable persona shows the value of building a genuine brand that audiences can trust and connect with. However, her continuous reinvention of her musical style and her willingness to experiment show how important adaptability is too. Marketers need to stay agile and embrace creative innovation, not just stick with what worked in the past. - Alyssa Kopelman, Healthline Media