This past weekend, I stood among 60,000 other fans in Anfield Stadium in Liverpool watching Taylor Swift light up the stage and the sky with her Eras Tour. And I’ve got to say…
✨ She was absolutely phenomenal. She is a powerhouse – on stage, off stage, online, everywhere.
It was a mother-daughter trip, our first one away together and it was so special. And I will write another blog about the brilliant Liverpool Taylor Trail that was created – art installations around the city centre based on her albums. A real show stopper and very clever for Liverpool to do…more to come on that.
But while this is in my mind, I’m writing it today…because, yes I saw an absolute powerhouse perform an unforgettable show, I saw a masterclass in marketing.
Taylor Swift isn’t just a pop icon. She’s a movement. And she gives us small business owners a powerful lesson
Tap into a cultural conversation..
Lets look at the Taylor Swift Effect?
In 2024 alone, Taylor:
Broke records for the highest-grossing tour of all time,
Made NFL ratings soar simply by showing up at games,
Caused ticket websites to crash (again)
Boosted the local economies of every city she visited.
And that’s just some of the public stuff – people will look to her for how she’ll vote in the election. She has an effect on her Swifties and it’s a real.
But also, a lot of small business rode the The Taylor Swift wave—and won.
Hotels booked out. Restaurants ran themed menus. Local makers sold friendship bracelets by the bucketload.
I tell ya, I found it hard to get a hotel at a decent price. So I gave up and got a really nice hotel as I was paying stupid money for it! The “Taylor Swift Economy” became a real thing.
So the question to ask yourself for the next Taylor Swift Effect is how can you ride a pop culture wave?
The truth is you don’t need a global superstar in your town to tap into a cultural moment. You just need to:
Notice what people are talking about
Join the conversation in a way that feels natural to your company or brand
Offer value, fun, or connection that relates to the trend
Here’s how to tap into the next Cultural Wave, the next Taylor Swift Effect
1. Be Timely
Taylor’s Eras Tour had everyone buzzing. What did the clever small businesses do?
Nail salons offered “Eras manicures”
Bakeries sold Swiftie cupcakes
Etsy stores launched friendship bracelet bundles
So how can you add your voice in a fun or thoughtful way to the next event – sports, concerts, holidays, viral trends (although I’m not the biggest fan of this but it could work for your business).
Now remember this – speeds wins. So you will need to act fast. Don’t overthink it, just do it!
2. Make It Yours
You don’t have to copy what everyone else is doing. Put your spin on it. How many times do I tell you..you do you because of your YOU factor.
So look, even though I advised you jump on the next big thing in point #1 above, lets look at how you can do you for the Taylor Swift Effect this week….
A coach might do “The Eras of Business Growth”
A coffee shop might rename drinks based on song titles
A marketer (ahem!) might write a blog just like this 😉
Do it now, be fun, be clever, use your personality.
3. Create Connection
I have said lots of time, in a workshops, blogs and talks…connection is the new currency in a post pandemic world.
It’s true for your business as it is for Taylor Swift.
You see, Taylor’s fans don’t just listen, they belong. They are collectively ‘swifties’. Taylor brings them along with her, and intrigues them with her coding of numbers in her lyrics etc. She reaches out, supports and appreciates her fans.
You can do the same.
Ask your audience what their favorite era (or business phase) is
Run a poll: “Which Swift lyric describes your brand today?”
Let people submit their own Eras-style customer journey stories
Connection turns content into community. That’s how you build communities of raving fans, not just followers, not just transactions but true community.
You can still ride the Taylor Swift effect, like I’ve suggested earlier. Or you can prepare yourself for the next one.
As I mentioned earlier, keep an eye out for upcoming major sports event, the biggest one that springs to mind is the Olympics in Paris in July. What football or sports event like World Cups, euros, etc are coming up that you can tap into?
Book launches, movies, TV show anniversaries…these are all great cultural moments that you can use in your marketing to create some joy, some fun, some lessons, something different that shows YOU and your YOU factor.
Here’s my final thought….
You might be a one-person business. You might have a team of twenty-five. But as a small business owner, you have something the big brands don’t:
Agility
Personality
Permission to be real
That’s what makes your voice powerful when you plug into pop culture.
So whether it’s Taylor Swift, the Barbie movie, or a surprise internet meme, always ask yourself…..
What can I say that adds to this moment and brings my audience closer?
Because marketing isn’t just about selling.
It’s about belonging.
And I just want to thank you for being here.
(now I’m off to peel my friendship bracelets off me and wash all the glitter out of my hair!)
