As Taylor Swift’s Era’s tour returns to London, marketers can learn a lot from her use of personalisation and audience management. From high-level engagement to compelling storytelling and exclusive experiences, Swift has demonstrated the powerful impact of effective communication.
Focus on Storytelling & Brand Narratives
Swift’s tour is a masterclass in storytelling, with each “era” representing a unique phase in her artistic and musical journey. This creates a cohesive and immersive experience for fans. Marketers can adopt a similar approach by developing a dynamic brand narrative that evolves and adapts to keep audiences engaged over time.
One way of doing this is by Incorporating local storytellers and influencers into your content to enhance the authenticity of the narrative, making it more relatable to diverse audiences.
Create Exclusive Experiences
The Eras tour features exclusive elements such as different song performances and special guest stars for each date, making fan experiences unique. Swift also gives away her iconic black hat from the song “22” to a child at each show, making it an exclusive experience when watching her live.
Marketers can mirror this by offering limited-edition products or personalised offers to loyal consumers or customers in specific locations. For effective personalisation in marketing, you must ensure that your content, offers, or messages are highly relevant both culturally and linguistically to the individual recipient, based on their preferences, behaviours, and needs.
Emphasis on Authenticity
Authenticity in marketing is about more than just words; it’s about cultural resonance.
Taylor Swift’s authenticity and transparency have fostered deep trust and loyalty among her fans. Marketers should strive to maintain authenticity in their communications, ensuring that personalised marketing efforts feel genuine. Tailoring messages to reflect regional cultures and languages helps build trust and reinforces a brand’s authentic image, which is vital for successful international expansion.
Utilise Audience Segmentation for Engagement Strategies
Taylor Swift’s Eras tour illustrates the importance of audience segmentation and engagement. Her show incorporates local phrases, such as “Bolt ya rocket” in Scotland and “Pog mo thoin!” in Dublin during the song ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ created personalised moments that resonate deeply with fans.
Effective personalisation demands a deep understanding of local cultures and preferences to drive engagement and strengthen emotional connections, particularly with UK fans who resonate with this humour. For marketers, data analytics can help to identify key segments and tailor marketing efforts with custom emails and localised promotions.
Leverage Multi-channel Engagement
The success of Swift’s Eras tour is also attributed to its multi-channel promotion, using a consistent and personalised message across various platforms. Like the best marketers, she leverages multiple channels, tailoring content to match each platform and its demographic to maximise reach and engagement.
Personalisation is crucial in multi-channel marketing. It’s not just about translating content but adapting it to fit the unique characteristics of each platform and its audience.
Krissie Petfield is head of marketing at global creative production house RWS
