Give Taylor Swift four minutes and she’ll take you back to a scene from your life. Even if you’re twice her age. If you’re half her age, it’s a preview of what’s coming.
As a mom, a marketer, and a Swiftie since my daughter and I attended her 2018 Reputation tour, I am in awe of her impact on everything she touches. Her fans, NFL jersey sales, the national economy – her latest world tour is estimated to have a total economic impact between $5 billion to $10 billion. As a friend and I were leaving the theater after watching her new Eras Tour movie, we couldn’t help but wonder: How in the world does a 33-year-old woman not only own the body of work of someone three times her age but resonate with people twice her age?
The answer is simple. Swift has the ability to reach members of every generation because she understands the magic of storytelling.
Her messaging resonates because her audience has been through it, is in the middle of it, or is trying to understand what they will face – heartbreak, lost love, questioning your self-worth, difficulties with family and friends, gossip, the loneliness of coming into your own.
Just one song line moved an entire fanbase – and gave the Chiefs’ Travis Kelce a foot in the door – to make friendship bracelets to trade and hand out at her tour.
As a communications firm that focuses on trying to help people make progress in their lives, her mastery is inspiring to us. We work to establish true relationships and not merely engage in transactions. Just as she understands people’s emotions, we blend psychographic research with demographic info, which enables us to truly understand people’s belief systems, values and attitudes.
That’s a marketer’s way of saying it’s all about being authentic in order to make connections with people. Despite the critics opining that most songs just rehash her series of broken relationships, it’s worth noting it’s that very authenticity of her life story that made her so believable to her fans.
You can’t change hearts and minds with spreadsheets.
Multiple studies have shown that although people think they make decisions based on rational facts, they instead make their choices based on emotion.
That’s why we also carefully choose trusted messengers to deliver our emotionally crafted storylines to move audiences. When Swift became a Kansas City Chiefs and Travis Kelce fan, sales of his jersey spiked nearly 400%. Trusted messenger, indeed.
She’s able to use catchy phrases, personal anecdotes, playful humor, and metaphors that paint a vivid picture. It all easily transports you to the corresponding era in your life – or an era you know you’ll experience. She’s captured such a devoted and diverse fan base by making each member of the audience feel that she’s speaking directly to each individual. It’s a recipe for success for the new billionaire and it’s a recipe for success for marketers and communicators trying to move people to action.
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