By Eileen Zhuge, @eileenzhuge | Winston Churchill High School, MD
Taylor Swift has clearly conquered the music industry, but what if she stepped into the world of DECA competition? Would her marketing tricks impress a judge as much as they impress millions of fans? Let’s look at how she would perform in each section of the Principles of Marketing Event.
Marketing Functions and Activities (15/18)
- Product management: Each album Taylor releases is like a new product launch. For example, for Midnights, Taylor released multiple vinyl versions, including the Midnights clock vinyls, which fans could piece together into a full collectible clock.
- Distribution: Her products reach fans everywhere. Folklore had exclusive editions at Target, her albums are accessible on multiple streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, her official website offers limited merch bundles, and she even partnered with AMC Theatres for fans to watch her documentary Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.
- Pricing: One of Taylor Swift’s biggest weaknesses is her ticket pricing. Her concert tickets are often costly, and many fans can’t afford to attend. She does sell cheaper options like digital singles or bracelet kits, but those don’t make up for how hard it is for fans to get tickets at a reasonable price!
Factors Influencing Buying Behavior (17/18)
- Loyalty: Fans (also known as Swifties) feel connected to Taylor’s journey and thus want to support her. When she first released Fearless (Taylor’s Version), it sold over 737,000 copies. Her fans didn’t just purchase for the music, but rather to support her fight for control.
- Social proof/FOMO: Since the start of the Eras Tour, TikTok has been flooded with over 1.9 million videos, with Variety reporting that Taylor-related content can average up to 380 million views per day. This massive amount of content drove demand, leading to over 4.3 million tickets sold in just 60 shows!
Use of Technology & Data (18/18)
- Variety of Platforms: Her music is available on many platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon, which not only allows fans from all over the world to access her music but also keeps her relevant, especially in today’s digital age
- Interactive Campaigns: Taylor uses technology to create incredibly unique fan experiences. An example is the Google Search puzzles for 1989 (Taylor’s Version), where millions of fans worked together to unlock song titles.
Connections Between Actions and Results (18/18)
- Re-recordings: By re-recording her old albums as Taylor’s Versions, she showed fans she was willing to fight for her music, building massive trust and loyalty.
- AMC partnership: Taylor’s choice to partner directly with AMC Theatres for The Eras Tour film was groundbreaking in music marketing. This partnership also increased accessibility, giving fans who couldn’t attend her live shows a unique way to experience the concert.
- Easter Eggs: Taylor often hides hints (referred to as easter eggs) in her social media posts, music videos, and even interviews, creating fan theories on social media. For example, before announcing 1989 (Taylor’s Version), she repeatedly wore blue outfits and used blue heart emojis across her posts. Fans spent weeks speculating, eventually connecting her clues to the original 1989 album cover!
21st Century Skills
- Reasoning & systems thinking (7/7): Constantly ensures her marketing supports her brand and her relationship with fans.
- Communication (7/7): Speaks clearly and authentically in interviews, social media posts, and live speeches.
- Creativity (7/7): Her marketing is constantly exciting by using surprise album drops, hidden clues, and unique projects. She always finds new ways to make herself different from other artists.
- Overall impression (7/7): She comes across as confident, polished, and professional, but is still relatable and humble!
Final Score
- Marketing functions: 15
- Buying behavior: 17
- Technology and Data: 18
- Connections/results: 18
- 21st century skills: 28 (7+7+7+7)
- Total: 96/100
Taylor Swift’s marketing is not only creative but also incredibly strategic. Every move she makes keeps her brand strong and fans loyal. If judged on a DECA Principles of Marketing rubric, she’d certainly walk away with DECA glass!
Questions?
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