4 Lessons Your Brand Can Learn From the Taylor Swift Boom

When Taylor Swift announced the launch of the Eras Tour two years ago, no one—not even the mastermind herself—could have predicted what a cultural phenomenon and economic juggernaut the event would become. Swifties lucky enough to grab highly coveted tickets poured into tour locations by the millions, collectively spending several billion dollars on hotels, restaurants, transportation and merch.

Cities like New Orleans estimated around $1,300 spending per person for a total of $500,000 in economic impact. What fascinated me most as I visited the New Orleans during the final leg of the tour was the absolute transformative power of the Taylor effect on the city’s small and midsize businesses. The effect was so pronounced that even actor Ryan Reynolds called it out. 

“We saw benefits across the city as 150,000 Eras-goers supported local restaurants, hotels, and shops,” says Walter J. Leger III, president and CEO of New Orleans & Company, a local tourism business. “When local businesses and their employees thrive, they re-invest in our community.” 

Across North America, local brands—from nail salons to gift shops—have embraced the opportunity to get on the map with new customers and maximize their presence before and during concert weekends. Many created highly imaginative offerings, events that became mini tour stops unto themselves. 

While Swift’s 21-month tour is coming to a close next month, the Taylor effect has proved that a new era has begun for businesses who align with the zeitgeist and popular stars through live event executions. Beyonce’s Renaissance tour offered a similar lift in 2023. Here’s what you can learn from brands who’ve created magic—and maximized their metrics—during the Taylor Swift boom. 

From the moment that a third leg to the Era’s Tour was announced 14 months in advance of the shows, Kelsey Campion, owner and chief sequin officer at DTC clothing company Fringe + Co in New Orleans, knew she and her team would need to go big to take advantage of the opportunity. 

Kelsey and team worked for nearly a year to transform their clothing studio into a “Swiftie Selfie Extravaganza,” with seven different Eras-inspired photo stations, champagne on tap, and opportunities to try on and purchase Era-styled outfits. 

These efforts were successful beyond her “wildest dreams,” Campion says. Her business saw a 500 percent increase in in-person sales that weekend, and more than double the expected foot traffic, she says.

How to Replicate It: Get in the know—well in advance—about upcoming events coming to your city. Sign up for alerts from your local venues, including arenas and stadiums, event producers, such as Live Nation, and ticketing sites, such as Ticketmaster and Vivid Seats. Follow top stars on social media, where you’re likely to hear the news first.

When people travel to see a major artist, they’re hoping to have an extraordinary time and create memories that will last forever. You can enhance the experience for fans—and build powerful emotional connections to your brand in the process—by planning an immersive execution. 

“We knew we had to go beyond the standard themed cocktail menu to offer something interactive and memorable,” says Mutlu Kucuk, complex managing director of the independently owned hotel Loews Miami Beach. 

One of Kucuk’s team members had heard about The 13, a Taylor Swift-themed podcast with a big social following. The hotel partnered with the hosts to do a live podcast during the weekend of the concerts, creating an interactive event with trivia, a photo booth, bracelet making, and giveaways. To make it more affordable for fans to join, tickets were priced at just $13, Taylor’s lucky number. 

“The goal for us was much more about visibility than revenue,” says Kucuk. “We were really happy to see a multigenerational audience at our live event and know that thousands of others were tuning into the podcast.” By creating positive memories, we hope people will remember us, and visit us the next time they’re in town.” 

Gray Line, a locally owned bus company in Toronto, added sparkle to what it does best—showcasing its city—by launching the Taylor-Made aERAs City Tour. During a three-hour journey, riders participated in a photo scavenger hunt, snapping quirky shots of themselves recreating Swift’s music videos in iconic locations. Not only did this level up the fun, it created social media moments that greatly expand the Gray Line’s reach.

How to Replicate It: Lean on your team to help come up with creative ideas. Brainstorm how your brand can authentically tie in with the visiting artist—with no concept too off-the-wall to throw out there. Then ask yourself “Would this idea make a fan’s weekend more exciting? Will it create incredible memories for them? Can we afford to do it?” If the answers are a resounding yes, you know you’ve got a winner.

Depending on the nature of your business, launching a new product that celebrates an artist will make more sense than creating an event. As I learned from Andrea Homoya, founder and CEO of Ash & Elm Cider Co., a beverage company in Indianapolis, the key is capturing and sharing your creative process all along the way. 

“The Eras Tour felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transcend our niche customer base of Midwestern cider fans and break through to a wider audience.” Homoya. “That’s why we came up with the idea of the Eras Cider Box.”

This custom branded house-shaped box featured 13 ciders, each corresponding to an Era, with bonuses to reach Swift’s lucky number 13. She and her team hired a videographer to create a behind-the-scenes video of the creation of the box, releasing a teaser along with a custom website to handle the messaging and shipping of the boxes. 

These efforts, along with well-timed social posts, press efforts, and monthly “drops” of the boxes, resulted in thousands of new social views and new newsletter subscribers, roughly doubling what the brand had before the boxes were announced. While the materials and design cost about $14,000, the company was satisfied with its return on investment. 

“Selling all 2,500 of our Eras Cider Boxes brought in about $190,000 in revenue,” says Homoya. Adding in dining from customers who came to pick up their boxes, the project’s total revenue was $250,000.

How to Replicate It: If you’re creating something highly visual leading up to an event, record it and share it across through social media. Don’t worry about going slick and ultra-professional. Even an iPhone can get the job done.