Dwayne J. Clark is the Founder, CEO and Chairman of Aegis Living, a best-selling author and longevity expert.
As I stood wrapped in the loving embrace of the Eras Tour crowd, a sixty-something guy with my arms in the air, bejeweled in friendship bracelets, making heart hands, I thought back to the day my five granddaughters had put the full court press on me to attend the concert with them. Back then I had visions of blaring stadium acoustics, uncomfortable chairs and screaming teens. And yet here I was, a newly baptized Swiftie, caught up in the overwhelmingly positive vibe of the experience.
Not that I was the only baby boomer there. Lots of younger fans have been introducing their parents and grandparents to the Eras experience, exponentially multiplying the Swiftiverse and fueling its merch economy, with grandmas and grandpas becoming angel investors in T-shirts, hoodies and even key rings. As an unabashedly proud grandad, I was grateful to be in a judgement-free zone.
In an age of negative media and divisive politics, Taylor Swift not only brings generations together, but people from very different walks of life and backgrounds, politically and culturally. I saw out-and-proud LGBTQ+ people everywhere while I stood next to a burly biker dude who I imagined was on his way to Sturgis after the show. The Eras experience itself was like one big smile convention with people from vastly different political and religious persuasions treating each other with friendliness and civility as members of the same human family.
It seems the Eras tour is quenching the thirst of what America needs right now—a shared experience that brings cultures and generations together, providing an offramp away from the negativity highway.
Taylor Swift is breaking records with this tour, putting her squarely in the “bigger than the Beatles” conversation alongside a select few. And if you’ve been lucky enough to attend a concert, you’ve witnessed a level of devotion that provides clear evidence of her transcendence from mere music star to major cultural icon. The tour has proven to be an economic engine unto itself, giving city governments “all the feels.” The Seattle economy, for instance, saw one of its biggest lifts ever as the result of a single event. Call it Swiftienomics. And as of its opening weekend, the Eras film is already the highest-grossing domestic release of a concert film ever.
While multiple forces converge to make a Taylor Swift success story, one contribution that lands squarely on the artist herself is the fact that she consistently exceeds expectations. She gives, and gives and then gives some more, resulting in a cultural and economic tsunami.
At the show we attended, Taylor Swift took stage for a full three hours and fifteen minutes, holding 72,000 attendees, completely rapt, with everything else ceasing to exist for them. The snack concession became a virtual ghost town. In sharp contrast, another kind of concession, the merchandise trucks outside, selling coveted Swift collectibles, literally had hundreds of people lining up the night before the show.
Driven by insatiable fan devotion, the Eras Tour juggernaut has blown the value line out of the water, with the perceived value of a ticket or a trinket hitting the stratosphere, capitalizing on a market willing to drain its bank account for a little piece of the Swift magic.
When you go beyond your audience’s expectations, as Taylor Swift does in just about everything she does, you can bank goodwill and continuously recharge your brand’s batteries. Throughout her career, never one to rest on her laurels musically, she has continuously surprised her fans with new musical directions, starting with her country beginnings to her current genre defying repertoire. The effort you invest in the people you serve gets paid back in loyalty, brand affinity and customer love.
Some types of businesses have the potential for public impact; others not so much. However, the lessons for how to treat people in ways that earn their devotion, seen in this artist’s career, are worth every business’s attention. Here are a few useful takeaways from the Taylor Swift phenomenon.
Lift people up.
Every business can and should strive to create a culture that’s uplifting, like the culture of love felt at the Eras Tour. Celebrate your people and their accomplishments as much as possible. Show them the heart hands they deserve. This philosophy applies to both staff and customers.
Knock their socks off.
Go above and beyond for your customers whenever possible. Perhaps your version of Taylor Swift’s 3 hours and 15 minutes might be taking more time with customers or clients, or doing something extra that will make them love working with you and cement that all-important relationship.
Show love to your community.
Taylor Swift has personally connected with fans on social media, sometimes even appearing to directly like and comment on their posts. There was a particularly poignant example in 2014 when she responded to a young fan struggling with being bullied with a thoughtful letter of encouragement. Remember: going the extra mile for that one customer can resonate with millions.
Authenticity wins.
It’s no surprise that the undeniably tenacious Taylor Swift has proven herself to be—has resulted in—an unstoppable economic machine. Not the creation of some record company Svengali, it seems Taylor Swift has built everything she has achieved through her own vision, line by line, note by note, a young woman not afraid to do battle with industry goliaths and record companies. Staying true to yourself and your company mission takes plenty of effort and people will respect and even put you on a pedestal for it. Taylor Swift has become a role model, especially for young women, dealing with conflicting cultural messages and the pressures of social media. Perhaps Taylor Swift’s most enduring legacy will be the example she’s set by just being herself.
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