How brands are harnessing Taylor Swift mania in APAC

Whatever enters the Taylor Swift orbit these days inevitably turns to gold. Love or loathe the star, there's no denying that she's a pop culture phenomenon, with a fanbase and appeal that is unparalleled in the modern era.

 

She's great for business, brands know it and are queuing up to work with her. Meanwhile, her loyal fans—nicknamed 'Swifties'—are only too happy to ensure her star remains in its ascendency, whatever the cost, often shelling out thousands of dollars on concert tickets, merchandise, accommodation and travel to catch a glimpse of their idol. 

 

Singapore also understands the Swift effect. So much so that the city state is reported to have spent nearly US$3 million per show to sign an exclusive deal with the megastar for the Southeast Asian leg of her Era's Tour. Yet, Edwin Tong, Singapore's culture minister, told the local outlet Mothership that the amount of grant given "is not what is being speculated online." 

 

However, we do know that Swift's Era's Tour is the first tour to surpass US$1 billion in revenue, making it the highest-grossing of all time and officially making Swift herself a billionaire in the process. Her tour dates in Japan were reported to have had an economic impact of 34 billion yen ($230 million), and similarly in Australia, the leg of the tour preceding Singapore, officials suggested the tour had provided a A$145m "uplift" in consumer spending.

 

The Swift effect: A golden opportunity for brands 

 

For her six sold-out shows in Singapore, which began on March 2 and run until March 9, more than 300,000 tickets have been sold, and economists estimate that the tourism receipts related to Taylor Swift’s tour dates in the city can come in at S$350 million to S$500 million.

 

Unsurprisingly, brands are keen to harness the Swift effect when it comes to town. In Singapore, landmark resort Marina Bay Sands is the official presenting partner of Swift's Eras Tour, and over two weeks from Feb 28, is transforming itself into a canvas celebrating the star and her musical evolution through a series of activations. 

 

The primary activation at Marina Bay Sands is called 'The Eras Tour Trail', which consists of a visual narrative of Swift's journey through seven distinctive installations across 10 iconic eras. There's also 'The Eras Tour Light & Water Show', a 14 min light & water show synced to the tunes of four of Swift's chart-topping songs: ‘You Belong With Me’, ‘Cruel Summer’, ‘Style’, ‘Shake It Off’, as well as an exclusive retail pop-up offering official concert merchandise, and an architectural light-up, in which the resort’s façade and waterfront transforms into a canvas of alluring pastel hues of the Taylor Swift Eras Tour from 7pm to 11pm every evening.

 

 

Prior to the public activations, Marina Bay Sands had already rolled out exclusive accommodation, concert and dining packages, priced between S$10,000 and S$50,000. All these packages were sold out, attesting to the strong appeal of The Eras Tour, particularly among international guests.

 

"Many teams at Marina Bay Sands pulled out all the stops with a slate of exciting activations throughout the property befitting the iconic popstar," says Irene Lin, chief marketing officer, resort marketing, Marina Bay Sands. "We see the impact of this partnership not just in terms of monetary and engagement opportunities, but rather the intangible spillovers that will build towards brand equity and strengthen Marina Bay Sands’ positioning as a premium lifestyle destination."

 

 

Meanwhile, United Overseas Bank (UOB), a leading Asian bank headquartered in Singapore, was the official bank and presale partner for Swift's Eras Tour in Singapore. UOB customers across five ASEAN markets (Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam) were privileged to purchase tickets for her six shows in the city-state.

 

To further enhance the experience for Swifties flying into Singapore to catch the concerts, UOB bundled deals with their subsidiary UOB Travel so that customers could have a convenient one-stop portal for their travelling needs. The partnership has worked spectacularly well for UOB, helping them to acquire new customers, a significant proportion of whom are females from the 25-29-year-old demographic, as well as other benefits.

 

"We are very pleased with the overwhelming response from this partnership, having seen a significant increase in new customer acquisitions, engagements and spend, which continued beyond the ticket sales period," says Jacquelyn Tan, head, group personal financial services, UOB.

 

"We achieved a faster growth rate in customer spend for travel and entertainment than industry benchmarks for credit and debit card spend for the region last year. We also had a significant lift in brand metrics, bolstering our credentials as a regional bank and we are pleased that the improvements continue to follow through to 2024."

 

The excitement surrounding Taylor Swift’s tour stop in Singapore has undoubtedly presented a golden opportunity for brands in the region to connect with fans in an innovative way. 

 

Among them, Grab Singapore, a ride-hailing super-app, has arranged free shuttle bus services to ferry passengers to several of Singapore's metro stations (MRT stations) on all six concert dates. 

 

"Grab hopes that these free shuttle buses will help Swifties get home smoothly and safely after the concert," says Chia Ling, marketing manager at OOm Singapore, a digital marketing agency. "This strategic move allows Grab to build a more positive brand image and shape consumer perceptions by demonstrating their commitment to road safety."

 

Meanwhile, with the massive revival of the friendship bracelet fad, all thanks to Swift’s song “You’re on Your Own, Kid”, Swifties around the world have been busying themselves with making their very own bracelets to wear and trade. 

 

"Tapping on this [friendship bracelet] trend is Haidilao Singapore, who has catered two specific outlets with friendship bracelet making stations for diners to try their hand at bracelet making for free," says Ling. 

 

Meanwhile, other brands that have been leveraging Swiftmania include IKEA, Foodpanda, and Sentosa, who cleverly incorporated Swift’s song titles to create punchlines for their marketing efforts. Similarly, as the tour dates grew nearer in Singapore, Jewel at Changi Airport, Milo, Decathlon and even Adventure Cove Waterpark all got into the groove. 

 

A cultural phenomenon

 

The frenzied effect on fans and brands is obvious, but what has driven the phenomenal success of Taylor Swift in the region? How has ‘Miss Americana’—a white American singer from Pennsylvania, USA—managed to appeal so greatly to fans in Asia?

 

"The way Taylor Swift cultivates brand loyalty and love is unparalleled," says Joyce Lai, associate director of Sinclair. "The subject matter of her songs is universal: love, betrayal, becoming your own person—these experiences speak to audiences worldwide."

 

Lai, who is a Swiftie herself, says the confessional and autobiographical approach that Swift employs in her songwriting makes fans feel as though they are her best friend and confidant the world over. They feel truly vested in her happiness.

 

"Understanding and connecting with the audience has been one of Swift's most crucial strategies, allowing her to remain authentic to her fan base," says Lai. "This authenticity is of the utmost importance and aligns with best practices for fostering brand loyalty—regardless if it’s for a product or a person."

 

 

While Swift can write songs with universal appeal that forge a strong emotional connection that has won her an army of fans, she has also benefited from excellent resources at the beginning of her career to help build her worldwide success.

 

"Universal Music Group, with its extensive global network, played a crucial role in distributing her music in Asia," says Lai. "As far back as 2011, Swift embarked on an Asia tour, including stops in Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Osaka, Tokyo, and Manila, further establishing her presence in the region and laying the groundwork for the ardent fanbase that exists here today."

 

Swift's strategic collaborations with brands and artists have also helped to expand her reach and appeal to diverse audiences. She has collaborated with companies like Keds, Diet Coke, CoverGirl, and Target over the years, making appearances in entertaining, family-friendly advertisements.

 

What has also become clear is how much she protects her image. "It would be extremely tough to find something which would damage her personal clean cut image," says Jose Raymond, founder and managing director, SW Strategies. "For example, when a teenager was tracking her private jet, and when there were questions about sustainability, the moves were swift by her legal team to crack down on this, pardon the pun."

 

Ultimately, though, there are some artists who will transcend borders and even language, and Swift is undoubtedly one of them.

 

"For Taylor Swift, it is her blend of music. Music unites people through melody and lyrics. Whether you are in Singapore, Hong Kong, Muscat, Toronto, or Madrid, if you understand English, you will be drawn to her music," says Raymond. "And they have grown up with her, as she related stories of her breakups through her music. We, too, have played these little fantasies (and for some realities) over and over again."