What Marketers Can Learn From Taylor Swift's Marketing of Midnights

From cryptic TikTok messages to billboards placed all around the world, here's how the country singer-turned-pop sensation kept her fans interested in the months leading up to the release of her tenth album.
Brands and marketers have so much to learn from Taylor Swift.
The 11-time Grammy winner just released her 10th studio album, Midnights, which set new marks on Spotify and Billboard. This is how she, her PR team, and her record label catapulted to stardom.
13 Sleepless Nights To A 13-Track Album
The singer-songwriter launched a string of very great marketing strategies when she said on Instagram in late August that her next album, Midnights, was "the story of 13 sleepless nights spread throughout [her] life."
On October 21 at exactly midnight on Republic Records, a division of Universal Music Group, the 13-track album had its official debut. Swift later broke the record for the most streamed artist in a single day on Spotify, and the album went on to become the service's most-streamed album in a single day. (According to Spotify data, Swift previously held the record for the most streamed album by a female artist in a day with her 2020 album Folklore.) Swift's most recent release, Red (Taylor's Version), smashed the record.
By October 31, Swift had achieved yet another milestone: she was the first performer to ever hold all ten of the top positions on the Billboard Hot 100 list.

Midnights mayhem with Taylor
Swift's fan base is as extensive as her discography, but because the majority of them are younger, they are frequently seen on TikTok. The singer utilized a bingo cage to randomly choose one song from the 13-track album and disclose its title in a series of campy videos she aired on TikTok under the headline "Midnights mayhem with me" to further stoke their enthusiasm (as all real Swifties know, 13 is her lucky number). Track four, Snow On The Beach, with vocals by Lana Del Rey, was announced in the series' final video. The cryptic videos were a big success, garnering over 86 million views and counting in their comically drab '70s style.
@taylorswift Midnights tracklist reveal!! Introducing: Midnights Mayhem with Me 🌌😎 #TSmidnighTS #SwiftTok #MidnightsMayhemWithMe ♬ Midnights Mayhem episode 1 - Taylor Swift
Swift worked with Spotify to post lyric excerpts on billboards all over the world while she revealed the song titles one by one on TikTok. On October 17, the first billboards went up in New York City and London at, you guessed it, midnight.
Multiple Taylors + Eras Tour
Following the success of the record, fans are now preparing for a presale for the 2023 "The Eras" Tour, which will cover all of the different stages the singer has experienced throughout her lengthy career. To obtain seats for the November 16 event, all customers need to do is apply for a Capital One credit card (the presale window had been postponed due to unprecedented demand, according to several reports).

Since the beginning of 2019, the bank holding company has teamed with Swift, who has fronted a number of advertisements for various Capital One products, including the Savor card. The pair offered fans exclusive goods in late 2020, including blankets, T-shirts, packages themed after albums, and even autographed CDs.
Capital One debuted a new piece earlier this month called "Multiple Taylors," which features Swift and was created in collaboration with the Austin, Texas-based creative studio GSD&M. The two-ad campaign made its debut during Game 3 of the World Series.
Swift's several "eras" are highlighted in the piece, which also promotes the Capital One Venture X card and serves as an effective advertisement for the upcoming tour.
The bank claims that Venture X cardholders receive "unique access to exceptional events," including the tour presale premium, in addition to earning limitless double miles on all purchases.
Swift also highlights all of the advantages of Venture X. For instance, two Swifts consider a transaction when the audio says that cardholders receive "two times miles on every purchase." One is wearing a 1989 ensemble of a white blouse, shorts, and garters, while the other is wearing a Speak Now purple chiffon dress.
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