The Taylor Swift – Travis Kelce relationship is like two different and unique galaxies on opposite sides
of the universe colliding with unprecedented business outcomes.
Think about it for a moment…
The National Football League (NFL) is one of the most important and prestigious assets in the entertainment industry and for that matter, the world. Its fanbase is one of the most desirable to advertisers and their buying power is immense. Changing the way it operates and having it pivot toward becoming more inclusive of “Swifties” is unprecedented.
Think about it for a moment…
Taylor Swift is certainly in the conversation as the most important and prestigious asset in the entertainment industry and for that matter, the world. Her latest tour has generated more than $1 billion and the movie of the tour generated more than $100 million in pre-sales even before it was released. Her fan base is one of the most desirable to advertisers and their buying power is immense. Changing the way the Taylor Swift economy operates and having it pivot toward becoming more inclusive of “NFLers” is unprecedented.
According to Apex Marketing, an organization that specializes in advertising and branding services, Taylor Swift’s two appearances at NFL games in Kansas City and then New York have created something they term as an equivalent brand value of $122 million.
This “equivalent brand value metric” measures value across all social media, TV, radio, digital news, and print news. The $122 million figure was from Sept. 24, the day before Swift’s first Chiefs game, to Oct. 6. Swift was shown on camera sitting next to Travis Kelce’s mother and then yelling in excitement when Kelce scored a touchdown during the Chiefs’ domination of the Chicago Bears. In a now famous viral video clip that was very well staged, the two were seen exiting the stadium together.
Think about the Marketing Return on Investment. Marketing ROI is defined as the net profit driven from Marketing divided by the investment in marketing. When the investment in marketing is basically zero and the return is in the hundreds of millions, the ROI is approaching infinity!
The Quantifiable Business Acumen Impact of Taylor Swift’s Impact on the NFL
From a business acumen perspective, Swift’s impact on the NFL has been profound. Consider the following:
- The Chiefs – Jets game had the highest viewership numbers for the season
- The collective growth resulted in an approximate viewership increase of more than 2 million female viewers.
- Viewership among teen girls (age 12-17) spiked 53% from the season-to-date average of the first three weeks of Sunday Night Football
- The audience among women aged 18-24 was up 24%
- Women 35+ increased 34%
- 400% increase in Kelce Jersey sales
- The “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce” podcast, featuring Kelce and his brother, shot up to No. 1 on Apple’s podcast charts last week.
- Kelce’s social media influence has flourished, with his Instagram followers jumping from 2.7 million followers to 3.8 million in about two weeks. Please note that Taylor Swift has over 273 million followers on META (Facebook and Instagram)
Why it Matters
The cataclysmic intersection of two entertainment universes that have lived independently is unlike anyone has ever seen because:
- This opens up the NFL to new audiences they have been trying to cultivate for years. More viewers means more advertising revenue.
- More advertising revenue is going to come from existing and new advertising who are jumping for joy at the opportunity to deliver their messages to more people outside of the typical segments.
- This also matters for Taylor Swift as it opens up more potential fans to her music. Although she has a huge global following, her fans fit a very specific archetype. Expanding the segments to beer-drinking 21 – 45-year-old males is a dream come true. Especially because her music is very good and can be appreciated and consumed by an entirely new audience.
- It is critical to also realize in the day and age of the social influencer, Taylor Swift is one of the most prolific influencers of our time. Her hundreds of millions of followers buy the same clothing and pursue every brand that she supports. They are dedicated and have significant disposable income.
In summary, the Travis Kelce – Taylor Swift relationship is both fun and big business. There are some fascinating new and interesting business acumen insights that can be learned and perhaps applied to other business models.
