Travel can learn a lot from ‘marketing genius’ Taylor Swift

As ‘Swifties’ worldwide continue to laud Taylor Swift’s 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, released earlier in October, it’s undeniable that she’s not only a pop icon, but also a marketing genius. 

 

I’m not afraid to admit I’m an ardent fan, not just of her music but also for the way she engages with and holds on to her fanbase. It’s got me thinking about how she’s inspiring us at Titan Travel, and what the industry can learn from her.

 

Authenticity and transparency

 

Swift’s fans identify with her because of the honesty of her music. Around the world, they relate to the good, the bad and the heartbreak she sings about, and out of that have built up a strong sense of belonging to something bigger – a community.

 

Our equivalent is the TITANium community we’ve created for our travel agent partners to get behind the purple curtain. This is the space in which the Titan Travel team and our trade community can come together in open conversation, where we share our challenges and collaborate on overcoming them. If we get something wrong, this is where we can own it – and fix it. 

 

Embrace storytelling

 

Another reason for Swift’s success is her skill as a storyteller – and we know that’s also where our agent partners excel and truly add value. A website can’t bring a travel experience to life in the same way as someone who has experienced it first hand, and who is given the tools they need to tell that story.

 

To help agents in their storytelling, we recently introduced weekly Facebook Lives with our product managers. Inspired by an elevator conversation where I learned more about Japan in three minutes than I had in years, I wanted to connect our agent partners with our ‘secret sauce’ – our product managers. We aim to give our agents the detail beyond the brochure to enable them to tell the stories of how and why our tours are uniquely crafted and curated.

 

The right partnerships
 
Swift has successfully expanded her reach across multiple genres – and reached new audiences – by carefully selecting artists to collaborate with. This strategic approach has allowed her to connect with audiences who might otherwise have dismissed her as a whimsical pop act.

 

Recently, we announced our partnership with Virgin Atlantic, driven by shared vision and an ambition to expand our mutual reach. This collaboration led to the creation of the ‘Tuk Into India’ promotion that supports our shared ambition to drive bookings to the country. 

 

Be purpose-led

 

Swift uses her 200 million followers to amplify her chosen causes and to provide a voice for those who are isolated or targeted. Our purpose guides all our actions, aiming to be the most trusted touring partner.

 

We begin every team meeting with our mission statement, which defines our values. Adhering to this mission will ultimately lead to improved commercial success, but if commercial success is the sole priority, decisions will lack partner-led guidance.

 

Experiment and do more

 

We operate in an exciting sector where we help customers create lasting memories. To add value, we tell the story of travel, delving beneath the details of brochures and sharing emotional stories that no website or AI can replicate. With competition for every booking so fierce, we know that, like Swift, we need to continuously evolve and innovate to stay relevant.

 

Whether that is setting up a Happiness Lounge at the Atas conference or refreshing our rewards programme as part of a wider ‘Year of More’ strategy, we strive to win hearts and minds and achieve our next number one by not standing still. Swift exemplifies that willingness to experiment and do more – and that’s something we should embrace. 

 

As Swift herself says: “You are the only one who gets to decide what you will be remembered for.”