Should Your Brand Go Full Swiftie? You tell me.
Should your brand go full Swiftie? You tell me.
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If your social media feed lit up with orange glitter this week, you aren't alone.
Within minutes of Taylor Swift announcing her new studio album, major brands from FedEx to Dunkin’ Donuts jumped in with Swiftie-inspired versions of their logos and posts. It’s fun. It’s timely. And it works for them.
But you might be asking yourself, "Should I, as a small business, do the same?"
Let’s talk about what’s actually going on here, why brands do it, and how to decide if your business should be Fearless and jump in or Shake It Off and let this trend pass.
You see what I did there…?
Wait, What Happened?
Earlier this week, when Taylor Swift announced her latest studio album "The Life of A Showgirl" (on her boyfriend's podcast, no less...) the internet suddenly had a new visual aesthetic: sparkly orange and deep green. Almost instantly, brands began adapting these colors into their profile pictures, ads, and social media posts.
Here are just a few of the brands I've seen get on board. (Trust me there are MOOOOORE):
This isn’t random marketing by social media managers having too much fun. It’s a calculated form of affinity marketing.
Why Brands Do This
Really strong brands know their audience really well. And in this case, they know that a lot of ideal customers within that audience are Taylor Swift fans.
Aligning their branding, even for a moment, with something those fans love does three things:
Drives Engagement – Swifties share, comment, and celebrate when they see brands join the fun.
Builds Relevance – It shows the brand is paying attention to the same things their audience is.
Strengthens Emotional Connection – People feel like you “get” them.
For Playdoh, Whataburger, and others, this isn’t just about pretty colors. This is a chance to tap into a cultural moment that millions of people care about.
Which Brings Us To You
Here’s the thing: just because they did it doesn’t mean you should.
You shouldn't simply be asking yourself, “Can we make our logo green and orange?”
The right question is, “Would our audience care?”
If your target market is made up of any significant number of die-hard Swifties, then a playful nod might be perfect. But if your audience wouldn’t get the reference — or worse, if it feels forced — the change isn't worth your time or their confusion.
The key to all this? Audience alignment.
Applying This at Any Scale
Listen, this kind of move isn't just for the big brands with millions of followers! Even with 500 or 1,000 followers, you can use cultural moments to get traction. There are without a doubt happenings within your target market audience surrounding topics, people, or interests that your ideal customers care about. You can use these moments to celebrate with, laugh with, mourn with, or otherwise connect with your people.
You just need to be sure to:
Know what your audience loves. Pay attention to what they post, like, and comment on.
Choose moments that make sense for your brand. Maybe that’s Taylor Swift, maybe it’s your local sports team, maybe it’s a seasonal event in your industry.
Keep it authentic. Your audience can tell if you’re genuinely in on the fun or just chasing attention.
The goal is to find alignment with your ideal customers around a topic, person, or interest they care about. And frankly, the more niche the better... There's always power in getting specific with a small group of people who are paying attention.
Your Takeaway: Make it About Your Audience
The Taylor Swift color trend isn’t just about one pop star's popularity. This is a lesson in knowing your audience so well that you can instantly recognize opportunities to connect with them.
When you nail that, cultural moments stop being random noise and start becoming powerful marketing tools no matter if you have 10 million followers or 1,000.
Cheering you on,
Chris Fox
Marketing Strategist