Taylor Swift is an undeniable cultural force, but her superpower isn’t just music. From surprise album drops on podcasts to billion-dollar tours, the Swiftie empire has turned into a global movement in large part thanks to effective marketing. Witness the internet buzz over her new album, “The Life of A Showgirl.” Its rollout has been impressive, with the color orange becoming her new visual signature much as slime green became emblematic of Charlie XCX’s Brat Summer.
For those of us in the sexual wellness industry, visibility is obviously much harder to achieve. We don’t have access to the same mainstream platforms as Swift does, and we deal with censorship and restrictions that don’t apply to her. However, there are a few strategies that pleasure product brands can borrow from this mainstream superstar.
By creating the right hype and planning well, you can turn a product launch into weeks or even months of engaging content.
Create and control a narrative
Each of Taylor Swift’s “eras” is a carefully strategized narrative that tells a clear story about her evolution. Sexual wellness brands can mimic this by segmenting their campaigns and toy or collection launches into distinct phases, continuously evolving and keeping messaging fresh — while remaining consistent when it comes to adhering to company identity and reflecting customer values. This approach also allows for rebranding opportunities when needed, and broadens the potential for growth.
Turn customers into a community
When you view customers solely as dollar signs, they can sense it. Customers don’t just want authenticity; they want to feel like insiders. Swift has achieved that through secret song drops she often surprises fans with during her performances, Spotify playlists full of hints and direct social media interaction with fans. Adult brands can do the same with invite-only sales, insider-only email updates providing early access to limited-edition launches, and secret discount codes hidden in packaging.
Easter eggs and hints can also make customers feel “in the know.” Just as Swift teases fans with blurred album covers, adult brands can tease an upcoming launch by showing just a product’s silhouette or by posting cryptic social media captions and responding to followers’ comments. Creating a sense of mystery sparks conversations and boosts sales, and centering your marketing around community makes customers feel like they are part of your world — one they’ve become hooked on and invested in.
Personal touch
Getting personal with your followers builds a stronger connection and helps them feel seen. Swift achieves this by including “handwritten” notes with merch orders and making crowds feel special by personalizing set lists with surprise songs based on the city she’s performing in. Sexual wellness brands aiming to create a personalized experience could design custom bundles based on a customer’s browsing history, set up a social media poll that lets customers vote on features like toy color — which also provides valuable market research! — or share a founder’s personal story, weaving brand storytelling such as emotion-driven origin stories, values and purpose. This can help humanize a brand, increase customer engagement and earn loyalty.
Turn every product drop into an event
When Taylor Swift releases an album, it sparks a global tour, viral media coverage, interviews and a range of exclusive experiences and events. Pleasure brands can use the same strategy when launching a new product or service. Instead of simply adding a product to your website, promote it on social media by doing an Instagram Live demo and sharing behind-the-scenes design videos. Send it out to a targeted list of relevant influencers and journalists who can share unboxing videos with their followers or write firsthand reviews. Set a “launch day” discount window and host parties at retail locations in different cities. By creating the right hype and planning well, you can turn a product launch into weeks or even months of engaging content.
Expand your channels and collaborations
Taylor Swift doesn’t rely solely on traditional press or music channels to announce and publicize her new projects. She revealed her 12th studio album on the “New Heights” podcast, hosted by her fiance, Travis Kelce, and his brother. She tapped into the podcast’s popularity along with her personal connection to the hosts. This helped her reach not just Swifties but also sports fans in a bold crossover move. You can use a similar strategy with your brand by securing podcast guest spots to maximize exposure. That might entail matching sex educators promoting your brand with a mainstream wellness show, pitching a lube brand for a lifestyle or beauty series, or featuring your brand’s founder on a business podcast.
Sometimes an unexpected collaboration can be the smartest move. Don’t be afraid to partner with a different type of brand. For example, if your products usually target people with vulvas, consider teaming up with a men’s sex toy brand and sex educators to reach couples, or men looking to gift toys to their partners. You can even venture outside the sexual wellness sphere with the right partnership, sparking new conversations, gaining unexpected coverage and attracting new eyes to your brand.
Taylor Swift’s marketing succeeds because it’s creative, authentic and strategic. By adopting her signature tactics, like smart storytelling, personalization, community building and unexpected crossovers, brands can turn even a simple product drop into a memorable moment with lasting impact.
Naima Karp is a content writer and PR intern with over a decade of experience crafting lifestyle, sexual health and wellness content for various platforms.
