From Stage to Stadium: Taylor Swift's Internet Influence
In the dynamic world of the NFL, where fierce competition, strategy, and athleticism are the norm, an influencer no one expected has emerged to impact the landscape of all sports. Taylor Swift, known for her chart-topping music and marketing prowess, has ventured into the world of sports, and her presence is causing ripples across the NFL, both on and off the field.
Last Sunday's game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Bears garnered significant attention, but it wasn't due to the on-field action. Swift's presence at the game – where she came to support her rumored new boyfriend, Travis Kelce – became the focal point of the event. While Swift's marketing expertise is well-known in the music industry, her influence in sports was an unexpected twist.
Image Via David Rumsey
One remarkable outcome of Swift's association with Travis Kelce was the unprecedented surge in his jersey sales, which skyrocketed by an astonishing 400%, catapulting him into the top-5 of NFLShop.com's jersey sales charts. Kelce himself saw a substantial increase in his social media following, gaining nearly 300,000 new followers within just one week.
Recognizing the marketing goldmine they had stumbled upon, the NFL swiftly capitalized on this trending event. The NFL's official X account (formerly Twitter) changed their bio to read "NFL (Taylor’s Version)," while the NFL's TikTok account featured many videos of
her reactions throughout the game. This clever rebranding aligned the NFL with Swift's massive fanbase, creating a buzz that extended well beyond the football field.
When the news started to break on social media that the star was attending the game, her search volume increased all the way to the max volume of recording by Google. As shown above, the largest search increase occurred in the regions closest to the game. Catapulting off Swift’s already staggering number of Google hits from her previous week's takeover of Google to reveal the titles of the vault tracks of her upcoming rerecording of 1989, where she challenged fans to solve
33 million puzzles on the platform before the vault was opened and the track names were released.
As news of Taylor Swift's attendance at the game spread across social media, 'Swifties' promptly tuned in to their televisions and logged into their streaming services, resulting in a significant boost in viewership. According to David Rumsey of Front Office Sports , there was a staggering 63% increase in female viewership among the 18-49 age group compared to the previous week's game. Swift's presence was not only captivating existing fans but also attracting a whole new demographic to NFL broadcasts.
Taylor Swift's impact on the NFL and the internet as a whole was not confined to the game itself. Her choice of attire during the event sparked a fashion frenzy among fans. The New Balance 550 shoes she wore quickly became the trending item on
New Balance's website, with Swifties flocking to purchase the same shoes she was sporting. This unexpected crossover of fashion and sports created a marketing sensation and showcased Swift's ability to influence consumer behavior in diverse industries.
It did not take long for other brands to capitalize on the event, utilizing photos and videos from the game to push their own messages. From what she was wearing all the way to the types of condiments she decided to put on her
chicken tenders. These forms of memes (examples shown below) are a great example of how brands can capitalize on "cultural moments” like this one.
So while it is yet to be seen if it’s a Love Story or if it will go down in flames, the SparkShoppe team can keep you up-to-date on the world of social media. Be sure to follow us on all social platforms!
