Read this before jumping on the Taylor Swift bandwagon

However, if you’re looking for cultural authenticity rather than manufactured moments, it might make sense to pump the brakes.

Life of a Business Woman?

The beauty of recent pop culture phenomena lies in their organic emergence. Barbie-summer caught everyone off guard with its cheerful absurdity. Brat-summer grew from grassroots TikTok culture into a genuine movement. Swift’s Eras tour represented a once-in-a-lifetime cultural moment that transcended music, complete with community-driven rituals like friendship bracelet exchanges that felt spontaneous and real.

These moments succeeded because they tapped into something authentic – communities creating their own narratives, aesthetics spreading naturally through social platforms, concertgoers developing their own traditions. The marketing felt secondary to the cultural movement, not the other way around.

By comparison, Swift’s latest announcement feels rushed and strangely out of place, rather than inevitable. The leaked tracklist and album art, followed by a hasty reveal on the sports-focused New Heights podcast – hosted by Swift’s partner Travis Kelce and his brother Jason – of all places? Cover shots that seem heavily inspired by Sabrina Carpenter and Britney Spears? It all has a very calculated, very focus-grouped, very... manufactured vibe.

Which isn’t to diminish Swift’s business acumen – she’s played the PR game better than almost any artist in history, demonstrating an uncanny ability to catch maximum attention and then subsequently exploit it. You don’t become a billionaire just by writing catchy tunes and relatable lyrics.

Beyond the orange wave

This puts brands in an interesting position. Do you attach yourself to a guaranteed blockbuster that might feel culturally tone-deaf, or do you take risks on smaller, more authentic moments?

From a media perspective, Swift will still deliver enormous numbers. Brands jumping on the Showgirl bandwagon will capture attention, generate impressions, and likely see solid ROI. But there’s a difference between commercial success and cultural credibility. The vibes, as the kids say, will be off.

We’ve moved past peak-Swift, and maybe that’s not such a bad thing. The question becomes: what do you want your brand to represent? Mass market saturation or cultural intuition?

Swift herself seemed to acknowledge this transition on her last album in the track Clara Bow: “You look like Taylor Swift in this light, we’re lovin’ it / You've got edge, she never did / The future’s bright, dazzling.” There’s a new generation of female pop stars coming up with passionate, engaged fanbases – Billie Eilish, Carpenter, Gracie Abrams, Olivia Rodrigo. These artists offer – at least some – cultural relevance, over pure scale.

But here’s a more radical thought: in a world dominated by mass market pop and AI-generated social media content, maybe the winning move is simply not to play that game at all.

Instead, go local. Go underground. Go indie. Support local artists, champion zine culture, create third spaces where communities can gather. History shows us that times of political and societal strife produce the most authentic art – political, edgy, unrefined, but most importantly, real.

Because sometimes, the most culturally relevant thing you can do is resist the obvious choice. In an attention economy that’s saturated with manufactured moments, authenticity is the ultimate differentiator. To build genuine cultural credibility, consider these approaches.

1. Support rising talent

Partner with mid-tier artists who have passionate, engaged fanbases but who haven’t hit mainstream saturation yet. Fund their projects, sponsor intimate venue tours, or create collaborative limited releases. Then amplify these partnerships through behind-the-scenes content, artist takeovers, and community-generated content. Your social becomes a platform for authentic stories, not brand messaging.

2. Scale local culture

Champion grassroots scenes – underground music venues, independent galleries, maker communities – then document and share their stories across your digital channels. Create mini-documentary series, host virtual events that connect global audiences to local scenes, or facilitate cross-cultural collaborations between artists from different cities. Local authenticity becomes your content engine.

3. Build anti-digital experiences

Invest in tactile, offline experiences: pop-up record shops, analog workshops, vintage gaming spaces. But design them to generate organic digital moments. Create Instagram-worthy backdrops, unique photo opportunities, and shareable moments that feel natural, not forced. Participants become your content creators, spreading authentic experiences to wider audiences.

4. Fund creative independence

Support artists and creators who maintain full creative control over their work. Sponsor passion projects, back independent films, or fund innovative creative endeavors with zero creative input. Document the creative process through artist vlogs, studio visits, and progress updates. Audiences invest in authentic creative journeys, turning your brand into a patron of culture rather than just another advertiser.

The payoff: hyperlocal authenticity meets global reach. While competitors chase manufactured viral moments, you’re building lasting relationships with culture creators and amplifying real stories that resonate across communities.