Mar
Getting closer to your customer
Bruce MacLellan
I attended a Taylor Swift concert on her Fearless Tour with my daughters in Florida recently and was impressed by the way this 20-year-old country pop star connects with her audience and fans. Since that night, her six-times-platinum album, Fearless, was officially recognized as the Most Awarded Album in the history of country music.
Thanks in part to my age, I’ve seen many of the big stars in concerts over the last 30-plus years: The Stones, Springsteen, Madonna, Gordon Lightfoot, Shania Twain, The Police, Simon & Garfunkel and Avril Lavigne, to name a few. But none of them ever showed as much appreciation or willingness to interact with fans as I saw with Taylor Swift.
During her concert in Sunrise, Florida, she took a break from the stage and a few minutes later appeared toward the rear of the stadium at an entrance 30 or so rows up from the floor. She performed a couple of songs there with dozens of fans hovering around, and then she walked down the stairs hugging and kissing and thanking the mob. Upon reaching the floor, she performed again on a mini stage and then walked the full distance of the floor, hugging and thanking hundreds of other fans. The band played on stage and the 18,000 fans cheered and sang. Parents and daughters were charmed. (Young girls love to sing with Taylor Swift. Since being rejected for the choir in grade five, I have become a devoted listener.)
Similarly, 22-year old Lady Gaga has shown creativity in connecting with her fans by phoning one of them in the audience during each concert. The fan’s picture is projected on screen and the rest of the crowd cheers. She has also nicknamed her fans as Little Monsters – building both loyalty and merchandise sales.
Both of these successful young women are setting an example for everyone, including business people. Technology allows you to get closer to your customer and customers know it and expect it. Build an online community for them. Deepen the experience. Don’t miss the opportunity for personal human contact. To keep their loyalty and make them fans, give them a great product and a great experience. The younger they are, the more they expect it.
Customer relationship building is a key business challenge, and I know one 20-year old who deserves to be profiled in the Harvard Business Review.
Interesting article – although I can see some serious security issues with Taylor Swift carousing through the audience… one old perv with a strong bear hug, and that’ll be the end of that!
The Lady GaGa interaction of phoning an audience member is a unique idea, but I can’t imagine the person would be able to hear a thing in a loud crowd of concert goers!
Yeah, I thought about security as well. What Swift did was all the more refreshing in this hyper-security world we now live in. Good for her for taking chances and being “fearless.”
Your entry reminds me that older artists have such great stories to tell. Would be amazing to get real-time updates to my smartphone about the stories behind the songs the next time I’m at a Bon Jovi or AC/DC concert. Even if I’ve heard some of it before, being reminded in the moment is always great.
So since I attended Taylor’s concert with my dad, I thought I’d leave my own thoughts about it.
Her obvious connection with the audience gave me the sense of family-like environment, since she was including everyone in her performance, whether by giving hugs, or simply thanking her fans for all her success. I’m a fan of being interactive with one another, especially since I go to school in an environment that encourages giving hugs as a hello or as a congratulations, so I was pleased to see that it’s not just my tiny school community that gives hugs as a thank you or a sign of recognition.
But what do other people think of giving hugs? Is it too much to give a hug to someone you don’t know? Especially customers (since we’re talking about them)?
Being the third of four who attended the concert, I also would like to share my opinion on how she really got into connecting with her fans.
When a pre-teen says she looks up to Taylor Swift, we’re thankful. Taylor’s the humble, down-to-earth country girl turned celebrity, a far cry from the Lindsay’s and Miley’s of the world. When have you seen Swift in the tabloids for DUIs or a boyfriend almost 7 years above her age? Almost never.
Swift really showed who she was, and how fame hadn’t changed her. She treated each fan she gave a high-five, hug or kiss like they were someone she’d known for ages. She was constantly smiling, posing for pictures, and showing her appreciation to fans.
Being in a school where teacher’s and students hug, we’re all close, and we love to share our successes and failures, I’ve learned how important it is to share that bond, to thank others, and learn to ask for help.
Swift really showed the first two at that concert when she waded through the crowd of screaming fans. I personally think she’d be a great grizzly!
In a world where security is viewed above almost everything else, it was a breath of fresh air to see. So much of the business world is done by e-mail now. In my opinion, it’s important to know your client or customer outside of just their name and role, which is exactly what Swift did. She took the time to get personal and make each fan (or in the case of business, customer) feel important.
Another person with GREAT PR is Rick Mercer. Although he did not give out hugs, when he came to my university, he brought no security. He shook hands, gave autographs, took pictures, and actually talked to many of the students. Even though he likely didn’t care, he appeared genuinely interested in everyone.
While technology is great, and connecting with fans that way can show innovation, people seem to be more touched with the old fashioned, well, touch.
Shania Twain is way better than taylor swift when it comes to country music..’: