The biggest storyline of the 2023 NFL Season did not take place on the field but rather off of it. The jaw-dropping relationship between Kansas City Chiefs Tight End, Travis Kelce and global music superstar, Taylor Swift, brought thousands of new fans to the NFL and became a social media phenomenon.
According to Front Office Sports, Swift has generated more than $330 million for the NFL and the Chiefs. Swift’s relationship also saw a spike in sales for several products including Kelce’s jersey which saw a 400% increase following Swift’s first appearance at a Chiefs game. Also, the small business Wove saw a 470% increase in sales after their tennis friendship bracelet was seen on Swift at the AFC Championship game.
Lots of brands are naturally eager to capitalize on this cross cultural couple and the first few brands to do so were State Farm and Chipotle. But with this NFL season fast approaching, the opportunities are endless. Especially since there is ample opportunity for Swift to attend several of Kelce’s games, with NFL executives admitting they took into account her tour schedule.
Since the Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII, the pair have continued to make headlines during the offseason. Whether it’s their trips across the globe together or speculation about songs from Swift’s latest album “The Tortured Poets Department”. Two songs off of said album, “The Alchemy” and “So High School” are alleged to be about Travis and several products from small businesses have been created as a result.
Marketing teams have endless possibilities to cater to both “Swifties” and NFL superfans. Every action of the couple is put under a microscope and brands can utilize this to their advantage. Even down to the condiments they use, after Swift was seen eating chicken tenders and “seemingly ranch” at a Chiefs game, both Hidden Valley and Heinz used the opportunity to create social media posts. Heinz even went as far as to create bottles of ketchup and “Seemingly Ranch” which were given away on Instagram.
From food, clothes and everything in between, marketing companies will have a bounty of opportunities. Provided the couple stay together, which all signs are pointing to an imminent engagement, social teams galore will be able to tap into their creative side and use a dream team couple to take their business to new heights.