Target has worked hard to offer differentiated products from its main rivals. By and large, that has been something it has accomplished through its owned and operated private brands.
Those product lines have given the retailer more control over its products than Walmart and Amazon. Because objective (TGT) – Get a free report It owns the lines, controls them and can present them in its stores.
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In some cases, the retailer has partnered with celebrities like its Magnolia line with Chip and Joanna Gaines, but most of its efforts are simply the retailer creating brands that feel like bigger-name competitors that can sell at lower prices. The chain's All In Motion yoga and activewear brand, for example, may not have the same cachet as Lululemon, but it offers comparable quality at a much lower price.
In addition to its owned and operated brands, Target has also partnered with some well-known celebrities like Kendra Scott, Tabitha Brown, and the most famous person in the world, Taylor Swift.
With the Super Bowl approaching and Swift making headlines, not only as a singer, but also for her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, Target has a unique opportunity. The retailer, which has offered special editions of many of Swift's albums and has a long-standing special relationship with the singer, also has a partnership with the NFL.
That could allow it to create unique sales packages that Walmart and Amazon can't offer, Victor Lee, president of Advantage Unified Commerce (AUC), a unit of Advantage Solutions, explained in an email interview with TheStreet.
Image source: Sports Today
Target has a sales opportunity
The street: How can Target capitalize on the interest Taylor Swift has generated for the NFL?
Leeward: This will be difficult for several reasons. First, the ability to immediately affect in-store merchandising less than two weeks into the game. Most of the brands that sponsor the Super Bowl were already in place and living early in the playoffs, weeks ago. The logistics of physical retail would be too challenging. However, online offers an easier path to activation.
Second, team affiliation. The fast ones have no boundaries. Fans of NFL teams are not. The assumption is that the new fans introduced to the NFL through Taylor Swift will also have the same Chiefs fandom, this makes it difficult for 49er-based retailers to dominate the fan bases, which in most of the US are will be based on the size of the team base.
Given the above, I would suggest very specific packages that are online exclusive focused on KC and Swift fans, which is easy when done online. A Super Bowl party package, his and hers game day apparel (Chiefs T-shirts or T-shirts, and Taylor Swift Eras tour merchandise). Earlier this year, Swift had a viral moment with her salsa hit “Seemingly Ranch” that Heinz immediately turned on. Since Super Bowl snacks and parties are massive CPG moments, a party planning program that pairs perfectly with the Super Bowl that highlights Seemingly Ranch sauce and combines all the other party staples might have some interest.
The street: Are the NFL and its retail partners doing enough to serve this new and unexpected audience?
Leeward: I think this is a moment that was a perfect storm and only relevant because the Chiefs made it to the Super Bowl, which was never a guarantee. That makes it difficult to devote much time and resources to a “could happen,” which severely limits the ability to plan adequately.
I think this rumor is good for the game because it has a story, opens the sport to more audiences, and hopefully maintains their interest in the sport for the long term. Activating it would be very difficult. Swift is not an official ambassador for the NFL or the Chiefs, she has a personal interest in the game because of Kelce. As Kelce and the Chiefs move forward, she will also be a starter for this game.
I also firmly believe that not everything is “activatable.” More people are watching the NFL, specifically the Chiefs because of Swift. But are more people watching the Patriots? The Seahawks? Do those transmissions talk about the relationship? I'm not necessarily on the side that this is something that marketers or retailers can find oil in. It's a great story, provides incredible social networking, and changes the narrative of the game from being just a game.
Taylor Swift is good for the NFL
The street: Has something like this happened before?
Leeward: The idea that people are in love with an unexpected new relationship that creates a flurry of interest and news, yes. Harry and Meghan. Brad and everyone he's been involved with. Jennifer Aniston and everyone she has been involved with. Rumors that Brad and Jennifer are getting back together. J Lo and Affleck. Brady and Gisele. The difference here is that Kelce is arguably the best at his position on a team with a lot of recent success. Taylor Swift has broken all her records with her recent Eras de ella tour and was chosen Person of the Year by the Times. That is the combination of two stars at the vertex of its brightness.
The street: Will this create new NFL and Taylor Swift fans?
Leeward: It has already created new NFL fans, specifically Kansas City Chiefs fans. Time will tell if this leads to a true NFL and the sport of football fans.
The NFL has done an incredible job in recent years to open its sport to other communities, has made a conscious effort to operate outside of the helmet and the field, and, in my opinion, has led all major sports in embracing new audiences. The NFL just awarded Kristin Juszczyk a licensing deal fueled by the custom NFL apparel she wore to games to support her husband Kyle, who plays for the 49ers. Yes
It also provided the iconic jacket that Taylor wore a few weeks ago that received a lot of press and coverage. That's the Taylor Swift effect. And that's what makes this story so great. She created a business opportunity for someone.
