Dive Brief:
- Target and Taylor Swift have teamed up to publish two glossy print magazines curated by the mega-pop star in order to promote the Nov. 10 release of her new album "Reputation," according to a blog post from the retailer.
- Content includes Swift's poetry, photos, artwork, hand-written lyrics and a behind-the-scenes look at her "Look What You Made Me Do" video. The magazines are distinct from each other and include a copy of the album, according to the Target post, and will cost $19.99.
- Swift is one Target's best-selling artists of all time, Mark Tritton, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, said in the statement, and the magazine gives the retailer an exclusive collectible for her fans during the fall shopping season.
Dive Insight:
Brands have long valued tie-ins with musical acts, especially those with particularly engaged and energized fan bases. In this case, Target is combining a highly-anticipated album release with an exclusive product that will drive both pre-orders online as well as in-store visits. Target likely wants to boost foot traffic during the crucial holiday shopping period, especially since many big-name retailers are currently struggling to generate physical sales as e-commerce options win more of consumers' business.
Since Swift's audience skews young, Target is taking an interesting tack in promoting "Reputation" via glossy print magazines over a more popular channel like digital. The magazines are the real deal, however, running 72 pages in length. As sales of CDs and other physical media continue to slip, tying exclusive content to roll outs can be a way to hook new interest and turn products into collector's items.
Swift, for her part, has also kept digital marketing for the new album to a minimum, scraping her social media channels of posts and promoting her new single through a small series of cryptic videos.