Swift’s Toronto stops create opportunities, risks for brands tied to show: marketers | Globalnews.ca

Companies marketing themselves in connection with Taylor Swift’s future swing through Toronto might see an afterglow that outlives the pop star’s handful of shows in the city.

Marketing experts say Swift’s brand and fan base are so strong that Canadian companies which have links to the singer will reap the rewards of her Eras Tour too.

Rogers Communications Inc. has been marketing itself as the presenter of Swift’s six nights in Toronto next November, which will see her grace the Rogers Centre stage.

Royal Bank of Canada is listed as an official partner of the Canadian stops and will offer an exclusive allocation of tickets to its Avion members.

Richard Powers of the Rotman School of Management says being connected to Swift creates a feel-good story for Rogers, which is trying to rebuild goodwill after a massive daylong outage last summer.

He says for RBC, Swift creates a chance to reach a younger demographic and expand the Avion membership base beyond the higher income people he sees the program typically target.

But Joanne McNeish says that younger demographic will make it harder to capitalize. The associate professor of marketing at Toronto Metropolitan University says it’s a misconception that putting your brand in front of young people who can’t currently purchase your product or service will spur patronage later.