There's Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift by Kevin Evers

Harvard Business Review Press, 2025

Why?

Both professionally and personally, I have a deep interest in what makes personalities and brands break through, how that relates to innovations in technology, and what ensures brand longevity. There could be no better example of this than Taylor Swift.

Enjoyment factor

A senior editor at Harvard Business Review, Kevin Evers has done an excellent job of looking at Swift's career not only in the context of the music industry, but also in the context of the wider brand landscape, using plenty of parallels drawn from business and entrepreneurship.

The book also charts Swift's emotional journey - a defining component of the career of any talent, or indeed entrepreneur.

It left me thinking ...

Evers makes clear that Swift's success goes beyond the popularity of her music. Her ability to engage her audience, and keep them engaged, is second to none.

By focusing on building an artistic narrative, not just promoting her songs, Swift brings her fans on an emotional and creative journey with her. This has enabled her to change direction on more than one occasion, thus overcoming the paradox of star brands - the need to innovate without losing audience share. And it's also kept her fans with her through ups and downs in her personal and professional lives.

Indeed, the club that she has created goes further, inspiring fans to become content creators themselves, creating fan fiction, art and video interpretations - all of which expands the narrative and deepens audience investment.

Evers doesn't say so explicitly, but my strong takeaway from this study is that brand power, reputation and the unpredictability of being human are ultimately more important for an artist's durability than the product. This has always been the case, but it's worth reiterating in the age of AI.