Taylor Swift is back, having teased and released her new song “Look What You Made Me Do,” as well as announced her upcoming album, all in this past week. The release of new music typically brings a tour. This is the case for Swift, who has already provided information on her website.
As many celebrities, including Harry Styles, have been doing recently, Swift has teamed up with Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan service to find real fans to sell tickets to in a process called Taylor Swift Tix. However, the process is different from the usual Verified Fan process, which simply emails fans a code to purchase tickets with. Instead, there are activities to complete to confirm your identity and enter for a chance to purchase tickets. This includes watching videos and purchasing merchandise. While these activities, called “Boosts” won’t guarantee you’ll get a code, some may better help you move up in line for tickets.
Since this announcement, mixed reactions have been received from fans and non-fans alike. Some feel this is a smart marketing strategy, as well as the best possible way to improve chances of real fans getting tickets.
—John Breyault, a Vice President for the National Consumers’ League
However, others feel it’s frustrating, and Swift is just using this opportunity to make more money off of fans.
My take on it? I can see both sides of the story. The typical Verified Fan process, while much simpler and less expensive, has not always worked in the past as scalpers and bots have managed to break through the system. Doing more than registering can help prevent them from being successful.
However, I do also see the sneaky way Taylor and her team managed to take more money from her fans. Kudos to her for this smart marketing strategy, but this can make things more difficult for fans. Concert tickets can be expensive for some, and it can be the most they can afford. Convincing them to buy her album and merch for better chances of getting tickets is a rather low move. Isn’t it just enough to do things like watching videos and encouraging friends to register? Fans do nothing but love and support their idols; why should they be spending so much money for a CHANCE to see them in concert?
No matter what you feel about this situation, though, this is one of the first times this strategy has been used by Ticketmaster. Let’s hope it’s successful, and more tickets will be given to fans than scalpers. Good luck, Swifties!
