This face may look familiar to some readers.
View this post on Instagram
On Sept. 10, 27 minutes after the end of a presidential debate between candidates Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, super pop star Taylor Swift gave the endorsement heard around the world.
As of publication, the static Instagram post currently tallies almost 9.5 million likes.
Swift’s media savvy never ceases to amaze even the most seasoned PR professionals. Many communicators had something to say about the statement and how Swift delivered it. A current LinkedIn query about the endorsement reveals over 80 comments from industry colleagues on what worked, what didn’t, and what they learned from the “Mastermind.”
Praise
A majority of those responding applauded Swift and her team for the effort.
Brendan P. Lewis, EVP, Global Communications & Public Affairs, Oatly
“Flawless. From discussing her own reasoning, to asking her fans to search for their own answers, to providing a link to register, to that sign off. Simply perfect. And the clear coordination with the campaign (now offering friendship bracelets) is a great plus up.”
Ellie Glason, Freelance PR Director
“View from across the pond: I think it was perfect. She was unemotional, explained that she’d done the research, and that [the debate] was behind her decision. The timing was spot on too— she sprinkled magic dust on Harris after her triumph at the debate.”
Craig Pratt, Senior Manager, Public Relations & Corporate Communications, MillerKnoll
“I’m no Swiftie, but even I was impressed by the timing, the specific messaging and relevance! Some might argue that it might have been more effective to release the endorsement today (Sept. 11) rather than last night—but other than Election Day, this debate was perhaps the moment that this election was top of mind for a majority of Americans, and she struck while the iron was hot. This is how you influence audiences. I may very well stream some T. Swift songs today. Key takeaways: Do not cross childless cat ladies.”
Jeanene O'Brien, Fractional CMO/CCO, Jack Mae Consulting
“Given the tightrope she is walking, this was the near-perfect combination of timing, tone and message. Given that she (and her machine) are fully aware that her fan base is diverse—her blending of stating her stance while encouraging Swifties to gather information and make their OWN decision was rather brilliant. Regardless of political sides, she stuck the landing.”
Timing
Our seasoned audience had some mixed reviews on Swift’s timing of the post.
Hinda Mitchell, President and Founder, Inspire PR Group
“Relatable. Authentic. Strategic. It was a thoughtful, perfectly timed communication that cast her not only as the superstar she is, but also as a relevant voice on business, policy and social issues. Inclusion of voter registration and a deliberate lack of urging her followers to vote a specific way provides credibility beyond the rhetoric.”
Parry Headrick, Founder at Crackle PR
“I wish she’d waited until tomorrow (9/12) (because today is 9/11, so that’s rightfully owning the news cycle along with debate recap). It would have been rolling thunder and more impactful imho.”
Anne Marie Squeo, CEO & Founder, Proof Point Communications
“Given we were focused on the debate and Harris' success there, I would have advised her to release what was a perfect statement, especially the signature line, tomorrow (9/12) to generate follow-on coverage instead of being part of the debate story.”
Halley Knigge, Head of Communications, Community and Inclusion, REI
“What's the best moment to drive maximum coverage and keep the momentum going? I might have waited a couple of days, since the debate is already generating tons of coverage and then tossed an endorsement in for a fresh news cycle. BUT I can see benefit to the timing she opted for as well—a little turn of the screw after a very tough debate for the candidate she's not supporting.”
Paolo Ramos, Account Director, SourceCode Communications
“I might have recommended that she wait until later in the night to let Harris have a (rightful) victory lap in the press. I feel like her endorsement coming immediately right after the debate and interrupting the post-debate Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz interview took some wind out of the Harris campaign's sails.”
Ben Fitchett, Senior Account Executive, Sling & Stone
“Excellent timing as always. As a PR pro I can’t help but think that it was doubled as a clean-up tactic for the widespread negative press she’s been getting after cuddling up with Brittany Mahomes during the US Open. I believe it was always in the running, but maybe the timing was held to be beneficial.”
Tone
While an endorsement, Swift’s statement also included statements of neutrality to acknowledge the diversity of her fans.
Andrew Moyer, Executive VP and GM, Reputation Partners
“...it provided an unequivocal endorsement, but made clear it was a personal decision and everyone should do their own work to educate themselves and participate in the election process. That’s a fine line to walk and the statement did it as well as any impactful endorsement I’ve seen.”
Rich Gallagher, Deputy MD, Brands2Life US
“We are in a new era of celebrity endorsement, where any public figure has to carefully weigh the value of their platform, the authenticity of their voice and commitment to a cause, and potential loss from fans alienated by a given position. The language around "do your own research and make your own decisions" will help with the inevitable backlash. Michael Jordan chose to remain apolitical because "Republicans buy sneakers too," but Swift does not have that luxury in 2024. Her image was already used to "endorse" the other side via AI, and she has to set the record straight.”
Codie Henry, MDR, Communications & Policy Specialist, Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect
“She made her point and perspective while keeping the door open for others to make their own minds. While people will likely follow her lead, the part of her audience that does not won't feel as alienated, with her leaving a place for them at her table.”
Content
Swift made brief, yet effective points regarding the dangers of AI deep fakes and encouraging voter education.
Melissa Vela-Williamson, Founder, MVW Communications
“Swift and her team handled that purposefully and strategically. They had a relevant photo and copy ready to drop and waited until after the debate when they were sure that 1. Kamala debated well and 2. The topic was timely and lit up social feeds. I appreciate that she called out the inappropriate use of AI with her likeness, and how truth needs to be shared to combat misinformation.”
Sara Joseph Noyes, Executive Vice President, Head of Travel & Lifestyle, BerlinRosen
“A perfect 10 for sure. I was glad she encouraged young voters to make sure they do their research and form their own opinions independently before taking to the voting box.”
Michelle Bonner, Vice President, Public Relations, Adams & Knight, Inc.
“I thought Swift really demonstrated a masterclass in authenticity and strategic communication with her endorsement. By addressing the AI-generated misinformation head-on, she took control of the narrative, reinforcing the importance of transparency in the age of digital manipulation. Her personal touch, signing off as 'Childless Cat Lady,' not only showed her awareness of political discourse, but also underscores her unique ability to blend humor with serious messaging. Most notably, her call for civic engagement—encouraging her audience to research and vote—was both empowering and responsible.
No One Is Perfect…Some Notes from the Audience
Lauren Parker, President and CEO, Slide Nine
“My only piece of feedback (Call It What You Want) would have been the photo selection. I would have loved to see her at home in sweats on the couch with her cats instead of a full-glam production shot.”
Dustin Siggins, Founder, Proven Media Solutions
“She should have stayed out of it. Business and personal brands that attach themselves to politics often find themselves retreating, clarifying, or otherwise diluting the original involvement. (See Delta's 2021 voting reform chaos as a prime example.)”
Amanda Jacobsmeyer, Director of Media Strategy at Inkhouse
“As a long time mega fan, I was a bit disappointed with the "do your own research and all decisions are great," (although of course I think everyone actually doing their own reading and thinking on the election is important) felt a bit toothless when she has so strongly spoken against bigotry and Trump and such in the past. On a personal level it felt like she was hedging her bets and avoiding offending her famous conservative-leaning friends. My PR brain is thinking that may have been a purposeful collab with the Harris campaign to strike a more optimistic, future-focused and reasonable tone focused on voting *for* someone rather than focusing on making the case for voting *against* someone. Overall I think the statement was crafted for undecided Swifties rather than to appease solid blue fans, which is encouraging to see the strategy focused more on impacting the outcome of the election than just her brand perception. Hard to not take the slightly cynical view on the timing of this coming on the heels of suspicion about what her friendship with Brittany Mahomes infers about her own politics, but I do see the wisdom in the debate timing. Probably just a case of unfortunate timing.”
In Conclusion
As Alyson Buck, Senior Director, Head of Strategic PR at Samsung Electronics America said, "Tree Paine, we are not worthy."
Nicole Schuman is Managing Editor at PRNEWS.