Taylor Swift Winning Response to Threat of Violence at a Concert Venue
The pop singer and entertainer succeeds with patience, caring authenticity and direct communication
How well leaders communicate with their trusting, passionate following is critically important to the relationship and loyalty. The smartest people understand it and don’t fight it. They are measured, yet direct, honest and compassionate in what they say.
Entertainer Taylor Swift realizes this too and has commented now, after a delay, after authorities discovered a planned attack at her Vienna concert venue. The singer thanked them for preventing the plan to cause massive human loss at Ernst Happel Stadium, where Swift’s performance was to take place.
She spoke to how the events emotionally affected her while addressing the confusion her consumers likely felt during Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour.
“Having our Vienna shows canceled was devastating,” she said. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.”
Swift spoke of her duty, “… all of my energy had to go toward helping to protect the nearly half a million people I had coming to see the shows in London.”
There were people who were curious or critical about Swift’s delay in communicating about what was going on and why she had not yet spoken. She explained the reason.
“Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows,” she wrote.
That assertiveness leaves no doubt as to her reasoning and why she decided to prioritize the response to what had happened and could happen again.
“This tells us how personal the threat was to her and how much she cares about her fans, their safety and the experience she has worked so hard to cultivate with The Eras Tour,” says Blair Huddy, the founder and CEO at Hudson Davis Communications, a B2B public relations and marketing solutions firm.
“She’s telling us here that she’s aware her fans were disappointed,” she adds.
“It’s well known that Swift is often online watching fan activity, so it’s very likely that she saw their posts of disappointment and is using this part of her statement to address those comments, posts and videos.”
Swift communicated in a way that was expected with the people who follow and love her and she did so in a manner that was real and connected to her brand.
“Taylor Swift's fans connect so enthusiastically with her,” says Rich Gallagher, the deputy managing director at Brands2Life, a digitally-led public relations and communications agency, “because she writes songs with honesty and vulnerability. Devastation, fear and guilt are familiar territory.
“Her comments on the cancellation of the Vienna shows feel authentic to Swift's voice. Too often, crisis statements feel dull and antiseptic.”
Society, in general, expects communication fast in disappointing, upsetting or fearful times. Swift pointedly explained why she delayed speaking. It was a reasonable and correct decision in the minds of experts.
“This was a direct threat to her and her fans and she’s making it clear here that she’d probably get criticized either way,” Huddy says, “whether she made a statement too soon or not enough (of one) and so she chose to finish her job and comment in the way that made the most sense for her.”
Gallagher appreciated how Swift communicated when she decided to do so, with her telling stakeholders why the wait for her to speak.
“This is an elegant explanation of why Swift couldn't give Swifties around the world the quick, satisfying statement that so many wanted,” he said.
“With investigations underway at national security agencies and the final North American leg of the Eras Tour still to come, her team must put safety first.
“They can't un-cancel the Vienna shows but they can foster the safe, welcoming environment that's drawn millions of fans from every corner of the globe.”
Swift inferred that her temporary silence was not a neglect of her professional, human responsibility to her consumers but instead a show of self control, better judgment and restraint as she focused on safety.
Not all fans were happy, those who had paid to see her, traveled (some long distance) and had their hearts set on certain dates and the emotional, sensory experience. The communication may not have been ideal, even if Swift’s intent was responsible and honorable.
“Communicating through a post comment isn’t the best way to communicate with mass groups of people in general,” Huddy says, “but I admire Swift for choosing this route over a statement.
“Fans are hearing it directly from her and she’s bringing down the temperature of the situation so it becomes more manageable.”
Gallagher says Swift’s explanation is smart leadership.
“'Take the pain' is a common and necessary element of good crisis communications,” he says. “Often, companies — and pop stars — could provide a thorough explanation of what happened but that usually perpetuates a negative news cycle and can encourage others to pile on.”
So in his professional opinion, Swift’s response strategy was wise.
“This is a good approach to move the conversation beyond Vienna — and the bit about 'expressing yourself' may have the fans hopeful for new music at the end of all this,” Gallagher says.
“Elsewhere in her statement, Swift is grateful that we are all 'grieving concerts and not lives.' I thought that was a very good recategorization of the pain in this case.”
The overall grade on her communication in response to stress, anxiety, fear, disappointment or anger: 5 stars.
“Overall, her communication is very well done,” Huddy concludes, “and addresses the situation and concerns directly.
“Using an Instagram comment is good but not ideal but works well in the context she puts it in. By including it alongside other comments as well as her typical recap pictures of the shows, Swift addresses it head on but brings the focus back to the shows and the story she’s telling with the Eras Tour, where it should be.”
Huddy elaborated about a preference over an Instagram comment.
“I would have loved a TikTok from her addressing it directly,” she says. “That way, fans hear directly from her in a way where they can see and read into her emotions and demeanor.
“Written comments always have the opportunity to be misconstrued, whether they're in the form of an official statement or a post comment. A video would have been extremely relatable and difficult to twist her words or meaning.”
Gallagher was also impressed.
“I thought it was very well done. Crisis statements too often feel clinical and are overloaded with unnecessary detail for the wider audience,” he says.
“This one is authentically in Swift's voice and manages to put the focus squarely on safety of the remaining shows.”
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