The Strategy Behind The Life of a Showgirl: What Taylor Swift’s Latest Era Teaches Us About Strategic Storytelling

By: Jessica Harrison 

“Hey, thank you for the lovely bouquet / You’re sweeter than a peach / But you don’t know the life of a showgirl, babe.”
— “The Life of a Showgirl”, Taylor Swift (feat. Sabrina Carpenter)

When Taylor Swift released The Life of a Showgirl, she didn’t just drop an album but rather orchestrated a moment. From the coordinated orange and teal visuals and sequined showgirl imagery to the surprise reveal on her fiancé’s podcast and the global light-up events that followed, every move was intentional. It wasn’t random marketing. It was storytelling, persuasion, and strategy rolled into one glittering campaign.

And while most of us aren’t launching billion-dollar albums (though if you are, call us – we’d love to help!), there’s a clear takeaway for leaders and organizations: strategy isn’t just what you decide to do – it’s how you make people care about it.

Strategy Is Storytelling

Strategy is often treated as a rational exercise focused on defining priorities, goals, and metrics. But the strongest strategies, the ones that inspire action, also tell a story. It’s the story of who you are, what you stand for, and where you’re headed that’s told in a way that invites people to join you.

The Life of a Showgirl album does exactly that. It explores Taylor’s life in the spotlight and acknowledges the tension between authenticity and performance. Too often, strategic plans are built to inform people, not inspire them. But lasting alignment happens when strategy becomes a story people want to be part of.

Building Connection Through Persuasion 

Taylor Swift doesn’t need to convince her audience to care because she makes them feel something. Leaders can learn from this approach. Strategy should move people not just to understand your goals, but to believe in them. 

Here’s how she does it and how you can, too.

1. Clarity. Taylor Swift’s narrative is unmistakable. The theme, tone, and emotion of The Life of a Showgirl are cohesive and intentional. Leaders must offer the same clarity in their strategy story. 
2. Participation. Fans engage through Easter eggs, shared symbols, and wearable merchandise. In organizations, participation might mean co-creating narratives and staff participation in the strategy launch. When people help build the story, they own it. 
3. Emotion. Taylor Swift starts with feeling; in the case of this album, joy and love are predominant emotions. A strategy that conveys emotion and is built on empathy has the power to mobilize people and drive action. 

Design your Strategy like a Show

As your organization enters its next “era” aka strategy, consider how to design your launch and rollout like a great performance; intentional, unified, and emotionally engaging.

• Define your storyline. What’s the theme of this next chapter? Resilience? Growth? Transformation? 
• Align your message. Ensure every communication, from CEO remarks to visuals, reinforces the same story. 
• Design the experience. Don’t let strategy live only in documents. Bring it to life through stories, visuals, and dialogue. 
• Invite participation. Make employees, stakeholders and partners part of the story, not just its audience. 
• Lead authentically. Swift evolves with every era but never abandons her identity. Your organization’s purpose should do the same.

When people connect emotionally to your strategy, they remember it, they repeat it, and most importantly, they act on it.

At MacPhie, we help organizations design and communicate strategies that resonate by connecting the rational with the emotional and the plan with the people. Click here to learn more about how we can help you craft and bring your next strategy to life.