“Are You Ready For It?” the University of Houston asked its budding entrepreneurs.
The university’s C.T. Bauer College of Business has added a new course titled “The Entrepreneurial Genius of Taylor Swift” in a bid to introduce real-life applications of different marketing, fan engagement, community building, and brand strategies. Professor Kelly McCormick, who happens to be an ardent Swift fan, will spearhead the course.
While it cannot hurt to be a Swiftie since “Easter eggs” will be hidden in the class content, being a fan isn’t required to take the course. The program will focus less on Swift the superstar and more on Swift the astute businesswoman.
Swift’s financial success is undeniable, with Forbes estimating her net worth at around $1.1 billion.
“The number one business lesson students can learn from Taylor is the way she treats her fans,” McCormick said, according to WFAA. “She is beloved because she truly does so much to make sure they are happy, appreciated, and feel like they are important to her. If every company acted that way about their customers — they’d have way more customers.”
This fan-centric approach will be studied alongside Swift’s penchant for creating a sense of community and engagement among her fans, an essential aspect of her marketing strategy.
The University of Houston isn’t the only Texas institution of higher education taking inspiration from the realm of pop.
Last year, the University of Texas at Austin introduced “Literary Contests and Contexts — The Taylor Swift Songbook,” which was taught by Professor Elizabeth Scala, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
“I try to teach things that I can relate to traditional canonical literature that the students will find irresistible. I used to teach Harry Potter. I traded up for Swift,” Scala told The Dallas Express at the time.
Rice University, which regularly tops national rankings for its academic robustness, is offering its own Swift-inspired course entitled “Miss Americana: Lyrics and Evolution of Taylor Swift.” It will be student-led and focused on the intricacies of Swift’s lyrics as well as the progression of her albums.
Similarly, Texas State University has introduced a course that delves into Harry Styles and the cult of celebrity.
