• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, January 8, 2025

Taylor Swift dominated music sales and concert grosses in 2024. And there’s one more area in which she was the undisputed leader: Email marketing. 

Swift appeared in 43% of all music-themed emails, according to Year in Email 2024: the Fun Edition, a study by Omnisend.

Nobody else even came close. The runners-up included Drake (17%), Billie Eilish (9%), Ariana Grande (7%) and Beyonce (5%).

"Taylor Swift's impact on marketing is a great example of the power of fan loyalty and storytelling," says Greg Zakowicz, Sr. ecommerce expert at Omnisend.

Zakowicz adds, "Brands that aligned their messaging with her 'Eras' tour, for example, tapped into one of the most devoted fanbases in the world. Of course, if you're a lawnmower company, Swift's appeal is likely not for your customers. However, if your brand is more mainstream, like Gymshark, tapping into pop culture trends could be the right move."

Omnisend analyzed 1.25 million email campaigns. 

On the movie front, Spider-Man appeared in 21.9% of all campaigns, and Batman in 21.1%. And The Bear pulled 36% of all TV-related email mentions. Runners-up were House of the Dragon (31%) and Bridgerton (23%).

"When brands align campaigns with major releases or characters, they tap into experiences that feel familiar across demographics. Iconic figures like Batman, a staple since the late 1930s, and blockbuster hits like Inside Out -- the highest-grossing film of 2024 – are prime examples," says Zakowicz. 

Meanwhile, the Olympics made up 31.6% of all sports-related emails. Next were the NBA (29.9%) and the Super Bowl (18.2%). 

Finally, cats hold a slight edge in the animal world, pulling 17.2% of all mentions, versus 16.9% for dogs. Chickens held a distant third place at 7.4%.