How women in pop culture are rewriting the business playbook 

Women in pop aren’t just topping charts – they’re reshaping the rules of culture and commerce. What may look like overdue recognition in a historically imbalanced industry has evolved into something more: a live case study in modern brand strategy.  

Festivals such as Primavera now headline all-female lineups, a dramatic shift from just a decade ago when women accounted for fewer than 10% of performers. In the UK, female artists have dominated the number one singles chart for a record-breaking 34 weeks. Their rise is not only a cultural milestone but also a strategic blueprint for how to build communities, command attention and scale influence in a disrupted marketplace.  

Authenticity as a growth engine  

Take Olivia Rodrigo, whose recent Lollapalooza performance drew over 115,000 fans – the largest headlining attendance in the festival’s history. At just 22, she embodies the power of authenticity as a growth engine: her unfiltered storytelling resonates with fans in ways traditional brand messaging rarely can.  

Businesses face the same imperative. Those willing to embrace bold identities, cultivate loyalty and continuously reinvent themselves can move beyond short-term relevance to deliver sustained impact.  

Building culture from the inside out  

Strong brands begin internally. Rodrigo has become well known for her leadership values as well as her artistry. She has embedded wellbeing into her touring operations by providing her crew with access to mental health support, while simultaneously platforming her social commitments through initiatives such as her Fund 4 Good campaign.  

The lesson for businesses is clear: internal culture is the first and most enduring brand touchpoint. The recent backlash against BrewDog, which promotes an anti-establishment image, but is accused of exploitative practices, shows how quickly markets turn when internal reality does not match external messaging. In 2025, with social media accelerating transparency and employees more empowered to speak up, the brands that thrive are those with cultures people genuinely want to buy into. 

From values to ventures  

After years of mistreatment at the hands of her former producer, singer Kesha’s decision to establish her own independent label and launch a tech venture for musicians demonstrates how values-driven disruption can fuel commercial success. Her independent album debuted at number one, showing that when authenticity is underscored by resilience, it can resonate just as powerfully as marketing scale. 

Empowerment fuels value creation. When people have the autonomy to own their work and act from their values, their output becomes more distinctive, more human and more commercially effective. Even small increases in perceived autonomy have been shown to lift productivity by around 5%, reinforcing the tight link between agency and performance. In a market moving faster than ever, organizations that trust their people to lead are the ones best positioned to generate sustainable growth.  

Community as currency 

Taylor Swift and Beyoncé illustrate how community has become a form of cultural currency. Their tours have not only broken financial records – Swift surpassing US$2B in ticket sales and Beyoncé delivering the highest-grossing country tour to date – but have also shown how audiences can transform into ecosystems. Fans created shared rituals that spread through digital reach, entirely self-driven rather than artist-engineered; only once these practices gained momentum did the artists begin to acknowledge and nurture them. Their real power lay in cultivating spaces where people, particularly women, felt safe to take up space, express themselves and connect with one another organically. That sense of belonging is what turns moments into movements. 

These artists have shown that true community must be nurtured, not managed. When consumers feel seen, supported and invited to contribute, they develop a deeper loyalty that shows up in engagement and advocacy. Industries are recognizing this shift: Vogue Business recently hosted an event with female business leaders on what community really means for brands in 2025, signalling its evolution from a marketing term to a genuine driver of participation and self-expression, especially for women. Organizations that can cultivate real communities rather than simply audiences will be the ones that endure. 

The power of ownable identity 

Charli XCX and Chappell Roan exemplify how aesthetics can evolve into assets. Through bold creative direction, distinctive visuals and cultural fluency, both artists have created instantly recognisable brand identities that transcend music.  

The corporate analogue is clear: consistent, distinctive brand expression drives recognition, builds emotional loyalty, and generates virality. Research shows that 68 percent of companies say brand consistency contributed 10 to 20 percent of their revenue growth, underscoring the link between cohesive identity and commercial performance. Whether it is Liquid Death’s metal-inspired aesthetic, which has propelled it into one of the fastest-growing beverage brands in the US, or Oatly’s renewed commitment to its lo-fi visual world in a sea of AI-polished sameness, these brands show how a single unmistakable look and voice can cut through the noise and become genuinely ownable. 

Lessons for business 

Today’s leading women in music are more than performers. They are brand strategists, team leaders, and cultural entrepreneurs. Their success is rooted in lived values, empowered cultures, participatory communities and distinctive identities.  

Elixirr enables brands to bolster cultural meaning and translate it to commercial strength. Explore the services we offer to support execution of the previous strategic lessons: 

Organization design & culture  

Structure your business and align leadership behaviors to your brand purpose.  

Business model & venture innovation  

Pioneer new products, design services for success, or launch new ventures that bring your principles to life.  

Customer proposition & experience design  

Translate evolving audience needs and market trends into distinctive experiences and propositions that build emotional loyalty.  

Brand strategy & positioning  

Build or sharpen your brand with a holistic approach that considers customer organization and legacy to spark excitement and maintain cultural relevance.  

We’ve helped brands across industries, and we can help you do it too.