How KC Turned a Love Story into a Talent Strategy

In Kansas City, talent attraction sometimes comes from the most unexpected places. When a celebrity love story put the city in the national spotlight, Danielle Hilton, managing director of TeamKC, and her team saw an opportunity to turn attention into action. They moved quickly to translate the buzz around Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce into a strategic campaign that showcased the vibrancy and quality of life in Kansas City.  

The team recognized the moment, aligned stakeholders and crafted messaging on the fly while managing national media attention. The result was a campaign that generated 300 million impressions and strengthened awareness of Kansas City as a destination for talent and business.  

On this episode of Talent Wars, host Patience Fairbrother speaks with Danielle to explore how TeamKC moved fast, stayed authentic and leveraged a cultural moment into a replicable playbook for talent strategy.

Listen in to learn:

• How TeamKC recognized the moment and built a strategy around “the epiphany of the visit” 

• How national media attention was leveraged while remaining true to Kansas City’s authentic story 

• How lessons from the Swift-Kelce campaign are shaping preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup 

• Danielle’s advice for other cities and regions on how to mobilize quickly when the spotlight shines

If you are looking for insight on turning unexpected opportunities into real talent impact, this episode offers a masterclass in strategy, authenticity and speed. 

Listen and subscribe to Talent Wars on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. To submit guest or episode topic ideas, email patience.fairbrother@old.aboutdci.com.