Taylor and Big Machine implemented an extensive marketing plan for
RED. On August 13, 2012, Taylor gave a live webchat via
Google Hangouts, through which she announced the details of
RED, including the release date and cover, and answered fan questions. She concurrently released the lead single, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”, which topped the US
Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks. It was Taylor’s first No. 1 on the chart. An alternate version was released to US country radio. “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” peaked at No. 1 on the
Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for ten weeks.
On September 22, 2012, Taylor announced that she would preview one song from
RED each week on “Good Morning America,” as part of a four-week release countdown from September 24 until the album’s release week. The four songs — “Begin Again”, “Red”, “I Knew You Were Trouble.”, and “State of Grace” — were also released for digital download ahead of the album’s release. “Begin Again” was later released to US country radio as an official single on October 1, 2012. It peaked at No. 7 on the US
Billboard Hot 100.
Both the standard and deluxe versions of
RED were released on October 22, 2012. In the US, the standard edition was available in digital and physical formats, and the deluxe edition containing six extra tracks was available exclusively for physical purchase at Target. Taylor also had tie-ins with corporations including
Keds, Wal-Mart, and Papa John’s. A day after the release, Taylor began a cycle of television appearances, starting with a live performance on “Good Morning America.” She made many appearances on radio, giving interviews to as many as 72 stations, mostly in the US, and a few international outlets from South Africa, New Zealand, Spain, Germany, and Mexico. She also performed at awards shows including the
MTV Video Music Awards, the
Country Music Association Awards, and the
American Music Awards.
RED was further promoted by a string of singles. “I Knew You Were Trouble.” was released to pop radio as an official single on November 27, 2012. It was a big hit on pop radio, peaking atop the
Billboard Mainstream Top 40/Pop Songs for seven weeks. The single peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a top ten chart hit in Oceania and Europe. “22” was released to pop radio in March 2013, and “Red” was released to country radio in June 2013. The singles peaked at No. 20 and No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. Other singles were “Everything Has Changed” and “The Last Time”; the latter had a limited release to UK radio.