The Wax Blog

You may argue that Madonna is not the greatest performer/singer/dancer in the world. But her staying power, appeal and influence can’t be denied. Your own marketing campaigns can learn from Madonna as well. Yesterday’s Super Bowl performance contained 6 components of her brand that have helped keep her in the game. Here they are:  (more…)

For a long time I swore my small business clients all had ADHD. They were impulsive, lost confidence quickly in marketing tactics, and were always looking for the next big thing. Luckily, I worked for several individuals with this kind of personality and I’ve always been able to take advantage of the “let’s boldly go where no man has gone before attitude” while keeping a plan on track. But it’s a struggle to get them to be patient to allow tactics to actually work.

Lately, research seems to be backing up my empirical observations regarding ADHD and entrepreneurs, particularly young entrepreneurs whom I believe can’t stomach the slow pace of corporate life. Intuitive.com reprinted a list of the best advantages entrepreneurs have with ADHD including hyper-focus, high energy, the ability to multi-task, and risk taking. An August, 2011 article in SmartMoney went so far as to call ADHD the entrepreneurs “superpower, ” reminding us that the founders of Kinko’s and JetBlue both have this learning “disability.”

I know I have several of the characteristics associated with ADHD and they were a total gift when I was a salesperson. (I also think it adds to sensitivity and intuition but that’s not backed up by anything other than my own opinion.) But when it comes to marketing strategy and tactics, those characteristics can be a total disaster.  Here’s why some characteristics, whether they’re labeled “ADHD” or not,  are both a strength and a weakness for entrepreneurs. (more…)

Although I don’t understand a word…the delivery is compelling. Maybe I should learn Spanish. Don’t stop before he starts getting really agitated.

I know it seems like a lot of wordplay, but I can’t stress enough the need to pull your strategies out of…well, wherever you can. Seriously most of us are probably  trying tactical stuff as we think of it. If it works, we continue. If not, we discontinue. But without strategy that requires a real knowledge of your desired customer, we never really know why one thing works and another doesn’t. That is what makes marketing seem so “squishy”.

With tactics, whether it’s advertising in a new magazine because the rep won’t leave you alone, or sponsoring your first event, there’s an element of closing your eyes and making a wish. When you select tactics that fit into well thought-out strategies, you can feel confident that at least you’re in the ballpark.

In case you were wondering, here are MY strategies for 2012: (more…)