Why burlesque has made me a better marketer

Back by popular demand, my Living and Marketing series...

I was going through some pictures and came across this fun one of me and the cast of a burlesque show at The Odditorium in Asheville, North Carolina. I had been given an AirBnb birthday experience where Deb au Nare from the Burlesque Academy of Asheville talked about the history of burlesque, took us backstage to meet the entertainers, and even showed us some moves.

The evening ended with a burlesque contest involving audience participants. Yep, I was one of them. My best friend has the video and periodically threatens to release it. I think that's known as blackmail. But more on that later...

First, let me tell you a bit about burlesque. Dating back to 17th century Italian theater, burlesque started as a comic interlude. Victorian burlesque parodied opera and Shakespeare. Once it crossed the ocean to America, burlesque relied more on theatrics and shock value -- specifically semi-naked women. Burlesque lost popularity after World War II, but has had a revival in this century -- particularly as a way of empowering women.

Emma Glitterbomb who describes herself as "writer by day and vixen by night" has written extensively about her experiences as a burlesque artist. I love this quote:

While I love burlesque for many reasons, the most important is that it's taught me I can accept my perfectly imperfect body.

And yes, burlesque actually makes some fun fodder (and images) for musings about marketing.

Embrace Imperfection.

Burlesque artists come in all shapes and sizes. They proudly strut imperfect bodies. Marketing and branding also comes in all shapes and sizes. But we often spend way too much time seeking perfection and become immobilized by overthinking. I see that often in planning strategy and when a creative team is caught up with getting it "just right." That doesn't mean you need to be sloppy, but getting stuck in perfect mode means we miss narrowing windows of opportunity.

I am a proponent of lean marketing, which at its essence embraces imperfections and mistakes. The premise is to give it your best shot, test and refine. Sure, you want to cross T's and dot I's, but the reality is that until your marketing is actually in use, you will not get a clear picture of what is working and what is not. So embrace imperfection.

Stripping Vs. Burlesque

I like how Emma Glitterbomb contrasts stripping and burlesque: "Stripping is client-focused; burlesque is performance-focused," she writes. "As a stripper, though you are performing, you also want to create one-on-one experiences with clients, which can result in more money. As a burlesque performer, you’re creating a relationship with the audience as a whole."

Now that is a beautiful metaphor of what marketing does. Sometimes, we are strippers trying to create one-on-one experiences with an individual that will result in action -- purchasing a product, supporting a cause, or recommending us to others. Can I turn you on in a way that makes you buy my brand and become my advocate?

Other times, we are creating a relationship with an audience. Can I burlesque for menopausal women? Perform for dog-loving, wine-drinkers? Dance for doting grandmas?

I think the key is that great stripping and burlesque are art forms. Ripping off your clothes is just getting naked. It's not going to lead to either a one-on-one experience or a relationship. That's the same for marketing. If you can't make marketing an art, you might as well just keep your clothes on.

Be Brave. Be Free.

When I watched the burlesque show, I was struck by the bravery of the performers. They were there to have fun, to embrace zaniness, and to struck their stuff on stage. They gave it their all without inhibitions and really, really looked like they were having a good time.

So when the Mistress of Ceremonies called three of us up on stage to compete in a burlesque contest, I jumped at the chance. My competition was a very buff young man and a curvaceous young woman. I am neither young nor curvy; I am old and round. But I do love to dance,

Until I realized you actually had to take some pieces of clothing off. Buff Man got down to his skivvies. Curvy Chick was prepared with lovely lingerie. I, however, had broken my shoulder a month before and was dressed in my standard "can't use my arm clothing" of sweat pants and a t-shirt. To put it bluntly, I was going commando and only had two pieces of clothing to remove.

And here's the thing about burlesque -- you can not show unmentionable parts. It's against the law with heavy fines. {And even without the legal repercussions, I actually have a pretty conservative streak when it coms to public nudity.)

It was my turn to perform. The music cued up and the Mistress of Ceremonies --Deb au Nare -- was looking very nervous. She realized that I had very limited options. Her reputation and pocketbook were on the line. I could have sat down, but damn, I wanted to be brave.

So laughing all the way, I slowly lifted the back of my shirt and pulled out my best dance moves. And then I teasingly lowered one side of my sweats in perfect time to the music. Then I paused and.... took off my glasses.

The crowd went crazy, and I won the contest.

So what are my marketing lessosn from that invigorating and humiliating life experience? First, being brave is essential if you are going to break through the noise and be competitive. Second, audiences love a good laugh so creating those moments with authenticity actually can make you a winner.

And finally, sometimes less is truly more.