Several years ago, a coworker suggested that we go check out the drag scene that night. Having never seen illegal street racing myself at the time, I was intrigued and agreed to pick him up later that evening.
Later, when he came out of his house, it was to my surprise that he was wearing a dress and a thick coating of makeup.
It was at this point that I realized that I should have clarified that we were going to see a Race, not what I now realized was going to be a “Show”.
Undeterred and somewhat underdressed for the occasion, I followed my co-worker into one of the local gay bars. Although I had never been to a show like this before, I wasn’t bothered by it at all, in fact, many years before I had accidentally marched in a gay pride parade in Washington DC (a story for another time).
My friend and I saddled up to the bar to get a drink before we started mingling and showing off his, what could be best described, as an inexpensive prostitute look. I turned out to face the crowd when another Queen approached.
“You’re the laziest looking drag Queen I have ever seen.” She announced.
Naturally, I was shocked at how brutally honest she was and how little she seemed to care about other people’s feelings. I was also confused as she was talking to me, not my friend in drag.
“But I’m not trying to be a Queen,” I sheepishly responded. In fact, I was wearing a simple polo and some jeans.
“Well, it’s showing.” and with that, she walked off.
So what the hell does this have to do with marketing? Well, owning or operating a business is like having yourself on show 24/7/365. Not everyone is going to like what you do, or your branding, your company colors, heck, even your logo will piss some people off.
Your brand and company identity should be an extension of you and your values. It should mean something to you, have its roots in something that is important to you. Your brand is your story, your narrative, and shouldn’t be changed on a whim or to appease a minority of people that may not like it.
Here at Nexus 6, we help people do just this. Find their story and refine their brand.
Because at the end of the day, you shouldn’t have to dress like a cheap hooker to please one belligerent cross-dresser.
