All Posts By

Melea McRae

Aug 19
0

Culture eats strategy for breakfast, but what happens when culture and strategy align?

By | B2B, Brand, Culture, Marketing | No Comments

Patrick Mahomes needs no introduction. Both a Super Bowl champ and MVP, he’s led the Kansas City Chiefs to some incredible wins and made some unbelievable plays. But do you think he’d have been as successful without the Chiefs’ strong culture AND a great playbook?

We’ve all heard that famous Peter Drucker quote, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” It’s a bold statement that implies culture is the single most important factor in an organization’s success. While it’s true that culture plays a significant part in shaping high-performing teams, it takes the combined power of a thriving culture and a robust strategy to win. Read More

May 04
0

5 reasons why now’s the right time for a marketing investment

By | B2B, Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, Outsourcing | No Comments

“Never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that: it’s an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.” -Rahm Emanuel

Promoting your business in a time of crisis can be extremely difficult. You want to communicate that your organization is open for business but not in a way that capitalizes on fear or invalidates someone’s struggle. When done right, this delicate balancing act separates the wheat from the chaff, allowing businesses to successfully navigate the landscape before, during and after the dust settles.

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Oct 24
0

The power of the case study: How to “close the deal” with a strong third-party endorsement

By | B2B, Case Study, Content Marketing | No Comments

Kansas City has been my home for a long time, but I’ve been fortunate to have a career that’s taken me across the country, allowing me to plant roots from Florida to Arizona. I love traveling and trying new things, becoming a true “local” at every stop along the way.

But every move has its challenges, and one of the biggest was finding a new network of trusted resources.

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Jul 16
0

Staying afloat: How outsourced marketing can serve as your life preserver

By | Blog, Marketing, Outsourcing | No Comments

Nothing makes these sweltering summer days more bearable than an afternoon on the lake with the wind in your hair. Whether you’re tubing or cruising on a pontoon, no boating trip is complete without a few sturdy life preservers—the one item you hope to never need but are immensely grateful for in the event of an emergency.

Similar to a life preserver, business owners need systems and strategies in place to weather changing industry landscapes. Read More

Dec 21
0

Roadmap for success: Effective B2B marketing tactics to grow your business

By | B2B, Blog, Email, Marketing, Social Media | No Comments

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved long road trips.

From soaking up the backdrop of a scenic landscape to enthusiastically singing along to Aerosmith on the radio, some of my favorite memories involve a set of wheels.

Long before cell phones and GPS, no road trip was complete without that large paper map that folded into itself more times than a Rubik’s cube. This roadmap was both a puzzle and a lifeline, guiding us along the open road to our chosen destination.

Decades later, I’ve found a similar thrill as an entrepreneur behind the wheel of a small business, navigating through the twists and turns of the industry landscape guided by a strategic roadmap for success. Read More

Oct 05
0

What’s behind door #3?

By | Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Throughout my 25 years in marketing, business owners have asked me countless times how to best grow and scale their businesses.

As a business owner myself, I understand just how much risk one takes starting and running a company. But whether you own a start-up or an established, mid-sized business, smart marketing is one of the best investments you can make. Read More

Jun 29
1

The good kind of growing pains

By | Uncategorized | One Comment

We know. It’s been a while.

The past six months have been some of the most transformative since Crux launched two years ago. It’s been a time of extreme growth for our company, both internally and externally. We’ve added desks to our office, client folders to our computers and milestones to our memories.

And we’ve done a terrible job documenting it. Read More

Sep 06
0
Speaking the B2B Language in Marketing

Speaking the B2B Language

By | Uncategorized | No Comments

Anyone in a relationship can identify: Even if you understand the words your partner is speaking, you can still be talking in very different languages. Those of us in the marketing world can definitely grasp this analogy, especially as it applies to the differences for B2B and B2C companies. Read More