Marketing and the Circus: 3 Surprising Ways They’re Alike

Marketers love comparing what they do to the circus. I’ve seen it from at least half a dozen marketers in the past month (even under the banners of big players like LinkedIn and HubSpot).

But as someone who does both marketing and actual circus arts (juggling, trapeze, hoop, silks, tightrope, etc.), I think we can take this comparison even further. Marketing isn’t just about “juggling” multiple projects for multiple clients—it’s a high-stakes, high-coordination act of controlled chaos.

So for all you marketers out there who are ready to make a circus analogy about your day-to-day, here are 3 reasons why you’re more accurate than you realize…

3 ways marketing and the circus are fundamentally alike.

1. Both Require Clearly Articulated Plans for a Defined Time Period

2. Both Demand Seamless Coordination Across Teams

3. Both Rely on Strong Content Supported by Strong System

1. Both Require Clearly Articulated Plans for a Defined Time Period

A circus performance is like a well-executed marketing calendar: multiple elements happening at once while the next act is warming up in the wings.

For example:

• Content marketers are producing blogs, social media posts, and lead magnets for one quarter while planning for the next.

• Paid media experts are monitoring ad spend and A/B testing while forecasting next season’s budget.

• CRM pros are managing lead flow while building out entirely new pipelines for upcoming product launches.

For any of this to work, you need to have clear roles and clear communication established between all the players which brings me to Number 2.

2. Both Demand Seamless Coordination Across Teams

When people describe circus, they talk about what they see onstage. But none of that high-flying, colorful, flashy stuff happens onstage without meticulous coordination with the offstage action. "Offstage action" includes people rigging and animating the apparatuses, the people running lights and sound, the stage managers calling cues, and various backstage duties assigned to performers (e.g., doing their own hair and makeup).

All of the backstage and onstage personnel have to know how to do their jobs without getting in each other's way. If it's not coordinated confusion, that's when disastrous stuff can happen in the circus.

On the marketing side, everyone needs to know who and what is live and who and what needs to be in production, whether it’s a B2B or B2C act. Ads, emails, digital signage (be they automated or not) require the effort of intelligent human beings at some point, and they have to execute without getting in each other's way. When that doesn't happen, all the marketing mishaps that take forever to overcome flare up. Email campaigns turn to spam. Ad budgets are incinerated. And, all of a sudden, there are umpteen promotions running at once with no end in sight.

Well-coordinated teams reduce the risk of this happening by optimizing the tools at their disposal, and that brings me to Number 3.

3. Both Rely on Strong Content Supported by Strong Systems

Let's say I'm preparing a trapeze act, I spend time training, toning, and stretching my body to make sure that I can do my best work when I'm finally up in the air. Also, I've done the work of defining my character in the act with the help of music, costume, hair, makeup, facial expression, and movement quality based on what I know of the audience and how they'll likely perceive it in the context of that performance space. 

If I've done all that, I know I'm strong. But if that trapeze isn't strong and properly set up, nothing I do to strengthen my body will matter much. That's why we invest in the integrity of the apparatus - making sure all the equipment is strong and rigged properly.

Now, let's say I'm writing a blog about putting together a trapeze act. Then, I spend time outlining my thoughts and strategizing keyword placement so it performs best in the organic search results. I'll craft the language in a way that conveys the subject to a lay audience in a captivating way so readers are more likely to follow the call to action within the blog. 

Also, our cross-functional team does the work of optimizing the web space in which that blog lives so it also wins the technical game, providing the best user experience and easier indexing and ranking by the search engines. Again, not only is the content strong - so is the system holding it up.

Marketing Is a Circus—So Let’s Embrace It

Marketing, like circus arts, is a mix of art and science. You need clear strategies, seamless execution, and strong systems to make the magic happen. And if you ever ask me to “put on my marketing hat,” just know—it probably comes with sequins and a top hat.

Curious how this unique combo of marketing and performance art content could help your business? Let’s connect!