Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about fusion, the combination of several structured elements to create something totally new. I’m convinced modern buyers' use of AI research combined with the relentless intrusion of algorithms, means that a fusion of marketing, public relations, and sales has become an effective strategy for business growth.
But first, some background in how I’ve come to understand fusion.
I see fusion exploding in popular culture and am participating in more fusion events myself.
For example, many restaurants are now based on combining styles of food, for example one of my favorites, Japanese Peruvian fusion.
Or consider my buddy, the flamenco artist Juanito Pascaul. He has worked for the past several years on a fusion music project: A Flamenco Celebration of Jimi Hendrix, coming to the world stage in 2026-2027. Juanito grew up on Hendrix. Then flamenco found him. He’s written Flamenco music; recorded albums; and toured the world for years. Now he’s delivering a new fusion: Hendrix reimagined through the passion and fire of flamenco - raw, lyrical, and deeply felt. I was fortunate to be the only guest at a recording session for the new album. This is fusion at its finest!
Fusion dance has affected me most.
If you’ve been following my writing, you know that I’m passionate about dancing Lindy Hop, the original swing dance out of Harlem in the 1930s. Every week I take private lessons with Maria Kakolowski, group lessons at Ignis Arts and Boston Lindy Hop, and I go social dancing at Boston Swing Central and other places.
This summer, I participated in the Nantucket Dance Festival which brought together dancers from a wide variety of styles including Lindy Hop, Ballet, Modern, Irish Step, Tap, and Memphis Jookin. I took many lessons in a variety of styles. However, for me the most exciting aspects are when dancers from different backgrounds came together.
Look at the photo of the dance professionals I shot at the festival. There’s so much the joy on the dancers’ faces as they share their dance styles with each other in performance.
In the most memorable dancing I’ve ever experienced, I shared several dances with Lauren Lovette, former principal dancer at the New York City Ballet and current resident choreographer at the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Lauren is a super-star! And she danced with me!!
At a partner social dance, I asked her to dance. Lauren doesn’t know Lindy Hop and I don’t know Ballet. She said: “I don’t know what to do.”
I smiled and said: “Let’s just make stuff up.”
She agreed and our dance was amazing. We were both in our elements and out of them. We encouraged each other. Lauren, a highly accomplished ballet dancer, brought extraordinary balance, body awareness, responsiveness, line, and an ability to instantly interpret movement. I brought Lindy’s pulse, rhythmic improvisation, and lead-follow vocabulary.
This is the essence of fusion dance: two people speaking different movement languages but discovering that they can have a fabulous dance conversation by putting the styles together to create something new.
After the dance with Lauren, I wanted more fusion dance! Last weekend I got it at the Connect the Dots event, a collaboration between Lindy Hopcats and Eclipse Fusion taught by Erin Morris. It was a great introduction for how I can expand the way I dance by bring Lindy Hop together with other dance styles.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how fusion can be an answer to generating attention and building business in our chaotic online world.
How can you use the ideas of fusion in your business?
For example, I encourage you to find ways to blend the different disciplines of marketing, public relations, and sales strategies.
Can you blend online content with in-person events?
Can you fuse Public Relations and Marketing?
How can fusion bring together the one-to-many approach of marketing with the one-to-one focus of sales?
These are just a few ideas to get you thinking!