Last Updated: December 12, 2020

Lisa Taylor Minor has always been fascinated by consumer psychology. Why do people buy the things they buy? Why do some advertising campaigns work better than others? How can businesses utilize information and insight to maximize profits?

Due to her innate curiosity about the way the mind works, Minor originally planned to major in psychology. After taking several elective courses and exploring multiple degree options, she found her true calling in the Field of Marketing.

“When I was a junior in college, I decided to take a few elective courses in advertising/journalism and marketing because the classes sounded fun,” said Minor. “Through the guidance of my professors, I eventually realized that my ideal career would represent a mix of all my passions: consumer behavior, analytics, creativity, problem-solving, organization, communication, and client service.”

Services offered at Wazee Marketing

  • Marketing Analysis
  • Brand Identity Development and Refinement
  • Product Positioning
  • Consumer Outreach
  • Communications Planning
  • Marketing Materials Development
  • Media Planning
  • Public Relations
  • Copywriting
  • Project Management

In her degree program at the University of Memphis, Minor decided to focus on advertising and journalism, wanting to integrate strong writing skills with advertising and marketing strategy. Even though she had an area of focus, she still wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted to do upon graduation.

Thankfully, Minor’s program allowed her to explore some of the various marketing roles that were potentially in her future through an internship. Interning at an advertising agency, Minor says she gained perspective about what it was like to use an advertising degree in the real world, and realized that a variety of career paths were available to her.

“I considered both copywriting and graphic design, due to my love for the creative process,” said Minor. “Yet during my internship, I discovered that I was best suited for an account management position, which involves the planning and execution of marketing campaigns.”

After completing her undergraduate degree, Minor earned a master’s degree in journalism/advertising from the University of Memphis, where she served as a graduate assistant for two advertising and public relations professors. After graduating, she went to work for an advertising agency as an account manager.

Early in her career, Minor focused mostly on the tactical execution and coordination of marketing campaigns. Eventually, she obtained higher level positions, where she was responsible for helping her clients formulate marketing objectives, gathering insights about the target audience, leading creative teams, helping determine where advertisements should be placed, overseeing the execution of the campaigns, and ultimately analyzing results to determine if the advertising push was successful.

Consumer Marketing and Marketing

Lisa Taylor Minor’s interest in marketing primarily stemmed from an interest in what drives consumers to buy, or consumer psychology. The main concepts behind consumer psychology include:

  • How attitudes and personality variables affect purchasing decisions
  • How stimuli such as advertisements affect purchasing decisions
  • How product characteristics change purchasing behavior

By understanding the basic concepts of consumer psychology, marketers are better able to position themselves for success in the marketplace.

After working in the agency business for 11 years, Minor switched her focus to the client side of the business and went to work for a large corporation. For the next four years, she held marketing positions in communication management, brand management, and product management.

“Exposure to the client side of the business definitely broadened my perspective, skills, and experience,” said Minor. “I learned a lot about the day-to-day challenges that companies face, and was able to use my problem-solving and analytical skills to help better define targets and positioning in order to maximize both spending and results.”

Regardless of her role, throughout Minor’s career, she has always aspired to keep the psychology of consumer behavior at the forefront of every marketing challenge she solves.

“I’ve found that if you go out there and try to push a product or service based on a company’s desire to make money, you don’t necessarily succeed,” Minor said. “Successful marketing is all about discovering and then effectively tapping into that special connection between what the company is selling and what the consumer really cares about, on both an emotional and tangible level.”

Today, Minor integrates what she has learned in various roles throughout her 16-year career by serving as a marketing consultant for corporations, agencies, and small businesses. In 2011, she started Wazee Marketing, her own consulting firm in Denver, CO.

Minor says there is no such thing as an average day when you own a marketing consulting agency. One day Minor oversees market research, another she writes advertising copy, and later she brainstorms names and positioning for a new brand. Each day brings new challenges and solutions – solutions that Minor ensures are not only effective for the client, but for the consumer as well.

“I really enjoy helping a client solve a problem by marrying proven fundamental strategy with fresh creativity and consumer insight,” she said. “One of the reasons I started Wazee Marketing was to be able to help companies discover what makes them unique and to then determine how to best communicate with their audience.”

“When you are able to help a client – and ultimately play a part in a company’s financial success –that’s very satisfying,” she said. “I get a true sense of accomplishment from using my talents and experience to help others succeed.”