Memorable marketing is about more than being seen. It is about being remembered. For businesses looking to stand out, entertainment marketing can create a stronger emotional connection with an audience and help a message stay top of mind.
Deborah McDuffie, AKA The Jingle Queen, brings that creative perspective to Around Town with Tom Reber. Based in the Orange Park/Fleming Island area of Florida, The Jingle Queen operates in the entertainment and marketing space, where creativity, collaboration, and clear goals all play an important role.
Meet Deborah McDuffie, The Jingle Queen
Deborah McDuffie is the first African American female music producer/composer in the advertising and record industries. Her work sits at the intersection of creativity and communication, a space where businesses can use sound, personality, and strategic messaging to become more recognizable.
As an owner in the entertainment and performing arts industry, Deborah knows marketing isn’t just about promotion. It is also about connection. Whether a brand is introducing itself, reinforcing its identity, or staying memorable with customers, creative marketing can make the message more engaging.
What Entertainment Marketing Can Teach Business Owners
Entertainment marketing helps transform a business message into something people can connect with. For many brands, that means thinking beyond basic advertising and focusing on how the message feels, sounds, and lands with the audience.
Make the Message Memorable
People encounter countless messages every day. A strong creative concept can help a business rise above the noise. Music, rhythm, storytelling, and personality can all support brand recall when used with purpose.
Keep the Goal Clear
Deborah defines success as “achieving the majority of the goal(s) set.” That is a practical reminder for any business owner: creativity works best when it is connected to a clear objective.
Before launching a campaign, business owners should ask:
- What do we want people to remember?
- What action do we want them to take?
- How will we know if the message worked?
- Does the creative direction support the larger business goal?
Learn, Adjust, and Improve
When asked about strategies used to improve performance, Deborah shared a simple but powerful approach: “Learning from mistakes and making adjustments.” In marketing, that mindset is essential.
Not every message, campaign, or creative idea will perform the same way. The businesses that grow are often the ones willing to review what happened, learn from it, and refine their next move.
The Value of Teamwork in a Creative Career
Deborah describes her career as team-based, noting that working with a team to achieve goals happens “all of the time.” That insight reflects a key truth about creative work: strong outcomes are rarely built in isolation.
Entertainment marketing often requires collaboration, feedback, timing, and adaptability. Whether a project involves music, messaging, production, branding, or performance, teamwork helps bring the idea to life.
Adapting to People and Situations
Deborah also points to lessons from sports that have shaped her personal life and career, including work ethic and adjusting management or plays to personalities, skills, and situations.
That perspective is especially valuable for leaders and entrepreneurs. A strategy that works for one audience, client, or team may not work the same way for another. Effective leadership often requires recognizing strengths, understanding the situation, and adapting the approach.
Practical Takeaways for Business Owners
Whether you are building a local brand, refreshing your message, or looking for a more memorable way to connect with customers, business owners can take several lessons from this conversation.
1. Start With the Goal
Creative ideas are strongest when they serve a purpose. Define the goal before choosing the message, medium, or campaign direction.
2. Make Your Brand Easy to Remember
If people cannot remember who you are or what you offer, your marketing has more work to do. Entertainment-driven elements can help make a brand more distinctive.
3. Treat Feedback as Fuel
Improvement comes from paying attention to what works and what does not. A willingness to learn from mistakes can turn every project into useful experience.
4. Build With the Right People
Teamwork matters. Surrounding a creative project with the right people can strengthen the final result and help the message connect more clearly.
5. Stay Flexible
Markets, audiences, and opportunities change. Adjusting strategy based on personalities, skills, and situations can help businesses keep moving forward.
Around Town with Tom Reber
Around Town, hosted by Tom Reber, spotlights conversations with business owners, leaders, and community voices. Deborah McDuffie of The Jingle Queen is scheduled for Around Town with Tom Reber on Thursday, July 9, 2026.
The conversation highlights entertainment marketing, leadership, teamwork, and the importance of setting goals while staying flexible enough to improve along the way.
Conclusion
The Jingle Queen represents a creative marketing approach rooted in entertainment, collaboration, and memorable messaging. Deborah McDuffie’s perspective offers a useful reminder for business owners: success starts with clear goals, grows through teamwork, and improves through the willingness to learn and adjust.
For businesses looking to stand out, the lesson is clear. Creativity is most powerful when it is strategic, memorable, and connected to a purpose.
Learn more about The Jingle Queen at https://www.thejinglequeen.com.
