David Estrada’s Axer Strategies approaches marketing in a new way

Mathew Shaw|  Contributing Writer
mathews.yb@gmail.com

It’s a new year and a new gig for Oak Lawn businessman David Estrada. The 31-year-old has begun a marketing firm in the heart of the gayborhood and is operating it with a largely LGBTQ staff, including project director Evy Camacho.

Axer Strategies, founded in October, is a cost-effective company focused on creating individualized marketing solutions for clients’ businesses. Estrada said this can be done through video calls, allowing him to reach people anywhere in the United States.

Estrada has gone into his new venture with his eyes wide open. Any business, he stressed, must accept the possibility of failure, and his goal is to help his clients avoid that possibility.

“The first thing that any business needs to sort of accept is there should be room for failure,” he said. “To learn and to experiment with how to get to the right solution.”

Axer explained that his strategy is to constantly make tweaks to every plan to reach a solution that works. For example, a hair salon can make more money by switching up their services, he suggested.

“A local hair salon might be fully booked with hair appointments for men. Those hair appointments take about 45 minutes or an hour. In a day they’re only going to get to 8, maybe 10,” he said. “But if you were to replace those hair appointments with, maybe, hair extensions or hair dye, then you’re increasing the value of that person that’s in your seat.

“Now you’re making more money per hour.”

Estrada said the way Axer is set up is unique. He meets with a client to discuss their business problems then develops strategies to help the client’s business. Then he connects with vendors across the world who can help with the business, and they create a playbook that Estrada or the client can execute.

“It’s sort of a very, very customized way of approaching the marketing and executing that marketing plan,” he said. “You can also think of me as sort of a contractor. I am the architect and also the contractor with a situation.”

Estrada said that being marketing co-chair for Black Tie Dinner helps him sharpen his marketing skills.

“I’m Hispanic and I focus on diversity,” he said. “I’m also on the younger side of the board members. I’m focused on being more inclusive with other people in our community, and so all of that goes into marketing.”

Estrada said he helps Black Tie reach more people for their annual dinner at the end of the year.

“It’s everything about, ‘What kind of faces are you seeing in the advertisement?’” he suggested. “Are they multicultural? Are they old and young? There’s the voice and tone in how you market our events.

Black Tie broke records with their fundraising last year, he added.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have that sort of client, if you will, but not really,” he declared. “They’re not paying me.”

Estrada has worked with Verizon, Dallas Morning News and several sports teams across the metroplex and wants to work with medium to large businesses, he said. He also wants to connect with the LGBT businesses in the area, which is why he hosted a marketing meetup Jan. 16 at Cedar Springs Tap House.

“I’m promoting LGBTQ talent, people who have skills in marketing and also helping LGBTQ business owners and help them with their marketing,” he stated.

“This is my home. Every day that I walk my dog down my neighborhood, I think this place is very important to me.”  

For information, visit AxerStrategies.com.