Monday, March 9, 2009

Brainstorms

One of the keys to effective advertising is obviously creativity. Many assume (incorrectly) that creativity is something that you either have or you don't. The truth is that with the right environment and mind-set, anyone is capable of creative thinking. A common scene in the advertising world is the proverbial "brainstorming meeting" to kick off a new campaign. This the vital meeting where great, creative campaigns are born. It's also the birthplace of the all the mediocre and bad marketing ideas you've seen. Successful, creative brainstorming sessions are a combination of leadership, planning, and sometimes pizza.

This is my process for conducting a great brainstorming meeting:

Solidly define the question. This sounds like a no-brainer, but I think many times it's glossed over and the results don't really hit the sweet spot. What are you really trying to figure out here? Take a minute and think it through, make sure that your group is going to head off the right direction from the start. Anyone who has read Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series know what I'm talking about. The answer is 42, right?!

Set the stage. During the first part of a brainstorming session, there can be no editing or negative commenting on any ideas thrown around. A fun idea is to give everyone a Nerf ball, and whenever someone makes a negative comment about an idea, the rest of the group throws the balls at them. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART! Obviously not every idea that is said will be valid, but with the right environment those ideas will trigger other ideas, and people will be more creative when they feel safe from criticism.

Using a whiteboard or large post-its, write up each thing said. Using a mind-mapping approach might help, showing how ideas are related. It depends on what kind of people you have, though. Some people respond best to just random listings. There will be several lulls during this period. When you get to a lull, try implementing a triggering activity, like word-association, or asking to visualize a juxtaposition (i.e.-what would this product be like if it was a military persona). Sometimes, I'll throw out an obviously outrageous idea, just to get a laugh and that will start people back thinking again. The goal of this phase is quantity not quality.

Editing. After everyone is worn out & tired. Take a break, then go back to the ideas and begin to discuss the merits of each and edit. Go over combinations of ideas and push some further. There will be ones that everyone hates, have some fun when you cross them out. This is also the time for thinking about implementation and production issues.

Some things to keep in mind:

Everyone needs to be comfortable. Board rooms are the worst environment for this activity. Go offsite if you need (sometimes this helps a lot!). Get good chairs or pillows, allow everyone to dress how they want and keep the room temp around 69.5 degrees. This also goes for the emotional environment. Make sure that everyone feels accepted and part of the group. Many people will not offer ideas because self-doubt and the fear of criticism creep in. When they can trust that they won't be made fun of, the ideas will come out.

Food is always good. Fruits and nuts, crunchy things, jerky, cheese. Stay away from pastries and such. Some soda is OK. Water is good. And make sure it's quality food.

The person driving needs to be "on". Keep things light and fun. Run around with energy & compliment ideas. Keeping the group energized and excited will produce more and better ideas. Another key thing is that you can't be the boss. Push the ideas, not the people.