Being creative means so much more than just idea generation. Creativity emerges in our everyday; in the way we solve problems, see things differently, and ultimately create something new. In the agency world, creativity is highly regarded and one of the main reasons clients come to us, campaigns launch and the work we do actually works.
On this creativity day we wanted to take a moment to share some of the ways our team gets, and stays creative. Feel free to try these out and maybe some of these tactics will spark some creativity in you or your team. And if you’ve got your own creativity hacks, send em our way! We’d love to hear from you on social.
Preparation
We spend a lot of time preparing before we ask our team to brainstorm. It’s easy to walk into a room and ask people “whatcha think?” It’s far more effective to give people a brief, give them some homework, and ensure they’re walking into the room with the beginnings of thoughts already formed. At Popcorn our briefing process arms our team with the tools they need to be effective contributors to any jam sesh (that’s actually what we call brainstorms) before it even begins. Our briefs are put together by whoever is running point on the project, and they typically include:
- The ask – what are we trying to accomplish
- Background on the brand – what is this brand, what are its values, what have they done
- Inspiration from competitors/industry – imitation is the highest form of flattery afterall
- What does success look like – both for the client and the campaign
- Need to knows – exactly what it sounds like
It’s simple really. Good brief = good brainstorm.
Resources
We always find it helpful to have some additional tools available to stimulate the thinking process. One of our mandatories is a whiteboard – it seems to make all things possible. But brainstorming isn’t a solo endeavor, and to ensure we’ve got good participation we ensure we’re filling these sessions with additional tools. Sometimes that means additional whiteboards, sometimes its music to fill the empty space between a question and the first answer, often its a table full of snacks (we are called Popcorn), and other times it’s something tangible. Magazines, post-it notes, colored pencils, deliciously smelling dry erase markers, are all something physical that can help ground a conversation and take the often ethereal nature of digital marketing into the physical realm.
Take a walk
Some fresh air, movement and multi-sensory stimulation are another favorite technique for getting the creative juices flowing. We’ve come across numerous studies that support this, and tested the theory with teams and on individual thought experiments alike. When all else fails, or even before you start, take a walk and see what fresh ideas come along with the fresh air.
Creativity is a vital part of how we navigate the world around us. These are some of the ways the Popcorn team gets and stays creative. Tell us about how you and yours approach this same challenge, and together let’s keep creating.