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Creativity can be the heart of every marketing program. It should at least be the cornerstone on which you begin to develop your approach. By avoiding the same old, same old, you can rapidly uncover new, vibrant markets. When you require the services of someone who can help you discover this new world, call Rivette Marketing Group.
We have the experience, the talent, the drive and the desire to craft your next marketing project and see it succeed. We don't recommend any particular method or tool until we know more about what you have, and where you want to go. Who you are selling to, and why. These are hard questions, but not as hard as sitting behind your desk wondering what to do now. Call RMG today and get us into your mix since our specific ideas create tangible results. |
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When most people think about being creative or developing creative ideas for marketing their products they believe they need to isolate themselves in a rectangular room, shut off the phone and sit there staring at the wall to think...WRONG! HOW TO BE CREATIVE 101 The most basic course I teach to clients is how to be creative. This seems like it should be natural. We are always told, taught and scolded to think outside the box. Unfortunately many managers and owners delude themselves that they are thinking outside the box when in fact they are sitting in the middle of the box just imagining the thought process as being innovative. It is akin to being trapped in a movie about being trapped in a movie. When would you ever know that the movie has ended and you can go home? GET OUT OF THE BOX The first step to thinking outside the box is to leave the box. If you work in an office, leave it regularly. Step outside, and it does not matter if you are in the city or the country. Get out of there! The next step is to not look back at the box. Your office, the people you interact with daily and the process in which you are functioning is a trap to creative thought. The moment you place rules on being creative you negate your mind's inherent ability to create. Generate some mental energy by going somewhere. Randomly. Do not plan this part. Get in your car, hop on public transportation and go somewhere you would never go during your work day. This is especially important for business owners. They almost never go meet new people outside their business circle. I am not talking about evening cocktail socials. I am talking about going to the circus or a movie. Taking a walk in a park or visiting a martial arts studio. Go shopping. HOW TO SHOP AND LEARN Some of the best and most innovative ideas in large companies come to fruition by accident. They are looking for one thing and discover another. Partly because the viewer is ready for the revelation. But also partly because the viewer has trained their mind to think creatively. What excites you? Move down an aisle of a retail store where you have not previously been. It could be housewares, cleaning products or cosmetics. What do you notice? How does it relate to your own product or service? What can you learn from it? THERE ARE THINGS AND RELATIONS One of the most fundamental concepts of the universe is never taught in school. There are things and relations. The moment you have two things, any two things, you have a relationship. It is how our mind develops memory. We associate an object and a sense. Or an idea and a sense. We have become very sophisticated in creating these associations yet we are almost always ignorant it is occurring. That is why a movie, a concert or some event entices then satisfies you emotionally. Your brain has developed new, very powerful memory and sensitized itself to limitless new ideas. It is at that moment you are most creative. Go down the aisle of the grocery store. Pick up two items at random. Now, look at them and relate them. What do they have in common? How are they different? Physically, emotionally, spiritually. What can you define about them from your own personal life experience? Do you recall the time you ate too many marshmallows and got sick? Did you pick up a can of collard greens and wince because you had to finish a whole plateful when you were young and didn't like the taste, but now you do? LEARN TO CONNECT THE DOTS How does this help me be creative or understand my product potential better? It doesn't. Not directly. It helps clear your mind and activate the center for creativity. It opens you to the learning process of noticing the mundane in new and creative ways. Collard greens can help you sell more insurance. It's a very simple concept. If you don't buy enough insurance, when you need it, you won't have it. And you will experience that same wince you felt when you ate the collard greens. When you realize your life will change for the worse because you failed to prepare adequately. Don't be left with a bitter taste in your mouth. Learn to be creative. And buy more insurance. I'll bet you most readers are now wondering if the have enough insurance, and what they will be having for dinner. Congratulations. You've taken your first step into a bigger, better related world. |