[/caption]Creative brainstorming is a part of what our company does. Oh, it's not as big a part as interns and other neophytes hope, as evidenced by our laughter when a bright-eyed young interviewee offers, "I can give you great ideas." (Actually, we were hoping she or he was a whiz with the postage meter, or perhaps calling to collect late payments.)
But, back to the point. Creative brainstorming is crucial, particularly in cases in which the soul of outreach is ear-catching words, innovative graphics, or some virtually unheard-of new interactive approach.
Getting there is fun. Humor and offbeat ideas are a surprising route to the really, really, great idea. Say we're marketing a new macho product and need a name for it. Generally, someone in our "creative brain trust" ends up laughing so hard his or her stomach hurts, shouting out ridiculousness such as "buzzcut!" or "dude!" until finally, 5,761 completely unusable ideas inspire The Answer.
Our work is serious. Really. But when we want to get to that part of the brain that yields wonderful, original concepts, we need to unleash childlike abandon.
Nice work if you can get it, eh?
Ah, interns. They've been so helpful, every one of them, but I'm always convinced I'm dashing their dreams to dust every time I sit them down and explain how the media database works and where to download next year's editorial calendars. (Hmm, that reminds me...)
ReplyDeleteAlso, "buzzcut" and "dude" were among the most G-rated of the axed ideas from that particular brainstorming session, if I'm remembering it correctly. Man, that was fun.