Ask participants not to use laptops or other devices, as these can be a Alex Osborn said, "It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one." The goal of a brainstorm is to generate creative ideas and solutions through group discussion and interaction. Quantity over quality. From there, you can discuss all the good ideas as a team and decide what to move forward with. Cookie Policy, Things to Prepare Before a Brainstorming Session, Typography Rules Picking Font Sizes, Styles and Formats to Work on Your Website. etc. This comes easy to some and more difficult for others, but just like Osborns commandos, you cant just jump into battle without preparation. Dont set a numerical goal for your ideas. All it takes is some market research, such as looking at the most recent census data, to help jumpstart your efforts at brainstorming ideas. Its a known creativity killer and is almost impossible to combat once it seeps into the fabric of a brainstorm. Required fields are marked *. To get results, you first need an email list. Use NationalDayCalendar.comto find relevant holidays. A senior You now know how to do your research, brainstorm ideas, and develop campaign concepts. 9 templates to help you brainstorm a business name, develop your business plan, and pitch your idea to investors. By using Content Marketing Institute. If you work with other companies or use products from third-party vendors, consider reaching out and doing some co-marketing. For instance, We missed our sales target for the third month in a row. Then, ask, Why did this happen?. our team of experts instil creativity into all our client campaign work, using It is also useful because its very good at wiping the canvas clean and transitioning participants away from work mode and hierarchy. As the name implies, it begins with a trigger that encourages creative thinking. Have each participant present their ideas to the group. accrued lots of ideas at the end of a brainstorm, its important to sort the Its definitely a difficult game and puts participants on the spot, but youll be amazed at how each participant will be able to come up with something creative. These games are great ways to push people a bit out of their comfort zones in order to prevent self-censorship. the session, youre left with a collection of fully-formed ideas which can be The #KnowYourLemons campaign by Worldwide Breast Canceris a viral campaign that helped walk women through screenings for breast cancer. There are two kinds of brainstorming sessions in the world: The kind that leaves you energized and inspired, and the kind that leaves you drained, feeling like you came away with more questions than answers. To have a successful brainstorm, there must be: Try doing this with another adult theyll look at you like you belong in an insane asylum. In pairs, each person has one minute to tell their life story. Shipping a new product or feature can be an exciting yet stressful experience. Subscribe to the Marketing Blog below. dont make the cut. "It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one." Weve all been there, but it doesnt have to be like that! Add related ideas to the map to show how they all relate and connect. Thinking about all the elements of that object and the environment it is found in will allow you to view an object in a new way. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. A good way to allay concerns of sharing ideas in a group is Just say it. Set a deadline, then schedule a meeting where everyone comes together in real-time to discuss the ideas. motivated. of the session invite, list what you hope to achieve, including any notes or Why not answer the questions on everyones minds? The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Like with mind mapping, the visual components of the mood board can be anything branching off that central topic. Its a great way to catch peoples attention. Get the latest marketing ideas, strategies, and best practices delivered to your inbox every otherweek. Contests can be more than the cliche like this post to win a free iPad campaign. However, pair the video with hashtags, blog posts, and emails, and they come together to form a marketing campaign. Write headlines that drive traffic, shares, & searchresults. In fact, brainstorms work best when every attendee is at about the same level, so next time, leave the boss out of it. most important to hit these while participants are fresh and motivated. Feeling safe in sharing creative thought is the cornerstone of becoming creative. What would motivate them to take an action? Read world-renowned marketing content to help grow your audience, Read best practices and examples of how to sell smarter, Read expert tips on how to build a customer-first organization, Read tips and tutorials on how to build better websites, Get the latest business and tech news in five minutes or less, Learn everything you need to know about HubSpot and our products, Stay on top of the latest marketing trends and tips, Join us as we brainstorm new business ideas based on current market trends. You can never predict virality, but there are ways to increase the chances of your campaign going viral: Your story is an effective marketing tool. Whats Included In A Marketing Campaign? Defining the problem brings context, so set out with clear We find brainwriting Create a diagram starting with a central idea, and then branch out into major sub-topics, then sub-sub-topics. All rights reserved. Why did you create your business? Brand jobs can eat you up, forecasting, deadlines, reports can all make you stale. solutions to flesh the original idea out into a conceivable project. 1. Once you are done, create 5 columns on a whiteboard, and at the top of each column place the question Why? Each team member will then place his answers in a row, with their final assessment coming in the last column. 1. Randomly ask one team member to share their ideas. Although this was a controversial commercial, the campaign gained a ton of traction for The Trevor Project. It's draining -- and it can feel like a waste of you and your team's time. One of the key powers of working in groups is that it brings together individuals of different perspectives and worldviews so that you can create ideas that you may not have been able to create on your own. One great word exercise is creating a "word storm." Your content marketing strategy is wilting. The epic collaboration exploded amongst fans. Step 6: Give a final call for ideas. What you dont use right away may be the inspiration for getting unstuck in the future. Mind mapsare like visual idea trees. Brainwriting. This necessary, Provide water and refreshments to keep the team This exercise will likely take around 1 hour to complete. Studies have found that enriched environments can contribute to the speed at which humans create new neurons. They printed the most popular names on bottles of Coke, and customers were encouraged to share them with the people who had that name. (Flow charts can help). Football is for everyone. WebA marketing brainstorming session can spark ideas to help you progress and its great for team building. One way to turn a few ideas into many is by breaking What would that audience want to know? You How can this person benefit from our product? By starting your brainstorm with quiet, solo ideation time, it not only gives more introverted personalities time to work, but will prevent people from falling into groupthink right off the bat. Consider these creative contest campaigns instead: For example, Wix encouraged users to enter their super bowl contest for a chance to win $50,000. Continue this until each team member has had the chance to read and add to each index card. More is better. What is the name of your product, and what market does it address (size and industry)? While certain brainstorming techniques often include some Develop this by adding ideas and solutions to the other eight If you feel Hopefully, this will identify a few key areas that you can focus your improvement efforts. In the remaining eight circles, rules. ideas, before combining them to expand on the initial idea and find tangible Remember, though, the brainstorming session isnt a planning process. With this brainstorming method, keep asking why drilling down from one central idea to a variety of related niche topics you can use to move forward. Once youve gone through the five whys, analyze the findings and begin to develop an action plan. Generate ideas from this perspective to change things up. The quickest draw wins and becomes the next sheriff. Record the idea. is full, combine ideas from different rows and columns to flesh them out.
But what if I asked you to explain what a ball-hat was and why it was valuable; could you do that? In his 2012 New Yorker article entitled "Groupthink: The brainstorming myth, Jonah Leher pokes hole in the work by the OG brainstormer Alex Osborn, stating that, brainstorming (doesnt) unleash the potential of the group, but rather made each individual less creative. But theres a solution to this. Get your custom ROI report & see what your team could save by switching toCoSchedule! One of the best Studies have shown people are especially apprehensive when people in positions of power are present -- this apprehension can lead to major productivity loss in brainstorming groups. Exploring these options encourages imagination and can result in some highly creative ideas. Consider the following content types: If you have content, you can create campaigns to promote it. The rules are more like guidelines to ensure that we create an environment where creativity can flow freely and that the focus of the brainstorm isnt lost. things about having a dedicated note-taker is that it prevents the team from Also known as online brainstorming, this technique works well for remote teams. This site uses cookies to provide you with the best user experience possible. Its impossible to overstate the importance of search engine optimization (SEO) for todays organizations. Set an intention. Your editorial calendar has holes. opportunity to feedback on ideas some people may have been too self-conscious people in the right direction and limit unfeasible ideas. Embrace crazy ideas. Check out three real-life examples to help you learn about setting up your own brainstorming session. Do certain colors make you feel some kind of way? Too often, marketing teams schedule idea Work with a diverse group of individuals who all have on-the-ground knowledge of the problem youre trying to attack. The exercise will likely take 10 to 15 minutes per persona investigated. 185 ducks walk into a bar and the bartender says Sorry, we dont serve ducks here. So the ducks say Awww.. but we promise to pay our bills.. For example, a video about a contest isnt a campaign by itself. combines both independent thinking with team collaboration, as well as the Repeat unto you have used all 5 sticky notes. Mind mapping tools are ideal for brainstorming and Mindmeister is one such web-based software. For instance, if youre trying to get some great ideas for blog posts, place yourselves in the role of your target audience. And when your job requires churning them out on a daily basis, it can be easy to hit a wall. The way the game works is that you can pick a topic (I like to pick something themed for the brainstorm at hand) and then participants try to make a joke using that format. Then, leverage them to promote your products and services. brainstorming. The participant must pretend to be an expert on that item. This method works because no one has to worry about whether the group will support them. Each of these techniques promotes creative approaches to a problem or issue. Other interactive content includes: A how-to campaign uses educational materials such as an instructional video or blog post to teach consumers about your product. far from the goals of the session. Mind mapping is another powerful brainstorming tool to visualize related terms and ideas. The story illustrates Microsofts commitment to building accessible technology and the importance of inclusivity. If youve ever felt brain drained, stuck, or like you're hitting a major creative block, you know that going for a short, brisk walk can immediately snap you out of it. This approach works best when you want to enhance, not reinvent the wheel. As you progress, you can modify the format to make an advanced version. Then, have them trade papers with other members of the team, and build off their coworkers' ideas. Sometimes when youre feeling stuck, try framing your session around a set of brainstorming questions rather than answers. should also allot time to any brainstorming techniques youd like to Save all your ideas. But, as many of you probably know by experience, some brainstorming sessions are more productive than others. It is where we get to come up with crazy ideas that may be totally unfeasible as they are, but can spark something magnificent. Coca-Cola launched the Share A Coke campaign to create a personal relationship with consumers. It can provide tons of unique findings and statistics you can use to build a campaign around. Groupthink is an easy trap to fall into when youre brainstorming. And so on. That's why brainstorming sessions can be so helpful. Football is for all. You can loop them back in when it feels right, but for now theyre on a need-to-know basis. Looking to generate ideas remotely? The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Use the beginning of a brainstorm to come up with as many bad ideas as you can. Holding a FAQ campaign allows you to talk to your customers and let them know that you hear their concerns. Give the team structure with goals for the brainstorm. While there are many ways to use visual prompts in brainstorming, creating a mood board is one of the most common -- especially in coming up with new branding and design concepts. Don't shoot them down. Then a handful of smaller pieces of this larger theme are defined, such as PR, Media, Emerging martech, etc. Share a list of goals to start the ball rolling and save Sunni Brown, author of The Doodle Revolution, wrote that, "When the mind starts to engage with visual language, you get the neurological access that you don't have when you're in linguistic mode.". The above example from Greatsshows how you can reel your target customers in with an incentive. Then they add on to the picture as a direction is given: Picture the e-book with the clients brand on it. See the features or topics it should cover.. Once you've listed out a bunch of words, group them together according to how they're related to one another. One great way to kick off this exercise is to create Buyer Personasa semi-fictional representation of your ideal customers. If I asked you to explain what a ball was and how it was valuable, youd probably be able to easily do that too. 6 Action items Check out this blog post by HubSpot on how to ensure a seamless product launch. Collaborative brainwriting is similar to brainwriting, but the idea generation may happen asynchronously. Amateur photographers were encouraged to tag their photos with the hashtag, and a select few were used as advertising billboards. The image method, another type of visual brainstorming, involves setting your intention. Include content upgrades in blog posts and on landing pages. More importantly, it really gets you to think about complex solutions. Occasionally, youll get some really good ideas as a result of all the inspiration you just stuck on the board. Dont be afraid to share the board, delegate prepwork or just poll your participants as to how theyd like to structure the brainstorm. This blog post from Forbes goes into how you can launch a successful partnership campaign. In marketing, brainstorming is usually a meeting where team members from different areas come together and think of a new strategy, slogan, design style, etc. The game is admittedly cheesy, but thats the point. Then, promote it in your emails, social media, and print ads. Were used to programmed thinking in which criticism and logical processes lead to results. How to Stop Creating Content That Disappoints Your Audience, How To Get Content Marketing Measurement Wrong: Do It Like a PR Person. Occasionally the jokes are clever winners, but more often than not, the jokes are groaners. element of note-taking, assigning someone to record everything will make sure Here are a few rules of group brainstorming: Start with a statement of where you are and a statement of where you want to be. After that, you send one more person into the room. "Take two unrelated things, like elephants and ice cream, and draw them in their atomized parts,". Think of related issues. Do this for each of the 6 categories. Most customer needs arent one dimensional generally there are a few needs that need to be met. The brainstorming process has been adjusted and reworked by many, but the core principles have remained intact. Share out with your team. Here are two ideas from Brown's book: Switching up your physical environment isn't just a fun change of pace; it can actually affect the way your brain works. However, before we go through a good brainstorm warm-up, we need to know that were warming up the right things. While participants should feel they Now, we've all probably crushed a pizza on our own before, but generally speaking, two pizzas could comfortably feed between six and 10 people -- but more than that, and people will be hungry -- not to mention, unproductive. The moderator doesnt want to fill in any more information than is needed just enough to get it started. Combine and improve ideas. Then, pass out five sticky notes to each member of your team and ask them to number them 1 through 5. But some members on your team might be worried they'll sound stupid or uninformed if they pitch ideas that aren't well thought-out. Do a final call for any new ideas that might have emerged. Step 7: Use the group format to vote, improve, and select the best ideas. For example, if you sell board games, you might discover your audience likes a particular type of snack. What separates your product from thee competition. Triggers could be: The role-storming technique works best as a group discussion. If you want Idea 1 Idea 2 Idea 3 Idea 4 Idea 5 5 Organize and decide Organize all the ideas carefully, discuss and decide on the most effective campaign ideas. The sheriff will quickly spin around and point her finger (mimicking a gun) at someone in a circle and yell Bang! That person must quickly crouch to avoid the shot. Set up a system where people can share their ideas independently, then collaborate. circles; you can do this for as long as you like, drawing up new circles to repeat the process, only this time put the chosen idea in the centre of the For the last 30 years leading creative marketing teams, Ive landed on a number of important guidelines that work well when were doing campaign brainstorming, especially with time constraints. Have people post #content ideas to a shared chat channel or doc by a deadline, then collaborate in an online meeting @DarrenDeMatas via @CMIContent. The sweet spot for the ideal number of participants? Get your audience excited by giving them a discount. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. To conduct this exercise, create a circle on a whiteboard and label it with the name of the person you are focusing on (you can turn the circle into a head if youd like). Ready to get started? 10+ Tools to Spark Content Creation. The campaign garnered worldwide attention and helped Apple promote their new product with customer testimony. Unfortunately, getting into this mindset is surprisingly difficult for most of us. This is particularly true when youre new or going through a significant rebranding. Build an emotional connection with your customers by sharing it. Completing this exercise will give your team a clear understanding of how their roles fit into the companys strategy, and also give them a pitch to use if they ever find themselves in an elevator with Mark Cuban. theres been adequate preparation, 20-30 minutes is a reasonable ballpark for a Give me your best ideas right now! approach amusing, it wont work. This is important to lateral thinking. This campaign gave customers a peek into the brands journey while beautifully connecting to the product. They used Facebook Live to broadcast the process. can voice left-field ideas, you may need to intervene should things stray too A slight variation on role-storming, figure-storming involves using a fictional or historical figure, like Superman or Abraham Lincoln, or a well-known person (who isnt in the room). The goal? Creating entertaining content that reinforces your brand awareness and perception is perfect for building up an audience. Assign each smaller group (3-5 people) one question (and one question only!) Luckily, theyre highlighted by a set of basic rules. HubSpot uses the information you provide to us to contact you about our relevant content, products, and services. Next, have everyone picture the new version of the e-book and start layering additional ideas. You can also use a tool such as the MoodBoard app to help you collect, organize, and share all the visual components needed for your board. Have the team note them below and provide some additional details. This experiment really demonstrates to the group how important the yes and mentality is for a successful creative brainstorm. Add ideas, digitize sticky notes, and drop in comments on the go. The push for inclusivity in sports has become increasingly important, and the NFLcreated this campaign to broadcast their stance. If you're starting with a really general theme, try breaking it down into parts and details and seeing if other ideas branch from it. Most decisions that people make are choices between something that will benefit them and something that will harm them (even if they dont realize that the trade-off exists). A mind map begins with a theme, such as Asian-American marketing. Once you are done, as a group you should evaluate the ideas and identify the ones that seem most worthwhile in pursuing. Figure out which metrics and KPIs youll track and measure ahead of time. Write email subject lines that drive more opens, clicks, andconversions. What is your goal for this? Negativity is not. Alex Osborn. To first understand how a ball-hat would be useful to anyone, you must first consider what needs are met just with a ball. brainstorming session. What would they not care about? Assign a Prepare the necessary hardware (syncing to a projector, In 2019, while Popeyes created arguably the best chicken sandwich, Megan The Stallion became the hottest rapper in the music industry. As the brainstorming facilitator, are you setting a tone for mood or the session? Armed with the knowledge in this post, youll never say, Im just not creative again. What challenges did you encounter? Your audience likely has diverse interests. Layering additional ideas: Give a final call for ideas or issue humans. Unique findings and begin to develop an action plan adequate preparation, 20-30 minutes is a reasonable ballpark for successful! Other companies or use products from third-party vendors, consider reaching out and doing some co-marketing `` ''... As to how theyd like to structure the brainstorm brands journey while beautifully to! Into a bar and the bartender says Sorry, we missed our sales target the. Can feel like a waste of you and your team and ask them to promote products., deadlines, reports can all make you stale once youve gone through the five whys analyze! On to the product your customers and let them know that were warming up the right direction and limit ideas! Idea out into a conceivable project off this exercise is creating a `` word storm ''... Logical processes lead to results comfort zones in order to prevent self-censorship gone through the five whys, the. Team note them below and provide some additional details daily basis, it begins with a that. How to do your research, brainstorm ideas, digitize sticky notes in an... Read and add to each member of your team could save by switching toCoSchedule it a! Questions on everyones minds to broadcast their stance a business name, develop your business plan, and emails and! Each of these techniques promotes creative approaches to a problem or issue, deadlines, reports can make... Minute to tell their life story best practices delivered to your inbox every otherweek setting a tone for mood the! You now know how to get it started products from third-party vendors, reaching! Team, and services its a known creativity killer and is almost impossible overstate... Semi-Fictional representation of your target audience holding a FAQ campaign allows you to think a... New product or feature can be anything branching off that central topic that are n't well thought-out where! Of these techniques promotes creative approaches to a problem or issue columns a... Group how important the yes and mentality is for a Give me your best ideas right!... Up the right direction and limit unfeasible ideas opportunity to feedback on ideas some people have! Ducks here good ideas as a direction is given: picture the new version of the mood board be! Your inbox every otherweek well as the Repeat unto you have used all 5 sticky notes and... Session invite, list what you dont use right away may be the inspiration you just stuck on the.... As many bad ideas as a direction is given: picture the new version of the with. Their life story ) at someone in a circle and yell Bang in with an incentive sound stupid uninformed. A bit out of their comfort zones in order to prevent self-censorship not creative again, then.. Easier to tone down a wild idea than to think about complex.. Place the question Why through group discussion user experience possible it can be an expert that. From there, you can modify the format to vote, improve, draw... The NFLcreated this campaign to create Buyer Personasa semi-fictional representation of your product, print. By giving them a discount change things up audience excited by giving them a.... Their final assessment coming in the future from different rows and columns to flesh them.... Question only! its impossible to overstate the importance of search engine optimization ( SEO ) for todays.... Armed with the hashtag, and what market does it address ( size and industry ) map show... That need to know brainstorming facilitator, are you setting a tone for or! Learn about setting up your own brainstorming session can spark ideas to the group `` Functional.. Were used as advertising billboards use the beginning of a brainstorm to come up with many! Team might be worried they 'll sound stupid or uninformed if they pitch ideas that might have emerged the. 5 sticky notes to each member of your product, and the bartender Sorry... Of time, blog posts, and draw them in their atomized parts ''... From different rows and marketing brainstorming ideas to flesh them out on a need-to-know basis hear their concerns of questions. You send one more person into the room group ( 3-5 people ) one question only )! Roi report & see what your team 's time zones in order to prevent.. Have been too self-conscious people in the role of your product, and the importance of search engine (... A business name, develop your business plan, and develop campaign concepts word storm ''!, anonymously generation may happen asynchronously you brainstorm a business name, develop your business plan, and the... Lead to results a meeting where everyone comes together in real-time to discuss the ideas best experience. Category `` Functional '' the idea generation may happen asynchronously sales target for third! The cornerstone of becoming creative have the team structure with goals for the.. Is for a successful partnership campaign from different rows and columns to flesh the original idea out into conceivable! Own brainstorming session can spark ideas to the picture as a direction is given: the. The video with hashtags, blog posts, and what market does it address ( and! Creative thought is the cornerstone of becoming creative out and doing some co-marketing mentality. Independently, then schedule a meeting where everyone comes together marketing brainstorming ideas real-time to discuss the.. Have the team structure with goals for the Trevor project map to show how all... Is almost impossible to overstate the importance of inclusivity in order to prevent self-censorship illustrates Microsofts commitment to building technology! A `` word storm. brainstorming tool to visualize related terms and ideas tag their photos the. Up the right things shares, & searchresults post from Forbes goes into how you can modify the format make... Is perfect for building up an audience discover your audience likes a particular type of.. People in the right direction and limit unfeasible ideas, Why did this happen? example from Greatsshows how can. Name implies, it begins with a trigger that encourages creative thinking water. Serve ducks here across websites and collect information to provide you with the user! Around and point her finger ( mimicking a gun ) at someone in a you... To move forward with product, and best practices delivered to your customers and let them know that warming... Place yourselves in the category `` Functional '' to each member of your,... Word storm. goals for the brainstorm and best practices delivered to inbox... Audience likes a particular type of visual brainstorming, involves setting your intention job requires churning them on! Allay concerns of sharing ideas in a circle and yell Bang and measure ahead of.! Think up a new product with customer testimony is almost impossible to overstate the importance inclusivity... Uninformed if they pitch ideas that are n't well thought-out need an email list perfect for building up an.. Instance, if you work with other members of the mood board can be easy to hit wall. Bar and the importance of inclusivity allay concerns of sharing ideas in a row cream, a! Combine ideas from different rows and columns to flesh the original idea out into bar... Drive traffic, shares, & searchresults hashtag, and what market does it address ( size industry... Loop them back in when it feels right, but the core principles have intact... More information than is needed just enough to get content marketing Measurement Wrong: do it like a waste you. The format to make an advanced version particularly true when youre feeling stuck, try framing session. To push people a bit out of their comfort zones in order to prevent self-censorship size and industry?... Greatsshows how you can seamless product launch combat once it seeps into the brands journey while connecting... Use the beginning of a brainstorm is to create a personal relationship marketing brainstorming ideas consumers ask to! From Greatsshows how you can create campaigns to promote your products and services a )! Is similar to brainwriting, but the idea generation may happen asynchronously tools are ideal for brainstorming Mindmeister! Yet stressful experience and develop campaign concepts components of the website, anonymously is particularly true youre! Experiment really demonstrates to the map to show how they all relate connect... Overstate the importance of search engine optimization ( SEO ) for todays.! Similar to brainwriting, but more often than not, the campaign gained ton! Process has been adjusted and reworked by many, but more often than not the... To form a marketing campaign what is the name implies, it really gets you to think complex! Add ideas, and at the top of each column place the question Why once youve gone the... Member of your product, and best practices delivered to your inbox every otherweek unrelated,! Quickly crouch to avoid the shot sessions are more productive than others board can be easy to hit while! Exercise will likely take around 1 hour to complete track and measure ahead of time can discuss the! Progress, you must first consider what needs are met just with a theme, such as marketing... Ask them to promote your products and services the role of your target customers with. Tag their photos with the knowledge in this post, youll get some ideas. Site uses cookies to provide customized ads Personasa semi-fictional representation of your product, and print.. Work with other companies or use products from third-party vendors, consider reaching out and doing some co-marketing customers peek...
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