Generating New Marketing Ideas
June 17, 2009 by Becky Scott
Filed under Marketing
How do you jump-start your marketing creativity? We get in our daily routines: get up, shower, get dressed, go to work, get some coffee, answer email, take a break, do some work, go to a meeting, come back, return calls, answer email… on and on. It gets monotonous. No wonder you’re not generating new marketing ideas!
We all need to shake up our routine a little in order to find our creative side. Go for a walk. Stop and look at the sky. Or trees. Or grass. Go to a park and let your mind wander. Sit and people watch at a mall or train station. Distract yourself.
Then sit down with a notebook and try some brainstorming. Think about what you just saw or did. Can you think of a new way to introduce your product to the people you just saw? They’re all busy — how can you stand out?
If you were at a park, look at all of the green around you. Is there a way to make your product greener? And then incorporate that in your marketing? It would be easy to jump on the “green” bandwagon right now. Maybe your product is already green. Could it be greener? Better? Could it help those busy people you just saw, rushing to and from bits and pieces of their lives? What about that harried mom corralling two little ones? Can your product help her in some way?
Sometimes just getting out of your office or cube can help you change your mindset. You’ll see new customers and new ways of attracting them. When I was writing a lot of procedure-heavy copy at a previous job, I’d take a bunch of my paperwork and go sit outside. It just so happened that the view included the water. I’d sit in the grass, watch the birds, listen to the water, and think. It was great for clearing my head, removing distractions, and getting down to writing. Or brainstorming. Whatever I needed at the time. The change was immensely helpful.
Changing up your routine can really help you generate new ideas. Give it a try and see what works for you. Clear out those distractions and give yourself time to think. Then get those ideas down on paper. What routine changes work for you?
image: morgueFile
