‘Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try’ Dr Seuss.
Let’s face it, after a year of staring at our own four walls working at home, many of us will admit to being stuck in a creative black hole! Without the stimulus of different environments, people and sights it’s no wonder that many of us are feeling creatively challenged right now, in need of a creativity helping hand.
However, there are lot of ways to reignite the creativity spark and find inspiration for a new project or campaign when you think a little differently. Sometimes all it takes is a walk in the park to get the creative juices flowing or finding innovative ways to collaborate with colleagues when you can’t all huddle together around a whiteboard.
While the Skouts have been working at home over the last year, here are just some of the ways we’ve managed to keep our creativity alive with alternative brainstorming techniques and continue to come up with interesting ways to help our clients achieve their communication objectives.
TIP 1 – Star bursting
Imagine the six points of a star and attach the following words to each point: Who? What? Where? When? Why? Use each of the six points to explore the themes and connections between your core problem or challenge.
TIP 2 – Group brainstorm techniques
If you are able to collaborate with your colleagues, grab a pack of Post IT notes and a bunch of pens and separate a room into problem or themed zones. Groups working in teams or individually can then circulate the room and can post their ideas in each area. Ideas spark new ones, so watch the room fill with sticky notes and ideas turn into plans. If you’re still working remotely, you can replicate this virtually with break out rooms, chat boxes and even online polls.
TIP 3 – Make a list
When it’s impossible to get a team together for an internal brainstorm, consider using other ways to work collaboratively and share ideas. Trello (https://trello.com/en-GB) is a list making application and is a great way to spark and share ideas. Explain your problem or theme at the top of the Trello board and then invite colleagues to post their ideas underneath. We’ve used this approach successfully a number of times while all working remotely and it’s great to see the lists build as everyone takes inspiration from each other.
If you need help coming up with a new campaign idea or to bring your organisation’s storylines to life, consider engaging with a PR consultancy. They have years of experience breathing life into product launches, rebrands or sales campaigns and as a third party can think objectively about how to add a creative spark to your marketing plans. It’s the perfect way to get a helping hand with creativity! If you’d like to speak to us about taking a more creative approach to your communications strategy, please get in touch.
