It is CREATIVE!

If you’ve ever sat anxiously in a meeting amongst your peers, each of you doodling crop circles and flowers on a yellow note pad, or if a blinking cursor on a clean white screen sends you day-dreaming about your vacation or what you’re having for lunch, then you know getting those creative juices flowing takes a tremendous amount of energy. What sounds like child’s play is really an acquired ability to push boundaries and work hard at break-away thinking.

Ambitious new ideas, not just a re-hashed modified version of last year’s concepts, mean using imagination for real innovation. Creativity is being able to see what could be and not what is.

Here are three approaches to the question I get asked the most, so how do you create ‘creativity’?

1. Let go of the need to be right. True invention is neither right nor wrong it just is – usually left to the interpretation of the end user. In fact, most visionary ideas are never politically correct – after all, who would pay for a drink of water? Or pay an entrance fee into a retail store? Is there a realtor willing to donate a percentage of proceeds to a buyer/seller’s charity in order to sell more houses? This is the basis for my mantra, “Don’t compete, create!” Stop copying your competitors or coloring within the lines of industry standards. Start focusing on creating something new – let go of the need to be correct or proper. Then you’ll be competing with your own ability to ideate – instead of appearing lazy or worst yet, conforming to mediocrity because you duplicated someone else’s creativity.

2. Be absolutely fearless! Fearless in your thinking, fearless in your capacity to make mistakes and absolutely fearless that no idea is too radical. Without the willingness to look foolish, it’s hard to break idea barriers. Don’t be afraid to explore the ridiculous, the outrageous, or the unknown. Before you declare “it won’t work,” “we can’t do that,” or “it will never fly,” examine it through the lens of “what if.” Apply cross-over concepts from other (non-competing) businesses. Case in point, if hand-held POS check-out works for car rentals, why aren’t they used in department stores? And if I can test a new lipstick or test drive a car, why isn’t there a method to test the acuity of a doctor or lawyer? No, not every idea will be a new iPad®, but can you imagine what Apple's brainstorming sessions were like when someone first suggested this new application? A new idea should make your palms sweat, your stomach churn, cause dizziness and/or insomnia; otherwise you’re probably playing it too safe.

3. Write down all the assumptions you have and throw them in the trash. No, wait! Maybe not in the trash just yet, because you can use them to spawn new ideas. Who said a restaurant’s price point should be based on food cost – suppose it was calculated on time? If I can ride standing on a bus or train, why can’t I ride standing in an airplane? And shouldn’t the price of a movie ticket cost less for a film that’s been on ‘the shelf’ for a month and more for a block buster new release? Or better yet, when will a savvy movie theatre introduce a VIP section (with reserved seating and table service)? Genuine creativity demands that you challenge all assumptions in order to discover great ideas.

Ideate real creativity to set you and your brand apart. By continually looking for new ideas and innovation, everywhere, all the time, you’ll build your creative muscle and break idea barriers. Don’t compete, create!

It is EASY!

Three Easy "Must-Do" Ideas to Effectively Market to Women!

"Femarketing" (our coined catch-phrase) no longer refers to a sub-category, but is a concentration on an emerging dominate market valued at over $5 Trillion...and growing. Gone are the days of powder puffs, froufrou, pink hearts and old-fashioned notions about femininity when it comes to marketing to women. Female marketing is big business.

Case in point, women brush their teeth much the same way men do. In fact, women use most products and services the same way men do. Smart businesses know they can no longer just paint their existing brand pink when marketing to women. Meaning over-using a misguided "for women" focus or a non-existent female benefit.

There are endless methods businesses can incorporate to engage women, and profit from this new marketplace. Here are three ideas your business should use to create real female-centric marketing that reaches the mammoth eighty percent of U.S. households where women are making the buying decisions:

Include women on your team
This doesn't mean simply hiring more women executives, HR managers or administrative assistants. Try building a team of investigators that will touch/feel/experience your brand in the real world; then make sure women are on that team! The feedback and contrasting viewpoints women bring to design and development is critical to the success of your brand. Women will help you identify and attend to important details that make a difference in how she perceives your business. Make sure her voice is heard before you attempt to sell to her.

Incorporate images of real every day women in your ad campaigns and marketing collateral.
"...Are they serious?" This is the question women ask when it comes to many ad campaigns. For example, women are turning the pages with barely a glance at premium liquor or the glossy 4-color car ads. Why? Because most of the time the gorgeous 22-yr old babe model provocatively dressed, doesn't look like her or any of her friends; but instead is some man's fantasy. Be careful that your marketing is not alienating – or worse yet, condescending! The success of the Dove soap campaign for Real Beauty is anchored in the ability of women to globally relate and identify with the images. Make sure she can clearly see herself in your marketing.

Create a platform for women to share and form spontaneous communities.
In today's new 'word-of-mouth' marketing, social media has become the Queen (and hub) of what women have loved doing for years. Connecting. Now the ability for women to share ideas, feelings, dreams, fears and more importantly, information is happening at light speed. Research shows social media among women almost doubled over last year. Providing her a way to talk about the pleasures she found around your product appeals to her sense of community, and helps her find points of commonality and affiliation. Make sure your brand connects her to your product as well as to other women.

It Is Here!

My top seven event marketing trends for 2010 are here! And even if you don’t know the difference between a tweet and a yelp, understand that the educated, informed and active consumer is alive and well, and traditional marketing channels have passed away. Marketers will discover that to stay in the game in 2010 will require, more than ever, agility and a willingness to venture into uncharted waters with new and adaptive innovations. The time has come to explore, ideate and gamble – to tear down the walls that separate people from each other and their views about your product. Here is one of my top seven event marketing trends for 2010. Businesses should note the emergence of a ‘transparency and honesty’ theme that is rising to the top.

1. Social, Media, Networking…Oh, My!

No longer considered a tween fad (think Myspace) or a place for grandma to post pictures, social media will effortlessly meld personal and professional, online with brick & mortar and provide cohesion between brands and their customers. This trend to build customer-centric communities that incorporate internal collaboration, extending a company’s tentacles out into their customer and partner networks, will continue to grow and up the ante in 2010 [btw, according to eMarketer U.S. ad spending on social networks will show a 7 percent increase in 2010, to $1.3 billion]. Savvy marketers can stay ahead of the curve next year by introducing events + video into their social media efforts. This trinity marriage should result in more engaging content, a dynamic way to hear and interact with customers, and produce ‘infections messaging’ that travel faster than ever before. Social media might well become the base in the marketing mix topped off with the event experience, and the spice of video, as brands remove the layers between themselves and the customer. In 2010, custom created events using branded social networking will be the norm for persuasion through organically fitting into the consumer’s social sphere – developing, connecting and engaging loyal fans and customers.

To receive my other event marketing trends for 2010, please sign-up at http://www.creativitymadefresh.com/.

It is acceptable.

The Christmas holidays are the perfect time to celebrate. And a celebration can, and should be, centered on meaningful expressions, that are not necessarily tied to religious beliefs (i.e. the end of a good fiscal year, surviving a tough economy or an appreciation for what you have).

With that said, the question of gift giving to clients always comes to the surface this time of year. Not only is giving gifts to clients acceptable, I believe most businesses could benefit greatly if they would treat their valued customers like a love interest or a really hot date. This is a time to remember those that matter. An appropriately matched client gift can go a long way in cementing relationships, and securing future business. Therefore, client gifts should be carefully chosen to be meaningful and produce the greatest return. I adamantly urge businesses NOT to send clients 'gifts' emblazoned with their own company logo, phone number or URL address. The last thing a company wants is to appear cheesy, self-promoting or disingenuous.

I prefer giving gifts that the client can actually use or will remember well past the holidays. Free shipping, account upgrade, a gym membership, a service, magazine or recreational subscription; or a monthly pizza delivery for the office, will have a significant impact on your business being remembered. Or surprise a client by organizing a crowd sourcing collaboration focused on their core business. Also, picking up the tab for drinks and dinner can be much more cost effective (and more personal) than purchasing advertising in a trade magazine.

My mantra is, 'Give the unexpected that is so unique and innovative that it causes customers to remember, and competitors to envy, the way you do business'.

It is Time!

Today I had an opportunity to pitch my creative ideas and insights to a journalist from a major on-line publication about strategies Cadillac might use to revitalize their brand.

Part of the problem as I see it is, GM has become like a gigantic, big-budget locomotive engine that appears oblivious to the changing landscape; puffing along, and up until recently, quite complacent and comfortable. What I suggested is that both GM and the Cadillac brand, need to create a cultural message (think Volkswagen van), seek out "uncomfortable and unsafe" marketing channels, and learn to obsess about their customers.

It is time for auto manufacturers to re-discover their story; the cultural and social "why" behind the purchase. Forty years ago, car models conveyed the lifestyle, and reflected the views/values of, the customer -- that some how got lost in MPG's, RPM's and the MSP! There is a sexy Cadillac swagger out there that remains undiscovered and untapped.

What's your story? Isn't it time to start telling instead of selling?

Wishing you success!

Deborah

It is True!

I read recently new information that I was already aware of. The traditional press release is DEAD! Yep. Gone, buried and about as obsolete as an 8-track tape!

That's because media outlets today are looking for the the story behind the boring statistics and mundane everyday occurrences. At CMF, one of the things we pride ourselves on is that we know the difference between a good headline and great story.

Jeremy Gutsche, trendhunter and author of the new book Exploiting Chaos, says rule #1 is to relentlessly obsess about your story! In other words you should be constantly discovering and evaluating viral trends and innovation and how and where you fit into the creative structure.

It is true! Today's global marketplace demands that you create and cultivate your story into something that connects you, your message, your brand in order to travel faster than ever before!

Wishing you success!
Deborah

IN OTHER NEWS...Traditional Marketing Pronounced Dead!

Funeral services for Traditional Marketing were held recently and sadly, only a few people were in attendance. That’s because most entrepreneurs and small business owners were completely unaware that traditional channels and campaigns (including guerrilla marketing) died and are no longer as effective.

As the owner of a small (and I like to think, emerging) creative marketing company, one of the biggest challenges I face is convincing clients that today they absolutely must provide a real customer experience that is connected to their brand; one that taps into the customer's behavior [see my blog "Branding From My Mother's Kitchen" 11-08]. Otherwise, promotion without behavior or branding that does not DO something is as purposeless as tits on a bull and produces little to no bottom-line results.

So, what is the latest marketing innovational shift you ask? Ladies and gentlemen, we have entered into a NEW age of marketing where successful brands (that also includes YOU as the brand) are harnessing the power of social media + video + special events. And THAT, my friends = NEW MEDIA and the wave of the future -- this is the cutting edge of where you absolutely must be if you plan to move your business to the next level. Lag on this and you will definitely lose!

When I first started in this business back in the early ‘80’s (I know, I’m dating myself), working in the world of corporate special events and meeting planning wasn’t even a career choice. In fact, my first job in the business, I was hired as a “marketing assistant.” I vividly remember telephoning my mother all excited about this new job I just started. The first thing my mother said to me was, “…oh baby, you might want to look for something else because there can’t be much money in planning events…” Who knew, I know I didn’t, that corporations spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on meetings, conferences, special events for everything from promoting new products to boosting company morale.

So it is with pride and awe that I watch special events evolve to become a pivotal and necessary player in this NEW MEDIA. Suddenly incorporating an event into the marketing mix is a way to give your customers something to DO (and say) about your brand. Cutting-edge businesses are discovering the power that a single event, video taped and then shared through social networking (i.e. WACPTV, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, et al), can have on their brand.

The use of video has become the standard medium (for now) to broadcast news, events and entertainment. Posting video on UGC (User Generated Content) social websites provides key brand interactivity and recognition – becoming THE catalyst for brand advocates and evangelists. In other words, customers will view your video, reply with views and opinions, and then share that information with others. And all this viral buzz is done without the purchase of print ads, radio or television spots or direct mail marketing (old traditional marketing channels). In fact, U.S. ad spending continues to decline.

Take for example, the uncanny rise the ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ contestant, Susan Boyle which has led to more than 100 million hits on YouTube (making it the most popular video in YouTube's history – good lawd, before tweezers!). You would think that Susan or at least the TV show is profiting a nice hefty dividend check? But according to Google "That video is not being monetized." That means that $500,000 and change in licensing fees and more than $1M in overlay ad revenue are being left on the table. The digital age provides opportunities, but only if marketers know how to grab them.

Even though I do think there is still a place for some traditional print marketing and TV/radio commercials. They definitely do not dominate like they used to so you should use sparingly (and wisely). Therefore, the idea is not to throw money at your customers through expensive ads and commercials -- because the average person is not willing to retain or use your brand’s message (which, according to author Jonathan Baskin, is a little over 1 million messages a year).

Involving customers in events, captured on video and shared through social networking will create a much larger promotional splash and actually inspire (WOM) evangelism. Take a look at how Saturn used a “House Party” mega-event and partnered with TLC’s Real Simple Real Life as their social media channel to increase brand awareness by 38%. Give customers (brand) freedom to experience what matters most and a way to share their views and opinions and they will not only embrace your brand, but encourage others to as well.

Okay, so I’m hanging up my Black dress now and dusting off my red (party) stilettos – look for my video-blog on a social network near you!

Deborah Porter

dporter@creativitymadefresh.com

http://www.creativitymadefresh.com/

702-505-7110