How to generate more creative marketing ideas

Although modern marketing has deep roots in data analytics and objective reasoning, it also requires creative thinking and bold new ideas. Without proactive effort, you might have difficulty generating those creative marketing ideas.

So what measures can you implement to generate more creative ideas more consistently?

Why creative marketing ideas win

Why are creative marketing ideas so powerful? In other words, what is it that makes creative output inherently capable of yielding better results than non-creative output?

• Attention. First, creative materials are more likely to get attention. The modern world is saturated with advertising; we see it in every conceivable form, on every conceivable channel, throughout the majority of our day. Many of these ads and marketing messages are simple rehashes of messages used by businesses in the past. But the truly creative ideas are much more likely to stand out and get the visibility and attention they deserve.
• Memorability. On a related note, creative marketing ideas tend to be more memorable. It’s easy to mock generic pharmaceutical commercials with people running and laughing in the park because it’s a trope that’s been used countless times; most of us aren’t going to remember the name or function of the drug being offered on top of this forgettable backdrop. But when you see an ad or marketing message unlike any you’ve ever seen before, it’s almost impossible to forget.
• Differentiation. Being creative means automatically distinguishing yourself from your competition. You may offer almost identical products as your competitors, but if you can present those products or your brand in a radically differentiated way, you can earn far more attention and praise.

How to generate more creative marketing ideas

So how exactly are you supposed to generate more creative marketing ideas? You can’t exactly force creativity, but there are several strategies that can help you in this regard.

• Get some outside perspective. We tend to come up with more creative ideas when we work with and listen to people from the outside. Ordinarily, we’re trapped by our own biases, habits, and limited perspectives, but talking to a creative expert external to your organization could be the breath of fresh air you need to come up with more creative concepts. A fractional CMO, for example, could offer exactly the type of outside perspective you need. They have plenty of marketing experience, and they’ll be able to see your brand in a much different light.
• Host more brainstorming sessions. Brainstorming sessions are incredibly powerful for generating dynamic and creative new ideas, as long as you execute them properly. Even occasional brainstorming sessions, under the right conditions, can produce novel ideas that can lead to tremendous breakthroughs. Get your most creative people together, make them comfortable sharing thoughts with an open mind, and appoint great leaders to separate the great ideas from the mediocre ones.
• Get the team in alignment. Try to get your entire marketing team in alignment with the general philosophy and vision for your marketing plan. Within those bounds, give them more flexibility to be creative. With a firm overarching framework, but room for experimentation, your team members will be much more likely to be successful in individual collaborations.
• Take inspiration from excellent examples. You can find creative inspiration almost anywhere, especially if you retain an open mind. A beautiful painting, a catchy song, or even something interesting in the natural environment could spark something in your brain that leads you to a brand-new idea. Accordingly, you and your team can take creative inspiration from a more diverse range of potential sources. Hanging abstract art, playing experimental music, and getting exposed to new environments can help your team members think more creatively.
• Play with new forms, mediums, or channels. It’s also important to experiment with new forms, mediums, or channels. Breaking out of the mold sometimes requires a significant change to your traditional approach.
• Test some wild variations. You aren’t going to push the limits of your creative potential by playing it safe. Instead, you should test some wild and unorthodox variations to your messaging. You never know when you might stumble upon something with enormous potential.
• Dig deeper into demographic research. Market research is key to effective marketing; the better you understand your audience, the better you’ll be able to craft messaging for them. Hopefully, you’ve already done a sufficient amount of market research to get started. But you might be able to learn even more about your target demographics and give them something they’ve never seen before if you’re willing to dig deeper.

Coming up with creative ideas isn’t easy, especially in a marketing context. But you’re going to need those creative ideas if you want to distinguish your brand, improve visibility, and ultimately secure a higher ROI. Hopefully, these strategies have been helpful in reshaping your approach to creative marketing idea generation.