Brainstorming,with,Props,amp,# marketing Brainstorming with Props - "Goodie Bags" and

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When developing new strategies or products, coming up withunique ideas is often a struggle. It is one of the reasonswhy, in any industry, there is so much repetition. One wayto generate new ideas and "get the creative juices flowing"is by brainstorming using props. There are several ways toincorporate props into a session. Two of my favorites arethe Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and goodie bags.~~~~~~~~What is Brainstorming?~~~~~~~~According to dictionary.com, brainstorming is:1) A method of shared problem solving in which all membersof a group spontaneously contribute ideas or2) A similar process undertaken by a person to solve aproblem by rapidly generating a variety of possiblesolutions.In action, brainstorming should be uncensored - no idea isdumb or impossible. In an organization, throw titles out thewindow. The janitor's ideas have the same validity as theCEO's. When brainstorming, try to pretend you know nothingabout what can and cannot be done. Write down ideas as theycome up, no matter how outlandish. The task at hand is tofree-associate, generating as many ideas as possible.~~~~~~~~Brainstorming with "Goodie Bags"~~~~~~~~There's nothing more boring than a sterile conference room.Yet, this is where many group sessions take place. To liventhe atmosphere, you need a springboard...stimuli to get theideas flowing.One way to provide stimuli is to gather miscellaneous itemsinto "goodie bags" and have group members sort through them,writing down ideas as they come up. When I worked as theseasonal Marketing Manager for Nestlé's Sunmark Division, Iused this technique to hold a very productive Easterbrainstorm session. I filled the bags with small items Ithought may stimulate ideas because of their texture, taste,appearance, ingredients, sound, or smell.In the meeting, I divided the team into sub-groups of threeto four people and gave each a bag. After going through thebags, discussing, and writing down ideas, each group gave asmall presentation. We came out of the meeting with manymore great ideas than we could implement that year - and itwas fun!Goodie bags can also be used to generate ideas for newonline product and services as well as for new marketingstrategies.~~~~~~~~Brainstorming with The WSJ~~~~~~~~If you do not have a group to work with, try using abusiness newspaper as a springboard for generating ideas.The Wall Street Journal (Both WSJ Online and the offlinenewspaper.) is great for brainstorming for several reasons:- It always contains articles about several industries (Goodfor coming up with ways to apply new approaches to your ownindustry.).- The paper has a regular e-commerce section.- There is a daily marketing section.- The editors include a mix of short articles (Good forgenerating ideas based on what others are doing.) and in-depth reports (Good for ideas that grow from trends.).- All the articles relate in some way to business, but arenot strictly news reporting. There are human interest andanalytical pieces as well.Additionally, The Wall Street Journal has done an excellentjob of integrating the Internet into a traditional businessmodel. Besides offering both online and offline newspaperversions, there are several email alert services. Becausethey have successfully integrated online marketing intotheir own business, WSJ writers and editors are able tointelligently address both online and offline activities.OK, let us do some quick exercises using The Wall StreetJournal. I have both an online subscription (with access to30-day archives) and a print newspaper subscription, so Iwill skim some articles...* Here's one (9/17/02, newspaper front page and WSJ online)- WorldCom Lawyers are advertising in the white pages.What about your company?...advertising in white pages...giveyour products their own phone numbers...advertise thenumbers elsewhere...personalities for yourbrands/services...mascots...root beer...separate sites foreach...etc.Remember, *do not* censor - just play one idea off anotherand write down *everything* that comes to mind. It doesn'tmatter if it is sensible or even relevant - just make sureyou write down enough clues so later you know what you werethinking.* Here's another one (9/16/02 newspaper front page) - SnoopDoggy Dog is reinventing himself.It seems he has a new sound, new album, etc., etc. I alsothink I remember he has done some acting in the past. Inorder to keep the "Snoop Doggy Dog" brand fresh, he expandsinto other categories. But notice he is still in the"entertainment" industry - not venturing into industriesthat are not a fit with his image. You can use this approachas a springboard for your own business. Think of ways toexpand into other categories - to reinvent - while stayingin your same general area of expertise.* Here's a third (9/23/02 WSJ online special report):According to a Harris Interactive Poll, more Americans wantto live in California than any other state.For the first time in five years, Florida is *not* #1.Hmmm...a changing American mind set? The springboard here isto think of ways to apply this "California Dreamin'" to yourstrategies and/or products.More potential springboards from the 9/23/02 Websitehomepage: Salomon Smith Barney gets fined $5 million forissuing misleading research...Pepsi's looking at healthysnacks...customers distrust e-commerce sites...you get theidea.Whether brainstorming alone or in a group, remember tworules - 1) no censoring and 2) use props as springboards fornew ideas. Do this and your brainstorming session is sure tobe a success.~~~~~~~~Resource~~~~~~~~The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) at times offers subscriptiondiscounts. Check for current offers at:hereCopyright 2002 Bobette Kyle. All rights reserved.