Monthly Archives: October 2014

Drew’s Creative Marketing 101, from the top

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1.  Creatively design a very clear short UNIQUE brand statement.  Define what are you, do or what are you selling, make a very clear statement that is easy to understand. Don’t be afraid to make it simple for a 9th grader. People when they first see your ad, web site, app, Facebook ad or printed brochure only take 3-4 seconds to decide if this is for them.  So with your web site, in 4 seconds what is the first impression? That first 4 seconds is most crucial for communication. After 4 seconds you have gained or lost them.  If you watch Steve Jobs in his Apple announcements at the Apple Developer conferences, they are very simple and easy to understand.  There is a also a great book on this subject called “Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs”.  Too many people in their words and graphics confuse or distract people. If the statement could have a “why” in it that is even better.

2.  Creatively work to connect with users where they are and who they are. This means understand your user or purchaser and communicate what they need to know about your product or service. What products or services do they like, how much will they pay. Are they mountains to overcome like they think “I cannot do that on a computer”, or “its too complicated for me” or “I thought this is for a professional, not me”.

Creativity is essential to Marketing

Creativity is essential to Marketing

3.  Entertaining and humor helps a lot

4. Introducing conflict or tension in the communication can help sometimes.

5. Then there is creative product placement, channels, pricing, support and analysis.

October 31, 2014

Qualities of Successful Creative Thinkers and Entrepreneurs

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Qualities of Successful Creative Thinkers and Entrepreneurs – This is Creativity blog number 2

Creativity in business is not new. It has been around a long time. In fact, any enterprise to be successful requires a bit of creativity, whether it be creativity in product design, in marketing approach or in distribution. Nowadays, creativity is considered to be the paramount quality desirable for a leadership role in the business world. And the reason is not hard to fathom – with greater advances in technology, the marketplace is inundated with products. Therefore, an enterprise needs to be creative in its products as well as marketing strategies so that it can carve a niche for itself.

According to a recent Gallup study, highly creative entrepreneurs are rule breakers who don’t like to conform to the norms and traditions of the industry. Keeping the rules is sometimes verses creativity. They look to be creative so that they can forge new paths beyond the present and sculpt a future that lies beyond the obvious. They use novel methods whether they are introducing new products or services, moving into new markets or developing new production processes. They not only use creative thought to develop new ideas and methodologies but use innovation in presenting older ideas in a newer space.

Beauty helps us in creativity

Beauty helps us in creativity

Creative entrepreneurs have their finger on the pulse of the industry – they are fully conversant with the opportunities and threats to their ideas and are aware of the larger economic scene – and hence are able to take advantage of the gaps and be the pioneers in their chosen fields. Creative entrepreneurs are always reading, learning and considering many things even outside their primary area.

The essence of creativity is innovation and the creative business people understand this well. Herein lies the greatest and the simplest truth of business leadership– an invention that is just creative may not be innovative, but the invention that is both creative and useful will be innovation – and the successful entrepreneurs understand this tenet extremely well.

There are certain limitations that these creative individuals have to guard against to remain in a leadership position. They have to constantly innovate – they cannot just sit on one innovation and let it run its course. They have to launch their product, gather feedback and improve, and this cycle has to go on. The creativity also has to be balanced by efficiency and industry. An entrepreneur cannot let efficiency be marred by creativity or vice versa. They have to run hand-in-hand for a successful business. Their failures have to be learning experiences. Risk taking, knowledge gathering and independent thought are a few other assets of successful creative thinkers and they allow them to produce better technologies and remain in the forefront of their business.

Ok, there is a lot in this article, any comments?

First Blog on Entrepreneurial Creativity

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I have always been peaked by the topic of “creativity”.  What is it, how does it work, who is good at it, what hinders us.  These are all great topics to discuss in this field.  In brief creativity is putting things together. This can be logical, virtual, material or spiritual. It could be the foundation of a business, or it could be something with no economic engine attached.  Creativity could touch any industry including both technical and non-technichal. Creativity could makes things better or worst. Most of the time creativity is entrepreneurial and starts a business with an economic engine.

Creativity usually starts with the fun of wondering why or if.  So how could I for instance couple my love for beauty, nature, photography, and business into a creative enterprize.

Beauty helps us in creativity

Beauty helps us in creativity

The road to creativity sometimes also requires the removal of a few thoughts such as: “it cannot be done”, “who would like that” or “that makes no sense”.

Creativity is usually defines as thinking up something new or a new way to do an old thing. Sometimes it is the next step, other times it is a big leap.  Sometimes ideas are quickly adopted, sometimes society or culture is not ready.  Creativity could involve change or involve just a new away of thinking about something. Change is hard for people, so small steps is best and easier for a future to accept.

There are other hinderances to Creativity such as “fear”.  That hinderance is a hard one to address because every creative person want people to accept or adopt the new creative thing. If there is a fear that people will not accept the new idea, some inventors will simply not invent it. Creativity stops right there.  But fear can involve other rings like concern for something being mis-used or mis-understood.

So we will consider what kind of a person is creative, what helps and what hinders.  Are there sociological factors, biological factors or educational factors that affect creativity.  Is it an internal or external thinking operation.  Are more inventions considered in the morning or evening, over coffee or over beer?

When one considers Thomas Edison, when and how did he create new inventions.  Did he time the invention of the electric light for optimal productivity and results?  Is there something special about Edison that helped him be creative? What can we learn from him. Was he motivated by economics?

Are there mental or physical exercises to help me be more creative?  Does travel or reading work? Does learning new things help?  How does one build a culture of innovation in a company.

 
October 25, 2014