Recently a very large, international organization came to us and asked us to imagine the future of their core product.

WOW!

They gave us 10 days.

Within that task were a myriad of counter assumptions. First of all, what were the limits of the imaginative circle? Sure, I know that imagination — to be truly innovative — needs to be stripped of the boundaries. But we were well aware that if we didn’t work within a certain preconceived environment, the client would not understand our innovation.

Secondly, you said 10 days? Within the context of our already crazy office and boutique environment, we pulled a group of people out to imagine. Pressing such a severe deadline limits the daydream, but forces the mind to dance at a faster tempo.

Finally, we were the only agency in the mix that did not currently work for the organization. We had a small taste of their brand direction and access to some content through public sources, but we didn’t play in their sand box.

So a few of us put our heads together and imagined.

We determined an imaginative circle to limit the possibilities. That was a great way to focus on the task at hand. We started with a visionary brainstorming. Then we chose which of those ideas reflected the brand, consumer mind set  and technological capacity.

The deadline enhanced our product. There was no time to mess around. We simply identified the goal, sketched the vision and made it happen. In choosing the presentation format, we had to select a media that we could build in just a few days. It also had to be able to articulate the germ of the idea. That was probably our biggest challenge. Because the media presented the idea, we didn’t have the luxury of explaining, body language or intuition.

Finally, being a few steps outside of the inner circle was advantageous. We were not as burdened by  limitations. We were able to glean consumer knowledge from using the web sites, participating in social media platforms and immersing ourselves into the organization as a consumer.

This little test of the imagination was an amazing lesson on creativity.

Ideas don’t just happen. They live in an imaginative circle. When the circle is too big, we wander aimlessly. If the circle is too small, we are unable to think creatively. When the circle is just right (says Goldilocks), we are able to define the space with imagination.

Unlimited time does not produce unlimited ideas. There are so many interruptions and opportunities, that a wide berth of time gives us a lot of space to wander unproductively. Our minds love a challenge, but to meet that challenge is a little more difficult. Deadlines give us focus and energy.

Finally, step back and look from the outside. Seeing things from the inside out shatters your ability to relate to a consumer. Just last week I received a short piece of content from a client. This content was developed by a product designer, not a communication person. When I ran a Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level test on the content it was rated at Grade 19. That’s an additional 7 years of post secondary education. Considering that 80% of the American population reads at a Grade 6 or under, even if I give Canadians a couple of years’ intelligence, it’s just not friendly. Standing in the shoes of your audience is vital.

The results of the little challenge were pretty good and we were a favoured contender… it just shows what a little imagination, vision and dedication can do.

One of the most interesting aspect of being an agency is the little conversations we have with people outside of our work environment. Like the woman I had a beer with the other evening who just built her own web site — for NOTHING! Can you believe it? There are great little programs out there that let you build a web site on your own. Now WHY would ANYONE hire an agency to build on for you?

I bit my tongue…

In honour of Canada Day, the 4th of July and the miracle of summer, let me play out a few scenarios with you…

#1. C: “Gayle, our agency just gave us a great idea. They suggested that we launch our new web store with coupons.”

G: “Sure. Coupons are great. How does the coupon fit into your campaign and what results are you looking for?”

C: “Well, we want to get people to our web store.”

G: “Do you want people to buy something?”

C: “That would be nice.”

G: “Are you willing to discount a product to drive people to the site, letting the marketing components of the site drive them to even more great products?”

C: “Well, we want to be careful with discounts. We had a marketing meeting this morning and the team isolated a group of products that weren’t moving, we thought we’d feature them.”

G: “Hmmm, do you have any products that are high profit with great selling appeal that your customers really love?”

C: “Yeah, but we thought that we should get rid of the stuff no one is buying.”

So let’s stop right there and unravel this a bit.

First of all, marketing team is choosing to let tactics run their plan. The very first step to developing a strong and effective marketing plan is to carefully articulate what you want. What are the goals for your business? That’s really the foundation of your marketing plan.

For a company selling product, I would guess they want to sell more product. If you’re just starting out in the product selling business, you will need to experiment a bit to see what works and what doesn’t.  But there are basic premises: first of all, know your audience. My daughter-in-law is a genius in direct sales. In order to supplement the family income, while maintaining a flexible schedule to deal with children and her home and fun stuff, she has chosen to sell a skin care product through the direct home sales model. I have to say, to watch her in action is brilliant. I once watched her sell over $600 of product to 4 Mennonite women who are very prudent. AND each of them booked a show in their own home.

She is clear headed about her goal — she sells product. She knows which products sell best to each group. She carefully manages her shows to build affinity with the customer and trust for the product she sells.

The second challenge is a focused goal. You see, I don’t just want people to visit the web site, I want them to press the BUY button. The coupon has to be strategically designed to incite a sale. We all want to sell the products that are lounging in our warehouse. But focusing our sales on products that don’t move is a waste of valuable marketing dollars. Our coupons are lost leaders. The discount represents a part of the cost of the coupon. What are you willing to spend to get the customer to love your store?

Coupons are really the outer layer of marketing… they are the colour that gets people excited. But the real marketing happens underneath. It starts with knowing our target audience. Once that audience (or perhaps audiences) is defined, it lies in choosing the product that they will LOVE. They may not need it or even want it, but your job it to get them to love it. Remember, you have a specific audience. Your great aunt Martha may not even like it, she may never buy it — but refuse to listen to her unless she is the audience.

Kevin and I did a campaign a few years back. And, frankly, I hated the creative. It was oldish, cheesy and really not appealing. We tested it among the defined audience. It worked magic! When people ask me if I like it, I am careful with my answer — if I’m not the target audience, I need to test it with the right people.

Secondly, understand the emotional appeal of your product. Watching car advertising never fails to amuse me. By and large, they understand that people are not buying something to get them from Point A to Point B. They are buying peace of mind or maybe prestige or maybe joie de vive. If I’m a young mom with a new born baby, I want to make sure the vehicle protects my child. If I’m an upcoming executive with something to prove, I’m going to slide right past the safety stats to the luxury add-ons. If I’m 30 something, without kids I’m probably going to want something that delights me. Watch the ads — you’ll see the various advertisers appeal to the passion of their audience.

Stay tuned for true confession #2….