Marketing Is More Than A Creative 'Gotcha' Moment!

​You might be surprised to learn that… it doesn’t take a special talent or a certain level of education to be creative!  When I took the time to look up what determines creativity, I was a little surprised.  Simply stated; it is the ability to make something new and useful.  Period.  That’s all it is.  Well, that should make you sigh with relief to know that at any time, you can be creative!
 
Here’s the thing… creativity in marketing has been positioned as something that comes mainly from a creative department and designers!  The result is that many great marketing campaigns and content strategies have been sent to the morgue because strategy does not always involve the 'creative team'.  And too many marketers feel ill qualified to be creative because they don't think they have the proper training or talent.
 
This is a good place to state that… creative graphics in marketing is necessary!  Really, who doesn’t love those creative thumbnails, headlines and content!   However, it’s not the only way be creative!
 
There’s a dramatic difference between viewing graphics only as the creative substance of marketing vs embracing all segments of marketing as part of the creative process! 
 
Keep in mind… it’s not one or the other - it’s both!
 
Being bold and developing strategies that are untried and untested, now that defines creative marketing!  Getting your audience interested in a new way while demonstrating how it can be useful, that’s being creative in all aspects of the marketing process!  Marketers, at every level, should trust their instincts and proceed with their ideas.
 
Let me share a creative tactic that I witnessed first-hand…
 
A small retailer had just started out and had exhausted their $15,000 marketing budget with zero results.  The future looked bleak.  Their total investment was well over tens of thousands of dollars into their small start-up.  But that didn’t stop them from exploring another creative tactic intended to propel their business forward!

• A designer created a very basic black and white coupon that was copied at the local quick print and produced on bond paper (A budget that totaled less than $125 for both creative and printing!)

 

• The coupon was taken to local businesses who agreed to display them on their counters for their customers to take.

 

• In addition, this creative business owner got the help of family and employees to stand on street corners in costumes holding signs (signs created at the kitchen table) waving to the traffic buzzing by!  This was an out-of-the-box tactic and uncommon for this type of business!

 

• This wasn’t a time to be concerned about a perceived lack of creative talent or experience!  It was the time for action!

 
This is where it gets interesting.  Within one month after initiating this creative move, the company had over 50 new clients!  To further the excitement, a ‘buzz’ was being created in the community!  It was the beginning of a successful launch for a small retail business!  It was a creative approach to introduce a new and useful product to the area!
 
This is a case where perception is everything.  If you perceive being creative in marketing only as a ‘graphics’ function, you stymie the true meaning of creative.  A good daily habit is to ask yourself and you team… ‘how can we create a new and useful strategy?’
 
What can you and your team create today?  

Sandra Watson

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