Inspiration

Inspiration

Even the most creative of minds struggle for inspiration sometimes when it comes to marketing ideas and we’re no different at IceBlue.  So here are our 3 top tips for getting inspiration even in the gloomiest of Februaries:

Everyone likes a good story and marketing uses them to relate big ideas to sometimes complex products and services.

1. Start with a story.  Everyone likes a good story and marketing uses them to relate big ideas to sometimes complex products and services.  As we mentioned in our previous post roller coaster marketing, Barclay’s had a complex story to tell about it new contactless technology to an audience ranging from businesses to consumers to government.  It could have presented research, made persuasive arguments about time and cost savings coupled with it impressive security features but instead it decided to tell a fabulous story in the universal language of humour and fantasy.  In a 30 second clip, a rather dull concept which could leave many potential consumers non-plussed was transformed into a fun story that had people talking, made it desirable and effortlessly joined the everyday use with high business aims.  Think about your consumers, their wants and need and then think about how your product can meet them in a fun, interesting and novel way.

It's funny how we're expected to come up with inspirational ideas whilst sat in sterile office conditions like robots

2. Create an inspired space.  It’s funny how we’re expected to come up with inspirational ideas whilst sat in sterile office conditions like robots.  We’re partly a product of our environments and so it makes sense that we make those environments as inspirational as possible.  We’re not talking big budget space age offices here either.  Hang a quote on the ceiling, paint the walls, commission and artist or project seascapes onto the roof whilst playing birdsong.  However you do it, putting creativity into the workplace starts a chain of events that can lead to rewarding places.  If all else fails you can even leave the office – gasp!  Go sit in the park or take a trip to the zoo.  Remember, most of the worlds most famous brands were thought up of in spaces outside of work.  Rolls Royce’s spirit of ecstasy was an ode to a secret love, Apple’s name was inspired by the Beatles and Mercedes was named after a 12 year old girl.

Too often we're busy rushing round coping with day to day life that we don't take any time out to actually live

3. Look.  Too often we’re busy rushing round coping with day to day life that we don’t take any time out to actually live.  As the poem says, “What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stop and stare”.  Taking time out to actually take in what’s happening around you and living in the moment can really pull insights out of everyday happenings that can inspire great ideas.  Just think, if Isaac Newton had been doing chores rather than sitting under the apple tree, we’d never of discovered gravity.

NB This probably isn’t a great excuse to pull out when your partner has a go at you for not helping around the house.