When you think about marketing, chances are pretty good that cartoons and talking animals aren�t the first thing to pop into your mind. You�re probably processing numbers, identifying markets, and looking for ways to cut costs. Maybe it�s time to get your nose off the grindstone and have a little fun. Why? Creativity plays an important role in marketing, and sometimes we need to take the time to get our creative juices flowing. Don�t believe it? Take a close look at Disney. Now that�s a perfect sample of creativity and marketing going hand-in-hand! Walt Disney� a dreamer who put magic into his marketing. Creativity can take on several different �personas�� 1. The Explorer The explorer seeks out bits of interesting and new information like a sponge. Curiosity keeps him hunting for the unknown and ready to plunge into brand new experiences. 2. The Dreamer A wild imagination is the best friend of a true dreamer. Nothing is impossible in the world of imagination. 3. The Artist An artist is able to take a variety of bits and pieces, mix them all together and come up with a collage that entrances the mind. Before you set this article aside and get back into the daily grind, let�s think of what all of this could mean to your marketing campaign. Creativity may� 1. Add pizzas to your flyers 2. Spark a brand new idea for a product/service to market 3. Bring to light a brand new way to market your current product/service 4. Give color to your ads 5. Expose a new way to beat out the competition Hey, any one of those are great boosters for a marketing campaign. The trouble is that sometimes we feel that everyone is creative, but we�re just an unimaginative lump of clay destined to plod through life. Not so! Everyone has an imagination. Sometimes it just needs to be oiled up a little bit to get it loosened up. How long has it been since you put your imagination to work? You can give your creativity a leg up by� 1. Watching a sunrise or sunset 2. Organizing a party 3. Smelling a flower Hah! You thought I�d have some extravagant exercises all laid out for you, didn�t you? Relax, there�s no secret key to being successfully creative. Creativity comes in all sizes, shapes and colors. There�s no right or wrong way to be creative. The biggest hurdle most people face is the �I�m just not creative� cop out. Sure they�re creative. In fact, if I asked, they could create quite a long list of the reasons they aren�t creative. Research has shown that this biggest difference between �creative� and �non-creative� people is that �creative� people believe they are creative and �noncreative� people don�t believe they are creative. It�s as simple as that. Every marketer gets stale after a while, if they don�t find refreshing and new ideas to incorporate into their work. If your marketing has lost its pizzazz or seem to be in the dumps, simply take a little time to stimulate your creativity and just see what happens.
