how to produce better content ideas
DESCRIPTION
People often ask me 'how do you come up with ideas?' It's a tough question. Ideas just come to you, right? I disagree. Learn from our successes and failures at producing online content for our clients. Use these lessons to give your content the best chance of success.TRANSCRIPT
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how to produce better content ideas
by mark johnstone
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how do you come up with ideas?
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they just come to you, right?
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not quite
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there is a certain mystery to the ‘light bulb moment’
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but to say ideas ‘just come to you’ is to overlook everything you do
beforehand that allows you to reach that point
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the 4 things you need to know about ideas 10 steps to producing better ideas
this presentation is in 2 parts
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but first, a little background…
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3 years ago, I was an SEO Consultant at Distilled
https://www.distilled.net/about/people/mark-johnstone/
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then I started the Creative team at Distilled
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we’ve since grown the team to 10 people (only 9 in shot)
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we make digital content to earn attention for our clients online
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for example
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755 likes 67 LRDs
http://www.rasmussen.edu/resources/what-career-should-i-choose/
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755 likes 67 LRDs
LRDs = Linking Root Domains, i.e. the number of other websites that linked to this piece of content
http://www.rasmussen.edu/resources/what-career-should-i-choose/
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755 likes 67 LRDs
we track more meaningful metrics than just likes and linking root domains, but for the purpose of this presentation, I will take these 2 metrics to
indicate whether or not the piece of content was compelling
http://www.rasmussen.edu/resources/what-career-should-i-choose/
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25,000 likes 201 LRDs
http://www.concerthotels.com/ipod-visualized-as-vinyl
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1,700 likes 220 LRDs
http://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/microsites/hungry-tech/
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2,100 likes 313 LRDs
http://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/microsites/google-analytics-guide/
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7,400 likes 359 LRDs
https://www.worldpayzinc.com/tech-wealth
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88,000 likes 566 LRDs
http://www.concerthotels.com/100-years-of-rock/
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143,000 likes 599 LRDs
(not provided)
under NDA(non-disclosure agreement)
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148,000 likes 775 LRDs
http://www.thomson.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/infographic/interactive-music-map/index.html
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and we’ve earned coverage in all of the following publications
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but it hasn’t all been plain sailing
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37 likes
http://www.thomson.co.uk/blog/infographic/superbowl/index.html#2011
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37 likes
that’s me plus only 36 other people!!!
http://www.thomson.co.uk/blog/infographic/superbowl/index.html#2011
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37 likes
trial and error is a great way to learn but it also sucks
http://www.thomson.co.uk/blog/infographic/superbowl/index.html#2011
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37 likes
we’ve learned a lot along the way, and this presentation
aims to help give your content the best chance of success
http://www.thomson.co.uk/blog/infographic/superbowl/index.html#2011
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the 4 things you need to know about ideas
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an idea is a novel combination of previously unconnected elements in a way that adds value
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what they are and how to find them what they look like and how to make them
the elements: the connections:
which means the 4 things you need to know are…
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the elements: what they are
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an example from the world of advertising
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http://www.bwm.com.au/category/work/bigpond/
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Daaad, why’d they
build the Great Wall of China?
it was to, erm, to keep the rabbits out... too many rabbits in China
(teacher – off screen) now, Daniel’s going to
give his talk on China
http://www.bwm.com.au/category/work/bigpond/
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http://www.bwm.com.au/category/work/bigpond/
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the ad agency identified a barrier to their objective
at the time, a lot of people didn’t see why they needed broadband
http://www.bwm.com.au/category/work/bigpond/
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if your audience doesn’t care about what you have to say,
you need to find something they do care about
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customer insight product truth competitor insight
http://www.bwm.com.au/category/work/bigpond/
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customer insight product truth competitor insight
parents want the best for their children and worry about them being left behind at school
http://www.bwm.com.au/category/work/bigpond/
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customer insight product truth competitor insight
broadband gives you faster access to a wealth of information
http://www.bwm.com.au/category/work/bigpond/
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customer insight product truth competitor insight
competitor messaging at the time was focused on coverage and price
http://www.bwm.com.au/category/work/bigpond/
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customer insight product truth competitor insight
resonant relevant different
http://www.bwm.com.au/category/work/bigpond/
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here’s an example from our own work
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the client provides insurance for small business owners
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but nobody wants to talk about insurance
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customer insight competitor insight product truth
a lot of small business owners still wanted to know what they should be doing with social media
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customer insight competitor insight product truth
the (content) competitors had guides which were too long, so unlikely to be read, and often left too many decisions up to the reader
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customer insight competitor insight product truth
insurance supports the interests of small business owners
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we produced a series of visually concise guides for small business owners, which has been a very successful campaign
http://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/microsites/guide-to-social-media-success/
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the elements: how to find them
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the advertising industry uses focus groups to mine for insight
in one focus group, a woman spoke of eating ice cream in intimate settings with her partner. the rest of the group gave a knowing
giggle. that was the insight that launched an entire brand.
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use the internet as your focus group
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“love [your brand]” “hate [your brand]”
“love [your competitor]” “hate [your competitor]”
“love [category]” “hate [category]”
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“love [your brand]” “hate [your brand]”
“love [your competitor]” “hate [your competitor]”
“love [category]” “hate [category]”
this is just one example. there are loads of ways you can use search and social media to find out how people feel. think creatively about it.
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one important thing to note
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it’s not about the product
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it’s not about the product
Red Bull does not make content about caffeinated drinks. the content is about energy, adrenaline and pushing life to the limits.
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It’s not about the product
you need to think laterally about your brand
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It’s not about the product
but what does that mean?
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a quick example
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Dove soap
dove
soap simplicity
Italy song
opera
split ends
flowers
iris
lily
scent
bubbles
lather
flying
bird
hair care
presentation
finish
hair
olive branch
peace
pond
strands power
tangled
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Dove soap
dove
soap simplicity
Italy song
opera
split ends
flowers
iris
lily
scent
bubbles
lather
flying
bird
hair care
presentation
finish
hair
olive branch
peace
pond
strands power
tangled
map out associations with your product and brand
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Dove soap
dove
soap simplicity
Italy song
opera
split ends
flowers
iris
lily
scent
bubbles
lather
flying
bird
hair care
presentation
finish
hair
olive branch
peace
pond
strands power
tangled
you should separate creative and analytical mode. creative mode is fast and intuitive.
analytical mode is slow and deliberate. if you try to do both at the same time, it can lead to writer’s block.
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Dove soap
dove
soap simplicity
Italy song
opera
split ends
flowers
iris
lily
scent
bubbles
lather
flying
bird
hair care
presentation
finish
hair
olive branch
peace
pond
strands power
tangled
at the time, I had no idea where to go next from ‘simplicity’.
rather than get stuck, I just hopped onto a new thread and kept moving.
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Dove soap
dove
soap simplicity
Italy song
opera
split ends
flowers
iris
lily
scent
bubbles
lather
flying
bird
hair care
presentation
finish
hair
olive branch
peace
pond
strands power
tangled
you don’t want your content tied too closely to your product, but you don’t want the link to be tenuous.
don’t worry about this while you’re free-associating.
you want to keep creative mode and analytical mode separate, remember.
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Dove soap
dove
soap simplicity
Italy song
opera
split ends
flowers
iris
lily
scent
bubbles
lather
flying
bird
hair care
presentation
finish
hair
olive branch
peace
pond
strands power
tangled
wait, how did we go from soap to hair? isn’t that wrong? when you’re doing this, don’t think in terms of right and wrong.
you can come back and edit later.
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Dove soap
dove
soap simplicity
Italy song
opera
split ends
flowers
iris
lily
scent
bubbles
lather
flying
bird
hair care
presentation
finish
hair
olive branch
peace
pond
strands power
tangled
possible opportunity? women in business is a hot topic
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Dove soap
dove
soap simplicity
Italy song
opera
split ends
flowers
iris
lily
scent
bubbles
lather
flying
bird
hair care
presentation
finish
hair
olive branch
peace
pond
strands power
tangled
consciously, I wasn’t sure why I made this leap, but it’s these unexpected connections that could lead somewhere
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“of course, I’ve always taken a lot of notes…
I mean you never know what the things going to be, do you?
a little detail, somewhere down the line, makes you say [gasps]…
…cracks the case wide open.”
Rust, True Detective
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stories are often misleading about the path actually taken
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expand the number of elements you gather to give yourself the best chance of making a connection
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the connections: what they look like
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if I asked you to reassemble this car, could you do it?
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what if you had taken a car apart before?
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what if you had taken 10,20, or 100 cars apart?
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what if you had taken 10,20, or 100 cars apart?
it would significantly improve your chances of putting it together, right? that’s why it’s valuable to understand how great content
(e.g. advertising) is constructed.
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we’ve all seen this ad, but what were the insights that led to it?
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customer insight competitor insight product truth
a lot of customers were actually girls buying for their partner
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customer insight competitor insight product truth
the leading competitor focused on the unlikely guy getting the girl, but the customer (the girl) doesn’t want the unlikely guy, she wants A MAN!
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customer insight competitor insight product truth
Old Spice was something your Dad wore. but what do you associate with your Dad? he comes from a time when men were men!
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wolf in wolf’s clothing
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wolf in wolf’s clothing
this was the headline on a billboard I saw in London recently
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wolf in wolf’s clothing
how would you deconstruct this ad?
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competitor insight product truth customer insight
BMW’s main competitor is Mercedes, who make high-performance cars, typically with an elegant or stately image (a wolf in sheep’s clothing?)
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competitor insight product truth customer insight
the new BMW M3 is a very muscular high-performance car (a wolf in wolf’s clothing)
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competitor insight product truth customer insight
but what do you suppose was the customer insight that led to this idea?
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competitor insight product truth customer insight
hint: huge billboards of this ad were placed on the main roads to the financial district in London
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got it?
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they all want to be this guy (or a lot of them do)
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the connections: how to make them
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ever wracked your brains trying to remember someone’s name, only to have it pop into your mind when you’re having a shower?
http://www.amazon.com/Technique-Producing-Ideas-James-Young/dp/1477428690
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there is a natural process for making connections that we can use to our advantage
http://www.amazon.com/Technique-Producing-Ideas-James-Young/dp/1477428690
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information saturation incubation
illumination verification
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information
we’ve already discussed gathering lots of information
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saturation
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saturation
you need to actively force connections. doing this physically is faster, and it gets the elements outside your head,
freeing you up to focus on the connections between them.
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saturation
you will hit a wall. push through it. you’ll get a second wind.
when you hit another wall, it may be appropriate to stop.
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incubation
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incubation
you need to actively disengage. go and do something that fully absorbs your attention.
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incubation
I experienced this recently when I got absorbed in a conversation in the pub. it genuinely wasn’t the beer that led to the breakthrough (sadly).
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illumination illumination
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illumination illumination
we can’t wait around for the light bulb moment,
but we can jump start the process
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illumination illumination
after a period of incubation and preferably a night’s sleep…
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illumination illumination
write the question you’re trying to solve at the top of the page,
and as quickly as you can, write down 20-30 answers
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illumination illumination
first thing in the morning can be a great time to do this
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illumination illumination
writing deliberately bad answers can be a good trick if you get stuck
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verification
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verification
you need to verify your ideas. the easiest way to do this is to tell people and watch their reaction.
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verification
we were thinking of doing a grammar quiz. we emailed our colleagues for input. it turned into the longest email thread in our company’s history. we figured we were onto something.
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verification
note: we didn’t say ‘we’re doing a grammar quiz, what do you think?’
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verification
if you’re met with confusion or indifference, that means one of 2 things. you don’t have an idea or you haven’t articulated it in the right way.
you have to judge which it is.
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start small
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product truth customer insight competitor insight
our client sold a large range of products for going back to school. when we thought of going back to school, we thought of exams, and different
subjects like English, which led us to grammar.
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product truth customer insight competitor insight
content about grammatical errors like this piece from the Oatmeal, can do extremely well online.
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling
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product truth customer insight competitor insight
we thought about a quiz, so checked what had been done. the Guardian & Telegraph both had popular quizzes, but they weren’t brilliantly executed.
http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/quiz/2013/feb/04/grammar-punctuation-quiz-test
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46,000 likes
(grammar quiz - not provided)
under NDA(non-disclosure agreement)
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but, isn’t it all just luck?
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yes, but only in the sense that the more you practise (and prepare), the luckier you get
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and yes, ideas are serendipitous, but you can manufacture serendipity
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and, yes, sometimes you just get lucky!
http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/25/the-age-of-acquisitions/
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we were working on this content when Facebook acquired Whatsapp
http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/25/the-age-of-acquisitions/
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we quickly included the new dataset and launched it
http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/25/the-age-of-acquisitions/
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we secured a front page exclusive with TechCrunch
http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/25/the-age-of-acquisitions/
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remember the grammar quiz we spoke about? we launched that on national grammar day without even realising!
http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/25/the-age-of-acquisitions/
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10 steps to producing better ideas
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1. learn about the thinking behind the ads
http://www.amazon.com/Truth-Lies-Advertising-Account-Planning/dp/0471189626
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2. mine the web for insight
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Dove soap
dove
soap simplicity
Italy song
opera
split ends
flowers
iris
lily
scent
bubbles
lather
bird
hair care
presentation
finish
hair
olive branch
peace
pond
strands
3. think laterally about your brand
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4. try to force connections
http://www.amazon.com/Gamestorming-Playbook-Innovators-Rulebreakers-Changemakers/dp/0596804172
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5. actively disengage
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6. jump start the light bulb
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7. verify your ideas
http://www.amazon.com/Made-Stick-Ideas-Survive-Others/dp/1400064287
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information
saturation
incubation
illumination
verification
8. iterate
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9. start small
the idea of a grammar quiz is not nearly as profound as some of the advertising ideas we discussed
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10. practise
practise taking ideas apart and putting together your own
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10. practise
brainstorming once a month and saying you’re not creative
is like going to the gym once a month and wondering why you don’t have a six pack
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if you practise, practise, practise, you’ll give yourself a much better chance of success
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create your own luck
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good luck!
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p.s. you should read these books
@epicgraphic