Where Marketing’s Next BestIdeas Will Come From

Christopher S. PennVice President, Marketing Technology

Who is SHIFT?

#FutureM@shiftcomm

The Problem

The Hollywood Problem

The Hollywood Problem

The Hollywood Problem

“Like Twitter for...”“Like the Facebook of...”“A Pinterest for...”

The Hollywood Problem is also a Marketing Problem

Photo credit: Ben Salter

Focusing only on the data is like driving a car using only the mirrors.

The Problem

^Bigger

FEAR

The Problem

^Biggest

Growing creativity will be the most viable option in the years ahead.

How Creativity Works

Incubation, Insight, and Creative Problem Solving: A Unified Theory and Connectionist ModelSebastian Helie (UCSB) and Ron Sun (RPI)

Explicit and Implicit

Explicit and Implicit

Explicit and Implicit

Explicit and Implicit

ExplicitLeft BrainRule-BasedVerbalConsciousExoteric

ImplicitRight Brain

ExperientialSymbolic

SubconsciousEsoteric

Transcoding

Transcoding

We’re awful at teaching what we know because we can’t transcode knowledge effectively.

Maximizing The Creative Process

The Basic Creative Process

The Art of ThoughtGraham Wallas 1926

Preparation

Insight & Inspiration

Incubation

Verification

Preparation

FrameworksDocumentsStrategiesTraditionRecordsHistoryIdeasData

Creative preparation is like food preparation. The more you prep, the better your results.

Never Stop Feeding Your Head

Insight

Determine Constraints

Determine ConstraintsCreativeConnectedDedicatedHonorableSmartPositiveBallsy

Expand Your Boundaries

1. Lateral Thinking

1. Lateral Thinking

1. Lateral Thinking

2. Perspective Shift

2. Perspective Shift

3. Concept Porting

3. Concept Porting

3. Concept Porting

4. Intentional Conflict

Idea Creation

3 minute burn

Idea Collection

THERE ARE NO BAD IDEAS* at this moment in the process

Idea Evolution

Pay attention to what works!

Incubation

Unconscious

Conscious

Recovery

Deletion

Remote Association

Assimilation

Pay attention to what works!

Verification

The great danger of verification and brainstorming

Creating Creativity

Step 1: Develop your Matrix.

Step 2: Define your values in single words.

Step 3: Lateral thinking

Step 4: Perspective change

Step 5: Context switch

Step 7: Three minutes of ideas

Step 8: Survival of the fittest

Step 9: Incubating in the Implicit

Step 10: Validation @shiftcomm

10 Step Creative Process

Step 6: Conflict experience

Benchmarking Creativity

FluencyOriginalityElaboration

E. Paul Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking

Torrance Tests

Fluency: QuantityOriginalityElaboration: Quality

Not enough quantity? Need more preparation.Not enough originality? Need more insight.Not enough quality? Need more incubation.

Torrance Tests

Four Core Takeaways

Fill your mind, body, and spirit with as much good stuff as possible.

Create, expand, and iterate as many ideas as possible.

Find the incubation processes that are unique to you, log them, and refine them.

Verify and collaborate only after you’ve done the work solo.

The Final Word

Every recipe for creativity will be different. Find and tune yours over the years.

SHIFT Happens

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Stay in touch

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www.shiftcomm.com

617-779-1800

Thank you!