Some say, to be creative and innovative, you need to join the dots.
But if it were that simple, why do so many brands’ flounder in a ‘sea of sameness’? Is it because they uniformly research, discover and join the same dots – while still hoping for unique outcomes?
Successful challenger brands or disruptive campaigns do not arrive with a derivative solution – they launch with a game changing approach. Arguably, they have found, introduced, and connected new dots - arriving at different conclusions to entice customers.
Alternative research pools
Tomorrow’s winning products and campaigns grow from the next targeted, relevant spark. Marketing experts know this. But much of the research available to them is limited in scope and pulls from similar sources. After-all, to leapfrog the competition, you are looking for something that doesn't quite exist yet...
In the pursuit of new stimulus, typical qualitative research groups are used. Though engaged, they are, fundamentally, consumers - not creators. Subject experts can be locked into set methodologies. Raw data only serves to illuminate existing patterns.
If future differentiation is paramount – additional methods and, ideally, unique sources of creative stimulus are needed.
Find new dots...
In order to find unique sources of stimulus that respond to your insights - it makes sense to look further afield. But how do you keep this wider search on-point?
Studies have shown that only 1 in 100 people have the mindset to create in LEAPS and challenge the status quo. This 1% are also able to empathize with problems or objectives that may not directly affect them. Therefore, when searching for new stimulus, the counterintuitive is not to limit input to your target audience alone - but to reach far wider. In fact – from previous projects, clients have frequently identified the most valuable input from creators who reside on a different continent to themselves and who are not technically representative of their customer at all.
Collabor8 Group are experts in delivering open-sourced projects with expansive creative crowds. This diverse group are capable, not only of proposing alternate ways to join the dots, but actively add new ‘dots’ or stimulus via concept proposals. For this reason, you could view them as a supercharged, action orientated, qualitative group - selected for ability not direct relevance.
By drawing on highly varied creative disciplines they specifically respond to your targeted briefing - interpreting it and actively delivering newness. It is the truly collaborative intersection of collective naivety and your collective expertise that generates new value.
Full post project analysis completes the approach. Deeper assessment and rating of individual concepts unlocks further value, but cumulative review uncovers clustered themes - providing further creative fuel to inform and aid your decision making.
Would your marketing, brand or innovation efforts be maximized if you were armed with unique dots to join?