Some of the best ads of 2020 include a 7-minute video from Apple capturing the hilarious things that happen when you suddenly have to work from home, a dating site pairing up Satan with a girl named after the year nobody wants to relive, and a burger company selling the freshness of their beef by showing how easily it grows mold.
Three very different campaigns with one thing in common: creativity.
In marketing, creativity is the fuel that fires up ad campaigns and helps capture consumer attention and boost engagement. But creativity isn’t just for advertising. Using creativity in your business can have the same uber-desirable results.
What is creativity when it comes to business?
Businesses by nature tend to be fairly regimented places. Putting rules in place and putting employees on a schedule is how you ensure that a diverse group of people will come together and actually get stuff done.
The problem is that rigidity often leads to stagnation. In other words, if you demand people think the same, your business will probably stay the same too.
Creativity inspires progress. Want new results, like more customers, more sales, more buzz? You need creative solutions and a team that feels like they have the freedom to brainstorm and tinker without pressure or judgment.
Run with several creative ad campaigns and monitor your key business metrics. You may be surprised how your numbers jump when customers are suddenly inspired, entertained, and engaged on a whole new level.
Is creativity good or bad for productivity?
This is an excellent question, but before we can answer, let’s talk about the difference between working efficiently and working effectively.
When people talk about productivity, they’re typically talking about how much work a person or team can generate. If someone’s productive, they’re churning out a whole lot of whatever they’re supposed to be doing. But working effectively is totally different.
A team member who works effectively may produce only one finished task every day, but that task rocks.
- One cold call instead of eight, but they made the sale.
- One campaign idea, but it’s practically award-winning.
Encouraging creativity may not always boost productivity, but it will most likely get you results that are higher quality, more intriguing, and much more valuable in the long run. After all, you don’t need 20 okay ideas. You need one awesome one, right?
How can you foster creativity at work?
Google HQ is renowned for offering employee free food cooking classes, an onsite gym, massage therapists, a rec room that includes a pool table and rock climbing, and colorful pods that double as meeting and brainstorming spaces. There’s a method to the madness — these perks encourage teamwork, creativity, and productivity.
You don’t have to be Google to foster your team’s creativity. Just come to the office with an open mind and embrace everyone’s individuality. Let wacky ideas have a chance, create an environment that’s conducive to free-thinking, and hire people who dream outside the box.
Need help getting started? Let the experts at Aliste Marketing help you get the creative juices flowing and create a customized marketing strategy for your growing business.
