Mark Twain used to call it "getting stuck." You need a
fresh, effective marketing idea to give your product, service, or
organization a boost. But your mind keeps falling back on old
ideas. You're tired of them. You want a marketing approach that is
exciting and full of life.
I got some real insight into fresh marketing recently when
my wife gave birth to a baby boy. As I stood in the delivery room,
looking at my new son for the first time, I did what most parents do.
I looked for familiar features. Yup. He had my wife's hands. My
forehead (poor child!). Some features seemed to be a blending of
things I'd seen in other family members. Other features seemed
entirely new.
Nature is no dummy. We can learn a lot by looking at the
way nature does things. We can jump ahead by bringing those
lessons to business.
I once worked with a promising young media executive
(now the president of a network) who advised me to become rich
and famous by borrowing other people's good ideas. There's a lot
of truth to the old adage that "there's nothing new under the sun."
Many of the best ideas you will come across have been used by
other's in your business again and again. They wouldn't keep using
them if the marketing ideas didn't work.
Sometimes great good ideas become neglected. Are there
old marketing techniques from the 80's, 70s, or 1960s that might
work well today? How about great marketing ideas widely used in
another city that haven't been tried yet in your town? Network,
borrow, and steal those good ideas. Remember, people can't
copyright an idea, only the specific words used to express it.
Experts on creativity advise us to mix ideas to come up with
something new. Think of two commonly done marketing tactics.
Can they be combined into something that is fresh, but has the
successful elements of the tried and true?
Self-publishing guru Dan Poynter says that most books only
contain 5% new material. The remaining 95% is lifted from other
books and articles. Taking the information and writing it in your
own way is called "research." The publishing industry depends
upon it.
Psychologists also remind us that most people don't like
things that are totally new. When prospects tell you they want
something new, they really may be telling you that they want a
product or service that is familiar, but packaged with a fresh twist.
So keep these three methods of creativity in mind as you
plan your marketing campaigns in the weeks ahead.
1. Borrow great ideas from other people.
2. Look for ways to combine two or more good ideas into
something that appears fresh and new.
3. Look for good marketing ideas that are used in other
places. Bring them to your industry or city.
The key to coming up with great new marketing ideas is,
more often than not, based on looking for familiar friends that can
be used in a slightly innovative way. I look forward to hearing from
you about your fresh marketing ideas.
Kevin Nunley helps small and mid-sized businesses build effective marketing. Reach him at DrNunley@aol.com or at (801)253-4536. Ask for his free marketing report and list of Special Reports and Tapes that make you a marketing whiz in dozens of areas. Also ask how he can help you build your on-line presence.
