You’re thumbing through a magazine or watching television and you come across an advertisement that is so stunningly bad, so far from the mark that you stop and ask, “What were they thinking?” Maybe it was the best idea they had. Maybe it was their only idea.
In today’s make-the-most-of-every-dollar-and-second world, if an idea isn’t great, it’s second rate.
Mining great ideas isn’t a one-person job. It requires collaboration. Gather everyone into a room and start thinking out loud. Voice every idea that comes to mind, talk them over, sketch them out, toss some in the trash, walk away – and come back later to review. Pepper your discussions with lots of “What if?” and “What about?” Make ‘em lively. Excitement fuels creativity.
Above all, never give up. Be patient. Stick with the process until you find that magical “one,” the bold, impressive, perfectly-suited idea that will ultimately elicit the most satisfying response you can get from your customers: “Wow!”
Perhaps there was a day when “so-so” was good enough to get by. That day is gone. The time your customers and potential customers have to absorb your message, and the money you have to invest in marketing it, are limited.
Neither should be wasted on a mediocre idea.
