Posts Tagged ‘Creativity’

Why ideas need sex too

Did you know that everyone was once a creative genius? As infants we had twice as many connections between the neurons in our brain. And without knowing any language, just by watching and listening, we were able to figure out how to get whatever we wanted from those big goofy people around us…

Not just any ideas, but so-good-they'll-instantly-be-recognized-as-amazing ideas.

How to Brainstorm for Results (and get something good)

It’s time to bring in the troops for a brainstorming session. Because you need ideas. You might need ways to solve a big ugly problem or keep a small problem from growing. Or maybe you need a dose of fresh, deep thinking about long-term strategy. Ordinary, obvious ideas won’t do. You need so-good-they’ll-instantly-be- recognized-as-amazing ideas.…

If you haven't stretched for a few years, you're not going to be able to suddenly do ninja backflips.

Stuck at OK? Push for Amazing.

So there you are, doing… OK. Marketing is ticking along like a well-oiled machine, same budget as last year, you’re a little under budget, and you’re on track to pretty much meet your modest growth goals for the year, just like you did last year, and the year before that, with the same old familiar…

Can we make everything else as cool as the new website?

Think screenspace, not meatspace

For most credit unions, each member drops by your website an average at least four or five times a month. It’s open 24/7/365, and you can do things with color, interaction, and motion on a screen you just can’t do with a postcard or in a branch. Add in mobile app usage, and, well, you…

All of us have the potential to do so much more.

Making the world a better place, one tomato at a time

We’re big on making the world a better place, and we’re even bigger fans of those that actually do it. A few days ago, we ran across this link to a fascinating National Geographic article on how the Netherlands, a country with 1/270th the area of the US, has become the world’s #2 exporter of food. (Take…

We need to allow others to learn from our failures.

This isn’t working, and I have no idea why.

Would you ever say “this isn’t working, and I have no idea why” to your boss? Never. To your friends and coworkers? Probably not. After all, most of us are programmed that failure is not an option. Which is crazy. Lots of good ideas with great potential have failed. Even a few of ours: •…

Most of us are hardwired to complete things that are not finished.

Want someone to remember your marketing? Open a gap

If you really want someone to remember your marketing, open a gap. Don’t believe me? Try singing “Happy Birthday” without singing the last few words. Go ahead. Try it. Hum it to yourself if you are too embarrassed to sing out loud. Did you find it tough not to sing (or hum) those last few…

Bread and butter car loans don’t have to be boring

Here’s a product idea for car loans I’ve had kicking around my head for years. It’s yours, free of charge. (Of course we’d certainly love to help with marketing strategy and creative.) The plain old car loan is every credit union’s bread and butter. It’s also kind of boring. No wonder your members look at your…

Credit Union Science Fiction

Forget next year’s media budget or your five-year strategy. Let’s gaze deeper into that CU crystal ball than we ever have before. What’s the distant future of finance? What are credit unions going to be doing 25, 50, or 100 years from now? Virtual CUs Correct me if this has already happened, but is there…

How to wring out every precious drop of creativity

Five Ways to Squeeze the Most Out of Your Marketing Agency

If your marketing budget is like those at most credit unions, we know you have to pinch every marketing penny until it screams. That’s why, as a service to our clients and potential clients, as well as to our colleagues in the creative biz, we’ve put together a few tips on how to squeeze every precious drop…