Data is an important source of information in PR. At Progress Communications, our work with B2B and B2C companies in ICT, consumer electronics and fintech regularly draws on it. But analysis is only one part of the work: clients also need creative ways to make a story relevant.
How do you move from an ordinary idea to a more original and useful approach? These practical steps can help a team explore beyond its first answer.
Start with an individual idea dump
People often arrive at a brainstorm having already considered the question. They may bring a preferred idea or even a complete solution. That can be useful, but it can also mean the discussion keeps returning to the same starting points.
Begin by asking everyone to write down their thoughts individually. This “brain dump” gives those initial ideas a place on the page and makes them available to the group.
After sharing them, move into the wider discussion: what connections can you find, and what other possibilities are there? The initial suggestions become material to develop rather than answers everyone feels obliged to defend.
Our article on the value of brainstorming in PR explores how that group process can help.
Understand what interests the audience
Let the audience’s interests inform the creative direction. Who are you trying to reach, what do you want to explain and where are those people likely to encounter the story?
Keep an eye on changing habits and formats, but do not choose a channel simply because it is fashionable. Social media can be useful only when the chosen platform and approach fit the people you want to engage.
A past campaign with Microsoft and the Dutch boyband B-Brave illustrates that thinking. To raise awareness of safer internet use among young people, the team built a staged prank around a selfie that appeared to reveal another band member’s phone number.
The idea used a familiar social behaviour to make an online safety issue tangible. The lesson is to connect a communications objective with a situation the audience recognises, rather than beginning with a tool and searching for a reason to use it.
Bring different experiences into the team
A group of people with similar backgrounds may approach a brief in similar ways. Including different experiences, knowledge and skills gives the discussion a broader set of starting points.
That variety does not replace a clear brief or good facilitation. It gives the team more perspectives to work with. Make sure the session allows those perspectives to be heard, including from people who are less quick to speak in a group.
Change the setting
If the discussion is stuck, step away from the usual workspace. A different environment can help interrupt a familiar pattern of thinking.
This might mean a walk or working somewhere else for a while. Travel and encounters with other cultures can also provide ideas, but useful observations are available close to home too. Notice how other people solve problems and ask what you could learn from their approach.
Connect creativity with the strategy
An original idea still needs to serve the client’s goal. Evaluate the possibilities against the audience, the message and the resources available. Creativity is most useful when it leads to a plan the team can carry out.
As a technology PR agency, Progress Communications combines subject knowledge with creative thinking to develop a tailored approach. Get in touch to explore a new angle for your communications.
Tessa
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