What’s the best way to generate ideas that are “outside of the box?”
You could write down all of the ideas that you and your team have, regardless of ego or whether or not it’s “a good idea” when you write it down.
That way, even if someone suggests an idea that isn’t instantly seen as “great,” it could spark something in someone else that leads to a great idea.
Or, alternatively, you could look at your competition, what’s worked in the past, and so forth.
One often overlooked tactic that Danny Star and the team often use: look far outside of your industry.
Marketing is different for everyone, of course. But, some fundamentals do apply across industries.
So, by seeing what works for someone who is far, far outside of yoru industry could spark something in your mind, leading to a great idea.
That’s what we thought of today, reading this article about pet brand marketing.
Pet Brand Marketing Takeaways for Your Company
“Trust is now harder than ever to achieve. Consumers, 99.9999% of the time, are operating with one goal in mind – to avoid making a bad decision.”
Obviously, that’s true when folks are buying something related to their pets, someone they love who literally needs to be cared for and protected to survive.
But, it’s also true for how people buy anything now.
Yes, consumers want the best. But, they are, rightly, wary of making a bad decision.
Something we especially appreciated in this article was how it, in the context of pet brand marketing, spoke to ways that more companies could think “outside of the box.”
“… competitive analysis should be focused on looking for unmet needs… to zig when everyone else in the segment zags. Your goal is to be different – very different, and in doing so, stand out in a sea of category sameness.”
Regardless of what industry you’re in, “thinking outside of the box” is cricial.
But, if you think too far outside of the box, you run the risk of wasting time.
The best way to think “outside of the box” is to give yourself a target to shoot for.
Like asking: “what’s the most out of the box way we can solve our customers’ unmet needs?” Then, you and your team can make any number of seemingly outlandish suggestions, all with a real, actionable target in mind.
For more help with growing your business, schedule a consultation with Danny Star at (213) 457-3250.
