Got a product to sell and you need to know how to market it? Or maybe a campaign to launch and you need to decide what the big idea will be? Or maybe you have a presentation to give and you need to decide what your main points will be and how to deliver them.
Whatever it is, I’ve found James W. Young’s ‘A Technique for Producing Ideas’ to be very useful. Here’s my summary of it, with a few of my own ideas thrown in.
The book is pretty old school (originally published in 1942!) but the concepts are definitely still applicable today.
1. Gather your materials
‘An idea is nothing more nor less than a new combination of old elements.’
The first step is to get all your relevant material together.
If you’re marketing a product, this means gathering all the relevant information about it. It helps to have a broad understanding of ‘relevant’. (A good example of this is David Ogilvy’s classic ad for Mercedes — he wouldn’t have known about the quietness of the engine unless he’d done his research.)
David Ogilvy Mercedes ad
The same goes for a news item that you’re trying to get some publicity for, a cause you’re trying to raise funds for etc. Gather together everything you know about it.
You should also bring in all your knowledge about your target audience. Who are you trying to sell to? Who will be listening to the presentation? Who will read the press release? Be as specific as you can. Use psychographic (i.e. likes/dislikes, values, opinions, interests) as well as demographic information.
2. Look for relationships
‘The capacity to bring old elements into new combinations depends largely on the ability to see relationships.’
This is where it gets a bit more fun.
Start looking for relationships and combinations between all the separate bits of information. Or, as Young puts it: ‘Take the different bits of material which you have gathered and feel them, as it were, with the tentacles of the mind’. Yeah, let those tentacles out.
What I find really helpful here is to write everything down on post-it notes. Using one word or really short phrases is best. Stick them on a table or on the wall, step back and take a look.
Look for common themes. Move the post-its around and put them in little groups. Sometimes there are words or concepts that link the different groups. After a while, you should have a configuration that begins to make sense to you (but not necessarily to anyone else at this stage!).
Little, partially formed ideas should come into your mind now. Write them down. Even if you think they’re terrible, get them out of your mind and onto paper or a computer screen. No one else has to see them yet.
3. Drop it
‘Make absolutely no effort of a direct nature.’
Now just leave it alone and let things settle down in your mind. Stop thinking about it and go for a walk, take a nap, watch a film; anything to take your mind off it.
If you’re like me you’ll want to keep at it, especially if the deadline is rapidly approaching. This is where you need to take the long-term view. It really is worth it to step away from it for a while. Your mind needs the break.
This is where your subconscious mind processes everything you’ve been thinking about.
4. ‘Eureka’ moment
‘Out of nowhere the idea will appear.’
In my experience the idea may not come as dramatically as Young seems to think but having the time off from thinking about it puts you in a good place.
At this stage I can sit back down and the ideas come thick and fast.
Because I’m a writer, this usually means writing headlines or straplines. I just keep going until the good ones rise to the surface. Sally Hogshead wrote over 800 headlines to come up with just five headlines for BMW, including this one:
Sally Hogshead BMW ad. Headline reads: ‘Overcome the gravitational pull of the couch.’
5. Refine your idea
‘You have to take your little idea out into the world of reality.’
This is where you take your idea(s) and show it to others. Show it to people you trust and who’s opinion you value. But before you do, leave your pride at the door. Don’t take it personally if someone doesn’t like your idea. No one comes up with perfect ideas every time. Show it to a few others before you finally decide whether it’s any good or not.
The nice thing about this stage is that good ideas resonate with other people. We can all spot a good idea.
Other people will also be able to see new possibilities arising from your idea. This is where your idea can really gather momentum and you’re on your way to a great piece of work.
What are you waiting for? It’s ideas time, baby!
Or if you want to read what the man himself has to say, get hold of a copy of James W. Young’s book yourself. It’s only 31 pages long!