By: Sam Ewen

Recently I have been spending time thinking about what makes up a successful creative idea for marketers. We are inundated with messages from brands and services. The general media, our public and digital spaces, our friends and family and our social communities are all competing for our attention. And much of that communication is trying to use the art of persuasion to convince us/re-enforce that a product or service should be tried or adopted.

So what makes a good creative idea? What is going to differentiate one idea from the other?

When challenged with how we come up with our ideas and what makes those work and sell, I try to apply a filter on top to see if it hits all the emotive and experiential buttons I want it to before we submit to a client. For a creative idea to truly work and breakthrough the jumble of advernoise it has to resonate on a variety of levels. It cannot just be a clever line or a striking image, you have to be able to experience it beyond acknowledging it.

I have created a blueprint for what I feel a creative idea must embody for it to truly connect between brand and user.

I call it THE ANATOMY OF A CREATIVE IDEA.

Thinking about the creative idea as you would a living thing, we can apply some of the same anatomy to it and see if it works for the organism of our target consumer.

HEAD - Does the idea make sense? Will the target audience get it? Will it connect with them on an intellectual level that they can understand? Is it above or below their general comprehension? Will they easily be able to explain it to others?

HEART - Is there an emotional connection? Will the person experiencing the message feel it as well as see it? Will it make them happy, scared, inspired, sad? And is that the emotion you want them to feel? Will they be compelled to share it?

Ideas that connect intellectually and emotionally have more opportunity to break through and resonate with the consumer and will generally enhance the experience between brand and consumer.

ARMS & LEGS - Does the idea have mobility? Can it work in different media? Is it localized to one execution or can it translate across regions and distance both physically and digitally? Does it have movement (not necessarily physical movement, but conceptual movement and energy)? The more kinetic an idea is, the more attention it may get. Can it work in multiple markets? Can we move the consumer from on-line to off-line or vice-versa? How would you modify it if doing it in the US vs doing it in Japan? The best ideas can seamlessly navigate between the changing tools, locations and tactics of modern media.

VOICE - Finally, does the idea have a determined voice.  Are you speaking on behalf of the brand in a positive and participatory way.  Are the executions, people, graphic design, sound, costume, etc. all speaking in a consistent voice that is a net positive for the brand. The thing we hate to see is an amazing creative campaign that is speaking in a way that is not in the comfort zone of the brand voice and tone. When that happens, often people remember the execution, but rarely the brand on whose behalf if was generated.

I hope this concept helps in the creative process as you are developing ideas, so get your doctor scrubs on and think anatomy when you are in your brainstorm process.