Brainstorming: An Essential Tool in Digital Marketing Agency Strategies
Alex Osborn, an advertising executive, is credited with popularizing the brainstorming technique in the late 1930s, applying it as a valuable management tool for businesses. Over time, this technique found widespread use in companies to generate ideas for new products or develop entirely innovative manufacturing processes. However, results from this technique were often deemed unsatisfactory.
Most believe that completely unstructured sessions rarely yield positive outcomes. Even when following basic rules, results can sometimes be disappointing. While groups generate a larger quantity of ideas, their quality may occasionally be lower. Additionally, groups maintain productivity levels for longer periods; individuals working alone tend to tire more quickly, leading to diminished output.
Open-ended group discussions have proven to be more effective in evaluating ideas. Research on the technique’s efficacy suggests that when individuals work alone, they often produce more original and higher-quality ideas. However, here’s my contribution for you:
Brainstorming is an impressive concept, representing a semi-formal business meeting primarily aimed at generating fresh ideas to enhance various aspects of your business. This technique leverages a form of psychological synergy; a creative meeting can yield more than the sum of its parts, more than the sum of participants’ ideas. For this technique to be effective, sessions require a trained facilitator and adherence to a set of basic rules. Without a facilitator, sessions might devolve into attempts to find every possible negative aspect within each new idea. Ultimately, the idea gets discarded, and the group prepares to treat the next idea in a similar manner.
The formal application of this technique relies on three key rules:
1. Encourage participants to propose all possible ideas, no matter how unconventional they may seem.
2. Withhold judgment on any idea until the session concludes.
3. Encourage group members to provide input on each other’s ideas, creating unexpected combinations and taking each idea in unlikely directions.
I’ll include some additional recommendations for those looking to try out this technique:
– Define a specific theme for discussion.
– If there are more than 10 participants, divide into subgroups.
– Have each subgroup appoint a secretary to record proposed ideas.
– Clearly explain the three aforementioned basic rules.
– Establish criteria for selecting the best ideas, then evaluate each idea against these criteria.
– Outline the necessary steps to implement the top ideas.
As a Digital Marketing Agency we suggest conducting 2 to 3 brainstorming sessions in your company to stimulate teamwork and team integration.
