Creativity is a key factor in business success. Creative minds are able to bring together ideas and concepts in the novel, engaging ways, with the results being unique brands, incredible innovations, and unbeatable market positioning. However, when you spend your days behind a desk, it’s easy for those creative muscles to atrophy.
Here’s how to channel your inner creativity.
Stay away from “sameness”
When everybody else is going right, go left. Great creatives know what’s going on in their industry and use that to subvert expectations with ideas that are powerfully distinct but still recognizably part of their vertical. Take Sutler’s Gin. Instead of opting for the usual clear glass bottle associated with gin, Sutler’s goes old-school with a black ceramic bottle with a screen-printed label. There’s nothing like it on the shelves, yet consumers still know exactly what they’re getting. Always strive to be a counterpoint to the homogenous.
Make your brand distinct
Distinctive brands are more than just “different”. They go that extra step to offer a truly stand-out brand experience. These are the brands that consider every aspect of the customer experience and ensure that it delivers. A brand doesn’t have to be unique – consider McDonald’s vs. Burger King – but by going that extra creative mile to provide distinctive assets and a one-of-a-kind experience at every turn, it can stand apart in a powerfully memorable way. Jenni Romaniuk’s Distinctive Asset Grid is a great tool for gauging brand distinction.
Don’t just replicate
It’s easy to see a brand doing something right, and then trying to replicate it. But a great knock-off only goes so far. True market leaders are the ones with their own voice, own perspective, and who put their own spin on things. Instead of following the crowd, analyze what makes something or someone successful, and channel its essence, not its presentation. The same goes for your own products and ideas. Be Steve Jobs-era Apple, not the Apple of today. Strive to keep evolving your brand, while staying true to who you are.
Consult different points of view
Brands that get out of their bubble are brands that are able to do something daringly new and interesting. Expand your creative horizons by consulting different points of view, voices, and experiences. Explore design from other countries, speak to people from other communities, tap into data, collaborate with other creatives, and consult with people in entirely different industries. A tech person or a medical expert will have an entirely different perspective from a marketing pro and may be able to offer unique business insights as well as ways to communicate them. And, vitally, step away from your desk and out into the real world so that you can see what’s really going on.
Where the value lies
What makes your brand unique is both who you are, and who you aren’t. The more you can carve out your own individual piece of the market, the stronger your positioning. Don’t be afraid to try something new or to lead the way. NYU Stern’s new, interactive branding is a great example of this. A brand that has the confidence to stand apart and have its own voice is a brand that inspires and one that will attract brand loyalists.
If you need help tapping into your creative side, or want some tips on best practices for helping distinguish your brand from the rest, get in touch. The team at StellaPop are experts at building stellar brands that pop.
See Also:
Does Your Brand Standout? Why Differentiation Matters
Everything An Executive Needs To Know About Branding But Was Afraid To AskWhy