Stirring The Creative Juices

Pretty soon *fingers crossed* I'll be moving to a new role in the marketing department of one of our business units. This is a good opportunity to try something a bit different, and of course, with new ooportunities, there is a high amount of trepidation at to whether you can step up and deliver. This one is especially daunting as the first thing the marketing manager whom I'm reporting to said to me was "Kev, I've heard really good things about you from your managers...." Oh dear :)

Anyway, I've always thought that I did not have one creative bone in my body. Like in art, I had more fun doing sketches of existing paintings/drawings, rather than liberally applying paint across the canvas Pro-Hart style. In business, I felt I did not have the visionary abilities that my partner displayed on a much more frequent basis. Give me a lead or aim, and I'll deliver it for you. Ask me for the vision, and I'm quite stumped.

I think marketing is about understanding what the consumer values in your product, and pushing that message to induce the need in the consumer's minds. A lot of times, this comes just from listening to the customer, and to really get to the bottom of their psyche.

How much creativity is needed? The skill is marketing is presenting the message in a way that makes it memorable for the consumer...or is that the advertising exec's job? Is thinking creatively and being creative two different things?

On a different tangent, where does the creative side come from? And how does one develop it more?

I'm hoping that my IT skills will bring a different perspective to the table, and that further down the track for me, it's something to add to my skills...I keep reading that it's not hard-core IT that gets you places, but an ability to bring the business and IT perspectives together.
Give me a few months, and I'll come back all arty. Maybe my hair could be as "tzsujed" as Boges'!

Damn! eleven cheap calls already:

You don't have to come up with the creative, that's what your advertising agency is for and why you pay them big bucks :)

I think your IT skills will help, especially if you do Online/Digital stuff. Some of the clients we have are retarded when it comes to things like that and we have to hold their hand through the whole process which makes it so painful.
riss (email) (link) - 08 December '04 - 11:10

i always wondered how u would spell "tzsujed".
pskis - 08 December '04 - 12:32

i think he made that up ,we need to check with the queer eye boys...
addy (link) - 09 December '04 - 02:31

IT + business is my entire work world and I think it’s very true that hardcore IT will only get you to one spot - hard core IT. But if you know IT and u know business u can use that to help the business really achieve its goals and objectives - then u can be at the top of all the business (hardcore IT-ers and all!). Now you’ve got another important skill which u can use to conquer the world à marketing + IT + business acumen = WORLD DOMINATION :)....hmmm…anyone for Risk?? It’s been awhile since playing that!
mushiejc (link) - 09 December '04 - 03:47

Riss, are you tring to drum yourself up some business?
Dre - 09 December '04 - 06:18

dre- yes :p
riss (email) (link) - 09 December '04 - 11:32

tzsujed is correct. The queer eye book says so :)
PeeDz - 11 December '04 - 13:48

Dude, you've been practicing for this role for years! Think of all the hos you've been selling yourself to at your dance parties, planting in their mind the idea that your product is superior, more durable, longer-lasting, etc.

I think this is your calling.
randomcow - 12 December '04 - 02:02

In the immortal words of Huggy Bear from Starsky and Hutch - "I lay it out for ya'll to play it out"

JB, don't stress about the creativity; Miss Riss is right, while you need some, that's why we pay the advertising peeps the big bucks. To take your vision and message and turn it into something that the consumers will, in short, want.

Creativity comes from so many sources. What you read, what you watch, insights...it's all about turning these influences into something that you can use in your role to help market your product.

And RC is right; you'll be fine...years of fine-tuning :P
ricegrains (link) - 12 December '04 - 06:32

hehe, thanks for the wise words everyone. Equating it to spading chicks always makes more sense to me.

If I ever get to allocate spending, riss, you'll be the first on my list :)
Congrats on your role Jem! I think the role is Marketing Communications, although I'm still waiting for the job specs to come through. Doing some education with the help of some digital formats ie CD distributions and other mediums.

That LOTR Risk is wild...pure luck, that game, althought the figurines are very cool! I'm down for Diplomacy if anyone has it (do you have that mushie?)
JookBoy (link) - 14 December '04 - 17:54

Oooh LOTR Risk - count me in!! :) okies diplomacy/risk night soon...although diplomacy will prob take many many nights to play (we better play it - only played it once and it cost me big bucks!!)...maybe we should combine it with another LNP night??? ;)
mushiejc (link) - 15 December '04 - 14:44