Tips for Developing a Unified Creative Strategy

There is a coldly logical, practical method to get breakthrough, emotionally powerful creative. It follows the very basic steps many of us either naturally understand, or have followed for years - I like the way these steps are framed and evangelized by Mark Ritson. They are: Diagnosis. Strategy. Tactics. Though his work is focused on brand strategy, the same logic applies for creative development. Too often great ideas are killed because creatives jump straight into the idea, with insufficient backing. While that approach is actually what often makes them creative in the first place (non-linear thinking), it leaves great ideas unsellable, and therefore lost. You might hear a creative shout 'wouldn't it be amazing if we did X?' The answer is yes, it would... but unfortunately nobody can make that leap of faith. In this case, the Tactic might shift culture, but nobody knows for sure, and so the idea dies with the epitaph on the headstone: 'that crazy creative sure is creative'. I've learned that skimping on the Diagnosis and the Strategy simply doesn't pay off, even as a creative. So I preach to myself, my teams, and anyone reading this post- First, take time to not only embrace the Diagnosis from others...but actually push it. Creatives are strategic, and great ones push the strategists to be more creative in their diagnosis. Find the insights that aren't obvious. Don't fall victim to data, use it to see between the graphs. Creativity starts in the Diagnosis. Second, don't just demand great Strategy, actually help to shape it. That might mean you need to work on ideas first, and back into the strategy. Fine, if that's how your brain works. But be part of the Strategy step and help shape it into something that punches into new territory. Third, enjoy the freedom of a tight brief. Idea time is Tactic time. If you know why you're doing someting (Diagnosis), what your objective is (Strategy), then you are truly free to be disruptive in the ideas you create (Tactic). Nobody can say you're off brief, they'll be forced to say 'i'm nervous about this idea'...which is a sign it will actually break through. I've found this process helps great ideas not only easier to sell, but more effective, and designed to do what they were intended for in the first place. How about that for logical? #creative #brand

Not to age myself, but when I first started working in communications, there was a hard line between internal and external communications. This was a time before every colleague had a laptop and before cell phones were in every pocket. I think it’s safe to say that today’s pace of information exchange is vastly different.    Now, instead of a firm line, I often think internal and external communications are becoming one – with employees as one of your most important audiences to engage. As fellow communicators look to find this balance between internal and external communications, I wanted to share a few tips that have helped me throughout my career.  🧩 Integration: Make sure internal and external channels are represented, keeping a cohesive message between the two. 💪 Consistency: Maintain a steady cadence in pulsing out communications so audiences know what to expect and when.  🔨 Utility: Find new ways to expand existing tools to solve other communications goals – work smarter, not harder. 🤝 Engagement: Keep even the small elements engaging. For example, here at Thermo Fisher Scientific, we started sharing a colleague highlight reel at the start of our quarterly global town hall meeting. Colleagues feel great about seeing themselves AND we improved the buffering problem of having thousands of colleagues join an event at the same time. 🎨 Creativity: Don’t lose sight of creativity as you find the right blend of engaging and informing your audience.  What tips do you have for balancing internal and external communications? Do you think these are still separate strategies? 

Balancing Human Creativity & AI Efficiency. 6 Tips for Entrepreneurs... How I develop cutting-edge business strategies daily: 1. Encourage Wild Ideas: Don't let your ego stop your creative potential. Push yourself to think beyond what is "acceptable." Having said that.... Our brains can only go so far. AI then takes these ideas, no matter how wild, and explores their potential, connecting dots I didn't even see. 2. Overcome Bias: AI introduces ideas and points of view that I'd never think of. It enables me to break free from my usual patterns and creative biases. 3. Break Expertise Barriers: AI helps me venture beyond my comfort zone. It's a creative PARTNER, suggesting ways of tackling scenarios and strategies outside of my existing knowledge. AI is the sage. I'm the creative director. 4. Refine for Real-World Use: As entrepreneurs, we can all get carried away with BIG IDEAS. AI assesses these ideas for practicality, helping me refine them into actionable strategies. It can also perform market research in minutes. Fundamental when building products/services for your audience. 5. Enhance Decision Making: A million ideas. ONE DECISION. Using AI, I evaluate options based on data, not just intuition. I have all the cards laid out to execute my goals efficiently. 6. Accelerate Development Cycles: Perfectionism is the Achilles of creativity. Repeatedly self-editing often causes more harm than good. AI’s speed in processing and iterating ideas shortens my development time. It also closes the door so imposter syndrome doesn't creep in. I make this my ritual for creativity. When it’s time to execute, my strategies are not just creative but also AI-optimized for today’s dynamic market. Let AI be your co-pilot in business. Marry creativity with technology for groundbreaking results. P.S. How do you use AI for creativity?

By day, I was leading product, then marketing and comms teams in Silicon Valley tech and by night, I did something most people wouldn't (and should!)... Improv and stand-up comedy with a stint at Second City for sketch. Yes, it taught me so many things about writing, story and creativity. More than that...it transformed how I think about story and innovation - individually and collectively as a team or culture. Yes, both will make you funnier. That's NOT even The Holy Grail (which is a classic, amiright?!) Ever curious, I thought, "why can't teams and cultures be like this?" They can. Here's the thing... Innovation and storytelling in teams happen when trust, connection and courage exist. Those first 2 help with courage. If your teams aren't innovating and telling bigger brilliant stories...it's not because they don't have them. It's that humans NEED a net of trust and connection to sustain courage. The biggest innovations, stories, ideas happen when courage fills the air... Leaders, entrepreneurs, any one really....HACK YOUR INNOVATION #1 focus on increasing trust (positive laughter w/o judgment builds connection, trust). When we laugh together, we sew deeper emotional bonds. #2 build team goals and a team net to increase output (stand-up is great and even then you can build with your audience, ex: crowd work, you are creating WITH your audience). THINK improv, it's all YES AND with teams. Two big things to work on: "I got your back." Make your partner look amazing! That means experimentation and supporting new ideas. Relax, you don't have to marry them. Just date them respectfully - you don't have to call them in the morning! #3 Welcome experimentation, humor and reframe what "fail" means - have open convos with teams. 1 and 2 help build a NET. It doesn't mean no bad ideas. It means Bad ideas are welcome as part of a process to get to GREAT ideas. You gotta kiss some ideas frogs to get to those princess ideas (yeah, I changed the metaphor!). WORK WITH ME I help create braver leaders, teams and cultures so people and innovation thrive. From inspirational and humorous talks, keynotes to facilitated learning programs, let's increase brave innovation capacity WHILE making people happier, healthier too. My book, "Stop Boring Me!" is on Amazon and it's all about transformation and innovation with laughter and improvisation. Humor is the ultimate algorithm(SM). Kathy-ism. YOUR TURN How do you channel your laughter into bravery? #keynotespeaker #organizationaldevelopment #innovation #highperformingteams #storytelling #laughter

Strategy + creative alignment. Must-read level: 10. In traditional models, the strategy team develops a strategy, then hands it off to the creative team to execute. This gear shift often leads to issues such as miscommunication, lack of shared vision, and the dilution of strategic insights during the creative process. The handoff can also delay the process and create friction as each team may have a different understanding of the client, goals, and needs. Embracing the model of "everyone at the table the whole way through" is what helps us at Motto® achieve the following: Shared Understanding: Having everyone involved from the beginning ensures a deep, shared understanding of the client's business, industry, goals, and audience. It enables our team, regardless of their specialty, to grasp the nuances of the strategy and contribute to the brand's creative development to achieve alignment. Stronger Communication: By involving everyone from the start, we can eliminate communication barriers that occur when projects are handed off between teams. Everyone has the same information at the same time, eliminating potential misunderstandings and discrepancies. Collective Ownership: Our model promotes a sense of collective ownership and responsibility. Every team member is invested in the project's success because they've been part of the process from the outset. This can enhance motivation and the quality of the output. Efficiency and Speed: By eliminating the handoff, we can save time and increase efficiency. Discussions and decisions happen in real time, with the right people involved, which can expedite the overall process. Synergy: The combination of strategic and creative minds throughout the process can result in more dynamic, innovative outputs on both sides. Strategists offer insights to enhance the creative process, while creatives help visualize and communicate strategic thinking in compelling ways. Continuous Feedback and Iteration: This approach allows for ongoing feedback and adjustments. Since everyone is involved throughout the project, there are opportunities for continuous learning, iteration, and improvement, ensuring the end result aligns with the strategic goals. If your team is about to start a brand creation or brand transformation project, be sure it blends strategy and design thinkers from the get-go. Or just hire 🏴 Motto®. We got you. #branding #brandstrategy #brandingagency #brandthinking

You’re suffering from “creative sameness” disease… If you think testing looks like this: → 5 UGC videos → Same script, slightly different hooks → Maybe a different face or outfit Then you wonder why results plateau. Understand this: Creative strategy ≠ minor hook tweaks. Creative strategy = how you visually deliver the entire message. That means asking questions like: 1. Format: • Should this be a static image or a video? • Would a meme or carousel stop the scroll faster than a talking head? 2. Style: • Should this be high-production, UGC, or AI-generated? • What does your audience expect to see and how can you flip that? 3. Tone: • Is this an edutainment-style explainer? • Or a hard sell with urgency + scarcity? 4. Length: • Are you telling a story that needs 2 minutes… • Or does your idea hit hardest in 8 seconds? 5. Pattern disruption: • What hasn’t your customer seen before in your niche? • How can your ad look nothing like an ad? This is how we test inside $10M+ ad accounts: We don’t run “more of the same.” We run controlled chaos. Every concept tests a new angle, style, format, or visual layer. Because if your creative looks like everyone else’s… Facebook has no reason to give you cheap traffic. But if your creative hits like something they’ve never seen? That’s when CPC drops. That’s when thumb-stops happen. That’s when you start scaling. Follow me Nick Theriot for more content like this.

🌟 Unleashing the Creative Spark: Strategies for a Sustained Innovation Journey 🌟 Throughout my innovation journey, I've discovered that we often bypass the necessary preconditions for nurturing creativity. It's a nuanced equilibrium, a blend of components that, when harmoniously combined, unleash our inventive spirits' full potential. Let me share with you the pivotal elements from my reflections: 1️⃣ Space: More than a physical corner, it's an expansive mindset. In my quest for creativity, I've found that both openness and curiosity are vital. Cultivating environments—be it physical, mental, or social—that promote broad thinking has been key. 2️⃣ Improvisation: The prowess to think swiftly and adapt spontaneously has been indispensable. Not merely confined to structured plans, but even more about gracefully navigating the unforeseen. 3️⃣ First Principles Thinking: Deconstructing complex issues to their essence and reassembling solutions from the bottom up has allowed me to innovate based on what genuinely works beyond assumptions. 4️⃣ Comfort in the Unknown: Embracing the lack of answers has led me to unconventional solutions. Lingering in uncertainty has been a gateway to exploring complex problems. 5️⃣ Safety for Autonomy: Free thought stems from a sense of security. It's in the safety of thought that the autonomy of the self is born, creating a sanctuary where ideas can thrive. 6️⃣ Embodiment: Acknowledging that our bodies are reservoirs of memories and insights, and learning to listen to its wisdom has opened unexpected paths for my creative thinking. 7️⃣ Dynamic Environment: Constantly stimulating and challenging my routine thought processes and perceptions has kept my mind flexible and open to new concepts. 8️⃣ Reflective Reservoir: I've learned that returning to past ideas with fresh eyes can transform dormant thoughts into renewed, actionable innovations. Some ideas also need time to evolve. 9️⃣ Time Travel: I tackle problems by envisioning the desired outcome and plotting the course backward. This method simplifies complexity, offering a clear, attainable plan for achieving objectives. 🔟 Boredom: I've embraced the lack of stimulation as a prelude to a creative surge. In the quiet, some idea seeds find fertile ground to sprout. 🔍 I'm curious about your strategies to tap into creativity and flow. What practices fuel your creative engine? Do any of the practices above resonate with you? I look forward to reading your insights and hope we can refine our collective approach to sustaining creativity and innovation.

I can't draw, sing, or paint. Can I be creative? I've always wondered why we tend to associate creativity typically with the arts. For me, creativity is about applying it to any industry and coming up with new ideas. I took a class called #TheStrategist at NYU Shanghai with Professor Adam Brandenburger, to delve deeper into the creation of creative strategies. Key takeaways: #StrategyFromContrast 1. Understand the underlying assumptions of conventional wisdom (A -> B) and attempt to reverse them (B -> A). 2. Observe and perceive differently to think differently. De-familiarizing the familiar is crucial. Regularly ask yourself: What did I learn? And what did I unlearn? #StrategyFromCombination 1. Seek experiences in different fields you're passionate about. Exploring how they can be integrated is fascinating. 2. The people around you and the conversations you have with them significantly influence idea generation. 3. Digging deeper beyond superficialities and understanding the thought processes behind various ideas from other creative strategists helps grasp the idea genealogy. #StrategyFromConstraint 1. Constraints, when viewed from a different angle, can be transformed into strengths. 2. When tasked with being creative, it's challenging to generate diverse ideas, as there could be countless approaches. However, constraints within specific industries, demographics, or finances can stimulate our brains to explore alternative avenues. #StrategyFromContext 1. Engage with diverse individuals and read a variety of literature. Incorporating perspectives from outside your industry can introduce fresh thinking. 2. Utilize analogies—they need not be identical. Analogies can also pertain to modes of thinking and doing. Above all, I learned that #creativity is a habit, and like any habit, it improves with practice. Many thanks to Professor Adam for this class. It has addressed many of my inquiries about strategy. I'm applying these principles to the #peer2peer #admissionsconsulting we're developing, aiming to #democratize access to knowledge about university admissions. P.S: Attached below is a photo of us with Adam during Peter Vesterbacka's visit to NYU Shanghai. Institutions like New York University in #China exemplify how these strategies can be applied effectively in education.

Cultivating innovation isn't just a vision; it's a strategy. 🚀 1. Adopt A Scalable Mindset 🧠 In today's fast-changing landscape, your innovation can become a core technology or platform adaptable to future needs or revenue opportunities. Consider it a "scalable design" idea, where your innovation is a flexible asset ready to tackle new challenges. Embracing this approach positions your innovations to create a lasting impact on your organization and the wider industry. 2. Embed The Voice Of Your Users 🗣 Once you understand the issue and your innovation's potential solution, involving stakeholders and users in the design process is crucial. Prioritize the client and user input throughout. Gathering feedback and understanding their preferences ensures your innovation meets their needs and expectations effectively. 3. Embrace Emerging Technologies 👨💻 Stay informed of emerging technologies and assess how they can be integrated into your innovation strategy. Whether it's AI, blockchain, IoT, or other advancements, leveraging these technologies can open up new possibilities and competitive advantages. 4. Collaborate Across Disciplines and Industries 🤝 Break down silos within your organization and seek collaborations with experts from different fields or industries. Cross-disciplinary collaboration often brings fresh perspectives that can lead to groundbreaking innovations. 5. Measure The Return On Innovation 📏 Measuring your innovation's impact is crucial for strategic advancement. Establish a system to track ROI, ensuring focus on the most effective products. Accurately capturing development costs and revenues for external innovations or internal cost savings is vital, each requiring a unique approach. #ElevatingTheStandard🏔