As a Creative Facilitator, you bring inspiration to your idea sessions in the form of fact-based and novelty detours. Here's a little Halloween inspiration for a seasonal detour that struck me as I was strolling down the candy aisle preparing for Halloween.
Candy manufacturers have done an incredible job of capitalizing on the season when marketing their products. Every year, there are more flavors and colors that relate to the holidays and seasons. Even the names of products have been adjusted for specific holidays. For example, in August, M&M's launched their new flavor, Cookies & SCREEM for Halloween!
In my search for examples, I saw creative displays in stores, found ways to use the products in recipes on YouTube, saw coupons online and in direct mail, saw television commercials and they also appeared in my Facebook and Pinterest posts. All of that marketing is inspired by the season.
From holiday package bundles to new flavors like M&M's Cookies & SCREEM, holidays and seasons can inspire new ways to market a client's product or service.
Try these techniques to help your resource group generate ideas that are relevant to the season that your marketing project is focused on.
- Show an image that relates to the season and ask participants to make a list of what they see in the picture. Use the words describing the image to inspire new ideas.
- Bring treats or serve food that is relevant to the season and let it inspire ideas on your list.
- Play music that relates to the season. While the music is playing, ask participants to work on their own to write down three ideas. Ask each person to pick an idea they would like to add to the list.
- Decorate yourself or the room in seasonal décor. For example, wear a costume or fill the room with decorations that will help your resource group focus on the season.
Contact Creative Resources for more sweet detour techniques.