Creative Facilitators know that the resource group members are really the unsung heroes of the creative process. The expertise, domain knowledge, passion and commitment of the people gathered to help the client have a profound impact on what comes out of the session.
Orchestrating the resource group is a lot like producing a hit song. The song starts with a basic structure like a melody and a few lyrics. When the root notes and chorus are developed by specialists in a certain instrument or sound, the song becomes all that it can be.
The woman in the picture is Carol Kaye who is a renowned bass player and member of The Wrecking Crew. Carol Kaye created bass lines and techniques that are still used today.
The Wrecking Crew worked behind the scenes with many artists including Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, Sonny and Cher and Gene Simmons of KISS. They played on countless hit records and included every instrument imaginable. Each musician had their specialty and they were called together for their expertise and imagination to enhance songs.
Persuasive campaigns are a lot like hit songs. You may not know all the musicians who contributed, but it's their creative input and expertise that makes the songs memorable.
Next time you're arranging your resource group, consider the step of the Creative Resources Process you have been asked to facilitate as another way to orchestrate it. For example:
Objective Step: Invite specialists in the client's business category, research directors, account planners as well as members of the client's sales, promotion and customer service teams to really dig into the marketing facts and generate potentially undiscovered marketing objectives.
Ideas Step: To generate a wide variety of fresh and novel ideas, think about inviting people who may not have attended a session before or who are not connected to the client's product or service.
Development Step: Including experts in a wide variety of communication tools, platforms and messaging is a must. Each item on a development list is a potential campaign element and needs to include the tool and exactly how it will be used, right down to the specific message.
Just for fun, check out Carol Kaye schooling Gene Simmons on bass.
Contact Creative Resources for more tips on resource groups.