Try this: a tip for evaluating creative
January 9, 2012 at 9:24am by Rena Bast
(Photo by Muharrem Oner / istockphoto.com)
We recently wrapped a presentation and the client’s first comment brought great definition to the notion of instinctively assessing an idea. She said, "I wish I’d thought of that". Bingo! It’s the perfect gauge for evaluating a gut reaction for a few reasons (and not just because flattery will get you everywhere). The "I wish I thought of that" filter will tell you if:
a) it’s on strategy: clearly the idea is strategically sound if it’s one you wish you would have also seen in the brief (otherwise you’d be stuck at the stage of thinking, how the heck did they land here?)
b) …but it’s not expected: you partner with an agency to come up with ideas that you wouldn’t have actually written yourself. Any great idea has simple logic at its core but is powerful because of the creative leap that wraps it all together and makes it not just logical, but magnetic.
c) …and you can sell it up the ladder : you will actually need to adopt it as your own as you galvanize support for it within the organization.
In looking at work, it's a productive filter: do I wish I'd thought of that? It leads to good extensions like, would I be proud to stand behind that idea? And even better, if I saw the competition doing it would I wish I had it for my own?
So to the client who shared this handy litmus test for evaluating work off the cuff - thank you, I only wish I'd thought of that.
Rena Bast