Uncreative feeling and the same old same old at the brainstorming meeting?

Elisabeth Bäckström, Content Manager at ohappa
25 October 2023

Sometimes, it all stops. The ideas don't appear, and the creative process stalls. Coming up with a new, smart, and unique marketing campaign can sometimes feel like an impossible nut to crack. You may have been given a strong directive from management to develop something new and fresh that will help your company gain market share... but that creative flow won't happen. Do you recognize yourself?

Reassessing old ideas

During brainstorming sessions, someone often says, "We tried that years ago, and it produced ZERO results." But what if the campaign works today? Dare to bring up old ideas, reassess, redesign, and adapt them to today's conditions. Review the message and the target group and think about how it would work today. New times and new technologies can breathe new life into previously tested campaigns.

And while you're re-evaluating previous ideas, consider whether your existing campaigns that run continuously year after year are still producing the results you intended. It's easy to get stuck in the same old rut because it's easy and feels safe.

Redesign the meeting

A good prerequisite for a creative brainstorming meeting is to change the environment and invite a person not generally in your meetings. An uncreative group dynamic can be changed immediately by adding new impressions and insights.

It may also be a good time to enlist the help of an external consultant who, with an outside-in perspective, can help you find new creativity for your upcoming campaign.

Uninterrupted discussion

Encourage your colleagues to float high and low ideas where anything goes. Even the craziest ideas can lead to real gems as you continue the conversation. Twist and turn. Rethink, rethink, and let your creativity escape that famous box. What is the most unexpected thing we can do? How can we convey our message in just three words? Do not criticize each other, and always keep a positive attitude. This is important to highlight, as many brainstorming sessions end in disagreement when participants feel contradicted and reprimanded. All the emerging ideas may not lead to a decision but will lead to the next step in the process.