Creative Marketing and Critical Thinking - Essay Example

Creative Marketing and Critical Thinking Introduction Before talking about marketing creativity and creative thinking it is necessary to point out what marketing is and why creativity and creative thinking are so important for it. Marketing is known to be the process of planning, promoting and executing the pricing, conception, organizations, service and events in order to maintain and create such relationships which will be able to satisfy organizational and individual objectives and goals(Fulton 1996). Types of goods that marketed today are: Goods and services Causes and groups Ideas and places People and performances It is necessary to mention main marketing functions: 1. Exchange function: buying and selling goods and services 2. Physical distribution function: storing and transporting(Beckman 1967) 3. Facilitating function: financing, risk taking, grading, standardizing and securing marketing information(Frei 1961) Nowadays marketing is not the same as it was several decades ago. Marketing concepts and ideas has completely changed due to media, high technologies and importance of such factors as creativity and creative thinking. Combination of all these elements will give the best results in marketing processes. Wireless advertising offers potential to target markets; creativity stimulates creating new ideas and ideologies; broadband technologies allow marketing experts to deliver large amounts of data and make this process even faster and simpler. Due to creative thinking wireless advertising gives the opportunity to implement online newsletters, virtual storefronts, interactive brochures, and web(Frame 2003). Marketing Creativity and Creative Thinking Marketing process is sometimes called as "getting stuck". People need fresh and effective marketing ideas in order to promote new products and services. But very often person's mind is failing back to old ideas. People are tired of them, because they want and need new marketing approach that will be exciting and full of surprise, vividness and life. (Nunley 2004) And marketing expert resort to the help of critical thinking and creativity in order to give people what they want and really need(Smith 2004). For example, if to ask people to determine the main driving force of advertising, they will most likely tell that it is creativity. Creativity is very important, but it is one of the three legs upon which successful marketing is standing. The four legs are: Message Medium Creativity(Hercky 2005) If to ask the same people to define creativity, they will most likely tell that it is something "of which they themselves would not have thought". It is a matter of fact that creativity and creative thinking are the vital components of marketing strategy and planning. They help expert to develop new approaches to attract new customers and to retain the power on the old ones. Marketing has to be creative in its thinking and deliver whether in creating unique promotional plan, finding technical solution to existing problem, designing new web site or devising a differentiating channel distribution model. Hercky (2005) admitted that every marketing expert can be creative if the environment is right and favorable. Marketing has to build on such environment where marketing creativity and creative thinking will flourish, "manage that creativity, and still deliver on budget and on time". Creative thinking helps marketing experts to understand how different people work, how to have creative fun during working process and how to make everybody perform at their creative peak. It is important to deliver a real boom to the organization or company(Hercky 2005). There is a question: are creativity and creative thinking innate talents reserved only for selected ones or they can be learned like, for example, riding a monocycle or juggling But before answering this question it is necessary to define creativity in marketing and advertising. Creativity in marketing differs significantly from creativity in arts. Hercky (2005) defines creativity in marketing as "the melding of two or more disparate concepts into one". Creativity is an interesting mental exercise. The creative process can begin only when person knows his desired destination with a clearly set communication objective. What is more interesting is that creative process in marketing starts with brainstorming. Creative idea in marketing has to be relevant, impactful, vivid and memorable. It is free thinking that makes a person creative. It means that creative advertiser has to think outside the box. It is mentioned by Hercky (2005) that "where some people have a natural affinity to think that way, others can actually learn it by using the proper tools". Experts on creativity admit that it is necessary to mix ideas in order to develop something new and unusual. Nevertheless psychologists notice that most people don't like totally new things. For example, when people tell they want something really new, they may mean that they want the familiar product but packed into fresh cover. Creative marketing experts have to keep in mind when planning marketing campaign for future. They can either: 1. to borrow great ideas from other people 2. to find ways how to combine several good ideas into something fresh and unexpected 3. to find good marketing strategies and ideas used on other practices(Nunley 2004) Looking is the key element to come up with new marketing ideas. Looking and searching are the base of creativity and critical thinking which are of real importance for marketing and advertising. Benefits of Creativity and Creative Thinking Creative thinking is the process of determining the accuracy, authenticity and worth of data and information, arguments, knowledge and claims(Harris 1998). The main elements of creative thinking are: Curiosity, Enjoying challenges, Constructive discontent, Strong belief that all problems have solutions, Ability to suspend criticism, Seeing the good in the bad(Harris 1998) There is a question: why are creative thinking and creativity so important for marketers There are many reasons. Creativity gives marketing experts the opportunity to develop new fresh solutions to marketing problems. Creative thinking gives the possibility to enjoy analyzing data and information and then to develop opinions and conclusions. In many cases marketers analyze what is wrong with the idea or on-going process and then try to point out how to make this process right. Most companies realize and harness the power of advertising and its importance for their business. That is why they try to hire marketers with creative thinking and creativity. These key elements can help: To increase brand loyalty To increase visibility and awareness of the goods and services that are being delivered To stimulate increase in sales To create opportunities to display products To be socially responsible To entertain customers and prospects(Hercky 2005) The purpose of creativity and creative thinking in marketing is rather three-fold: It has to be relevant to the segment of target market It has to be memorable and recognizable beyond the moment of its exposure It has to attract attention of indented viewer(Hercky 2005) In marketing critical thinking is a generative and lateral force, because it allows marketers: To examine all ideas and arguments, To separate the ideas from their vehicles, To define false from true, To separate accurate from distorted, incomplete from complete, etc. Creative marketers will be more open to opposing ideas and arguments and considering the advantages and drawbacks of each one, learning something new and creative from others, etc. Creative marketers have to develop the habit of analyzing and to think about problematic issues instead of reacting to them. They take these claims apart and then see what is going on with them(Paul 1993). The next benefit of creative thinking is developing attention. Creative marketers pay attention to the opportunities around them. It is a matter of fact that many creative ideas are lost because of lack of attention and lazy attitude towards information. Creative thinking helps marketers to find the best words and phrases to create a strong impression and impact on customers. It is necessary to admit that creative thinking develops awareness in marketers. It means that they are able to look a round and to encompass the universe of thought. Creative marketers with developed critical thinking won't be fixed within the narrow confines of own perspective. They will be aware of available different approaches to problem solving. Creative thinking together with strong imagination is the best combination for good marketer, because they allow him/her to play with data and to sort it in many different creative ways. Simply saying, critical thinking is optimistic curiosity, because really creative marketers want to know things(Harris 1998). Creative marketer is able to view opposing arguments with interest and sympathy. Creative marketers listen thoughtfully patiently to customers and consider them carefully. Creative thinking provides marketers with knowledge what is going on in information society and with possible ways of verbal and non-verbal manipulations. Marketers will create different meanings and impressions. It is a matter of fact that creative thinking gives the opportunity to form independent judgments that are based good evidence. Creative marketers are able to not only to collect necessary data, but also to put them together into something new and meaningful. The key point of creative thinking is to find and marshal good arguments and information, to avoid distortion and manipulation, to define truth and fallacies before product advertising. Nowadays it is rather difficult to promote new goods and services, because the world is too packed with them. That is why creative thinking is very important in marketing process. The benefits of critical thinking are seen both on corporate and product brand level. Creativity adds new dimension to the established brand and makes bold statements more vivid and attracting. Creativity is able to improve reputation and to develop influence by sponsoring imaginative and innovative projects that are associated with brand values, by sponsoring unique events that are likely to happen, by attaching high levels of attendance and involving celebrities, by engaging staff in cooperation, by involving main clients in corporate entertainment, etc(Hercky 2005). Together creativity and creative thinking are able to build brand recognition, because creativity is a unique emotional power. It can offer brand renovation and positioning, potentially on international level. Creative thinking can offer sheer breadth and diversity of projects that are available for sponsors and investors. Such diversity means that there are opportunities to suit all kinds and types of companies/organizations. Creative thinking allows marketers to bring known brands to new markets and to give unknown brands higher visibility and awareness. Creative thinking is important for finding the real place of the company in the market(Martin 2004). Creative thinking can also encourage loyalty and increase sales. Creative marketers can find new partnerships with organizations that will help to attract a considerable proportion of the population(Canals 2000). Creativity is useful for driving growth in corporate and social marketing strategies, for building and maintaining markets and to make positive social contribution. What is more important is that creativity is the showcase of social responsibility. Creative marketers can find ways how to increase influence and impact on customers' behavior and how to contribute ethical reputation of the company or organization(Pasqua 2005). Creative thinking is necessary for marketing, because due to it marketers are able to expand their own boundaries of thoughts and to broaden their ideas and perspectives in many ways by talking to customers whose point of view is completely different, by listening to customers with respect to their needs and desires, by reading books and articles with deeper understanding of changes in society, by understanding different lifestyle of customers and different cultures(Paul 1993). Creative thinking is useful for marketers when they provide customers with information about potential services and goods, about personal and political philosophies. Marketers use their knowledge of human psychology and perception with the purpose to motivate customers to choose their products and services over that of their potential competitor(Martin 2004). It is apparent that creativel thinking gives the creative marketer to find the best approach to the customers and their desires. Creative thinking is useful in creating marketing strategies and implementing them(Braun 2004 ). Creative marketers will know the models of human behavior and will use them in order to filter information necessary for propaganda. Nevertheless creativity is important in dealing with new and old clients. Creativity allows marketers to find new approaches to attract customers and make them interested in offered goods and services. There is a statement (Hercky 2005) that "knowing how your customer buys your products is just as important as knowing who and where they are". Nowadays it is the era of information culture and most facts come from creative thinking. It doesn't mean taking the world at face value. Creative thinking is generating, analyzing and examining ideas, learning to be cautious and sympathetic, learning to manipulate. Marketers understand that they are open to a range of possibilities. Creative marketers are able to reach a solution which is correct, true and valid(Kay 1995). Conclusion In conclusion it is necessary to outline that marketing nowadays is developing and rapidly changes. Marketing requires new ideas approaches in promoting goods and services for customers(Ketterrick 1984). That is why creativity and critical thinking are key elements of every marketing strategy. Creativity helps to generate new ideas and concepts of dealing with new and old clients, whereas critical thinking will contribute in situation analyzing and budget planning. Marketing can't survive without these elements in the modern highly developed markets. Marketing is creative and it requires creative marketers who are able to lead company to success and further development. People are really tired of old advertising, they need something new and fresh to be attracted(Pasqua 2005). References Beckman, Theodore N. (1967). Marketing. New York: Ronald Press Co Canals, Jordi. (2000). Managing Corporate Growth. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press Frame, Davidson. (2003). Managing Projects in Organizations: How to Make the Best Use of Time, Techniques, and People. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Frey, A. (1961). Advertising, 3rd ed. New York: Ronald Press. Fulton, Richard L. (1996). Marketing to the Mind: Right Brain Strategies for Advertising and Marketing. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Harris, Robert. (1998, July 1). Introduction to Creative Thinking. Retrieved August, from http://www.virtualsalt.com/crebook1.htm Hercky, Peter. (2005, February). Creative Marketing: Creativity Defined. WCP International, 47, 2. Retrieved August, from http://www.wcp.net Hercky, Peter. (2005, January). Creative Marketing: Addendum and Then Some. WCP International, 47, 1. Retrieved August, from http://www.wcp.net Kay, John. (1995). Why Firms Succeed. New York: Oxford University Press Kettering, Charles. (1984, January). Keep the Consumer Dissatisfied. Nations's Business, 1, 4. Martin, David. (2004, September). Getting Fact-to-Face with Customers. Retrieved August, from http://www.wcp.net Nunley, Kevin. (2004). Creative Marketing. Retrieved August, from http://www.marcommwise.com/article.phtmlid=228 Pasqua, Michael. (2005, February). Creative Marketing: Determining the Marketing Budget. WCP International, 47, 1. Retrieved August, from http://www.wcp.net Paul, Richard. (1993). Creative Thinking: What Every Person Needs to Survive in a Rapidly Changing World. Foundation for Creative Thinking, 3, 7. Smith, Karen. (2004, December). Creative Marketing: Effective Business Prospecting In a Cluttered Business Environment. WCP International, 47, 2. Retrieved August, from http://www.wcp.net Read More