In This Competitive Market Environment, Idea Generation Processes | Marketing

By LindaP.Morton
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In this competitive market environment, idea generation increases through three major methods. The methods include relaxation, interaction, and integration.

Marketing is the first line of business for anyone who is self-employed. If you don't market well, you'll soon be looking for another employer.

It's hard to generate new marketing ideas in today's competitive environment. Many are cliches, while others are just overused.

By directing all your attention to the daily chores that it takes to run your business, you're probably left uninspired when it comes to marketing. This article will help you to redirect your attention through three processes.

In This Competitive Market Environment, Idea Generation Through Relaxation:

You may think it strange to lead an article on idea generation with relaxation. But small business owners are so busy that many seldom take time to relax and let their subconscious mind guide them. Yet, the subconscious is the source of creativity.

Don't let worries hinder your subconscious mind's creativity. Instead, give it freedom to work for you by relaxing. When you take time to relax, your subconscious will reward you with many new ideas.

I know that being outside relaxes me. So when I have a concern that my conscious mind can't seem to solve, I go outside. Trees, flowers, butterflies and birds reduce my stress, enabling my subconscious to work on the concern. It often provides me a solution in minutes.

You need to know what relaxes you and do it when you need a creative solution to a concern. Whether it's spending quite time by yourself, starring into a fireplace, or walking a treadmill, take time to relax, and you'll get more creative ideas.

You can also give your subconscious mind direction by thinking, rather than worrying or stressing, about a concern just before you go to sleep. Direct you subconscious to come up with a solution.

If you've never attempted to channel your subconscious mind before, it may take you awhile to get the ideas you seek. But be prepared with paper and pencil to write down the idea because it will eventually come if you continue the process.

If you're not prepared to record the idea, you may forget it before you can write it the next morning. Then you will loose it, maybe forever.

You need every advantage in this competitive market environment so let your subconscious generate ideas for you. It will be the least expensive and one of the most productive workers you'll ever have.

In This Competitive Market Environment, Idea Generation Requires Interaction:

Another way to generate more marketing ideas is by interacting with other people. In fact, most idea-generating techniques base on bringing two or more people together to focus on a creative solution to a concern.

Interaction techniques involve drawing people together to work as equals, with each contributing, usually through structured methods.

Sometimes, all it takes to use an interaction process, is to have someone listen to your concern. As you tell the other person about it, you often reveal potential solutions that were just waiting to come forth.

In this competitive market environment, everyone in your business should be involved in creating solutions to business problems. Everyone brings a different perspective to the table. When all these perspectives come together in a safe environment to focus on marketing, creative ideas almost always surface.

n This Competitive Market Environment, Idea Generation Using Integration:

The final of the three ways to get good marketing ideas uses integration.

If you never look beyond your own business or industry for marketing ideas, you're cheating yourself of many good ones that you can easily adapt. But to do so, you have to know what other industries and businesses do to market themselves.

One way to find ideas that you can integrate into your business is at meetings of Chamber of Commerces and other business organizations. By participating in the social mixers before and after these meetings, you can get lots of ideas from other participants.

Integration also includes swipe files. Anytime you see an advertisement, get a direct mail promotion, or pickup a publication that you find effective, save it in your swipe file. Then take out this file when you need marketing ideas.

Although, this is called a swipe file, you don't actually steal the ideas. Instead you adapt them for your business.

Today's competitive market environment requires new innovative ideas. If your marketing is to be successful, you should constantly be seeking creative marketing ideas.

Conclusion

You need to use all three methods of idea generation to assure that your marketing stays fresh. If you use integration, interaction, and relaxation tactics in this competitive market environment, idea generation is doable.

About the Author

Linda P. Morton, Ed.D., APR, is Professor Emeritus, Oklahoma University. For more great marketing ideas, see her blog at Strategic Market Segmentation. Learn more about marketing with Marketing Your Small Business.

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