The Way I Do Brainstorming

Brainstorming seems to be a mystery these days. Everybody seems to be confused with the meaning and what actually we should be doing and what actually we are searching.

First, before the technique, I would like to discuss about the "brainstorming" itself.

What is that animal?

At the 1st time when I enter this industry 17 years ago, I always thought that brainstorming is a discussion we do to make ads and searching ideas. I always sit amongst the crowd, listen to undefined topic of discussions, jokes and blabber, and suddenly they try to develop ideas out of those ridiculous talks. Then, there are scribbles on the paper and talks about headlines: what could the headlines be? and - it's either silence or another jokes and blabber again.

Frankly, I was confused by the process and confused by those questions: where do the ideas comes from? and why the ideas form that way? how is it possible that we are not talking about anything relevant of the brief and problems and suddenly there is ideas? They must be genius and may be I am not belong to this industry because I don't know shit about the how to.

When time goes by, I realize and found something significant when I start to be able to mold something good enough to be called ideas, that the whole process that I saw before is actually a crap.

Understand the nature: if there is no problem on the client side, there will be no us. There will be no need of us at all. The sales person could do all the job. But the fact of the need of either: awareness, a stronger positioning, a shift of positioning, more sales to be gained by promotion, regeneration of target audience, a stronger competition, a pressure of the national economy situation, a new competition that enter the market, and et cetera (if you don't know or even question any of those problems, you are not ready to brainstorm) is justified by the presence of us. And we are called for an answer.

The problems are not jokes. It involves lots of money and it involves lots of lives.

So begin the brainstorming by understanding the problem, and state it very clearly in your mind about the actual problem.

By understanding the problem, usually comes the answer. Since the problem is always marketing, have the answer in marketing way. Simple. Marketing solved by marketing.

That answer is called vision. Without a vision then you could not answer any of the problem needed.

Now, you know why I am asking you all to understand about marketing, the terms, the cases, and to read more about all aspect surrounding marketing.

If you don't believe it, it will not harm you to understand marketing, but believe me, when you start to see it in marketing way, your ability to solve clients' problem will be much clearer and it will be a great start to enter brainstorming.

Let's continue:

When you carry a vision into brainstorming room, you also need counterpart that have may be another vision too. That way, you could argue and discuss about all the available possibilities and talk about the answer there, directly.

And ideas will flow and headlines and visual will follow. Fast and quickly.

There. That is brainstorming. Easy. You might find it difficult if you are not following the path and questioning the needs. Just follow the path, and trust me, it will be as easy as when the famous Columbus egg question.

Let me throw my simple example of my experience when we are brainstorming The Pakubuwono Residence (TPR).

First, the team understand the fact that TPR has promised to build the apartment to be the most luxurious apartment. We also know the fact that TPR is not the 1st apartment in town, so there is no surprise in the market about an apartment, in fact the market just drop into a recession that make a lot of developer freeze the development of building and some of them cannot pay the investment that some customer already have. That situation creates crisis in trust amongst the customer that will harm the chance of TPR to gain some believe in the mind of the consumer. Not to mention that the developer behind this development is agung podomoro whose track record is just finish making cheap apartment in sunter, how could they have the credibility to build such an expensive place, it's like if a brand like suzuki builds a limousine, who would believe that? (Sigh, tough!) But we have to understand the market situation.

Second, finding an answer: We know that we couldn't use the agung podomoro name. It will definitely kill the luxurious image that we should be carrying. We also know that we need a good entrance for the brand to be perceived luxurious, good and expensive. If we learn from expensive brands, we know that when we buy a rolex, we are not buying a watch, we are buying another value, some for its luxury, some for its strength. When we buy a mercedes, we are not buying a car, we buy status, image. So, we definitely should be able to create a value for TPR, it's not just an apartment, it is a "some place". A what? Discussion follows to a conclusion that TPR should be sold as a home, a life. A dream home, a perfect home and a perfect life.
We got a positioning now!

Third, how to present the entrance we need (in your language may be a launch ad)? We need to surprise the audience and present a line that define the perfect home and life. (A tag line for you). Now, the brainstorming begins.. The talk of brainstorming comes to a question what do rich people dream about a perfect home and life? Luxury.. boring. Greatness.. boring. Then comes the cling! The thought begins from.. The thought that after a man have a car, they want a luxury car, a luxury home, a more luxurious home, a more and more, more power, more life.. eternity.. why? Greed may be.. but they want one.. endless happiness.. mmmm.. happily ever after? It reminds me about HC Andersen and all his stories that end with happily ever after. And all those people who are rich at that moment should know about HC Andersen for all of them must grow with his stories. Ok, great clues. Go on: But its all predictable. But wait, let's think again.. Let's think a bigger scope, the whole pattern of HC Andersen is correct. He starts always with "Once upon a time..." and always end with "..they happily life ever after". The 1st line seems more unique and interesting than the latter. Once upon a time is great. It describe only once happening, which is giving you a presence of being ultimate. And it's about life. It could be alter to the audience life. Great thought! Go on: Ok, since there is no rule, I would like to put the tag line on top of the brand and make it a "topline" let's say: Once upon your lifetime.. The Pakubuwono Residence.. how does it sound? Perfect. Because happily ever after then will just rhyme in the readers heart following what I say before. Perfect. Good connection. The audience follow my line without effort, make them interconnect with my brand and not only creating a definite great luxury brand but also a perfect interconnection. Got it!

Fourth: Now comes to the trick to present it. After another discussion about layout and probability, comes a thought: The client cannot use agung podomoro as a driving vehicle to present its capability to build such a place. But they definitely needs a credibility to become somebody who could build and have money. How to make such an impression?
There's the ideas comes from: How about if they show that they can spend money like crazy? Just book 3 consecutive pages in Kompas which priced like crazy and all the rich people know it, and spend it like crazy because we have money and fill it only with one line of sentence on each page:
1st page: Once upon your lifetime...
2nd page: The Pakubuwono Residence presents you all the finest things in life...
3rd page: and you may life happily ever after.
Perfecto!

In conclusion, the process of brainstorming is clear if we understand the problem and have a vision of direction of what we are searching for. As clear as possible!

And focussing our brains, and time, and knowledge.. all knowledges. And a little luck!

Good luck!