You hear it as a rallying cry in meetings: “Our marketing needs a big idea.”
You see it boldly proclaimed on a resume: “I’m a big idea thinker.”
And it’s the buzz that accompanies a new campaign: “This is the next big idea.”
Clearly, everyone is in love with the big idea. It’s the elusive spark of brilliance that will elevate the marketing program to the next level and make the agency the envy of every Don Draper wannabe out there.
Listen, I don’t want to spoil those dreams, but here’s a little secret from down in the creative trenches: A big idea that doesn’t deliver tangible results is actually a big waste of your marketing dollars.
Don’t get me wrong. Every client deserves original conceptual thinking. And most creatives will openly admit that big-idea brainstorming was what lured them into this business in the first place.
But both clients and creatives should appreciate the fact that a truly big idea is one that makes an impression and makes the audience act.
With that in mind, we come to the pressing question: How do you qualify a big idea?
To find the answer, here are four key criteria to consider when judging creative ideas.
1. Does it demand attention?
We’re barraged by communications all day, every day. Chances are your email will chime several times while you are reading this blog. So if your marketing simply blends in, it will fade out. This is where original thinking, intelligent design and a meaningful message work together to ignite a spark. Unfortunately, this is also the point where a lot of people think the big idea process ends. Don’t fool yourself. This is just the first test.
2. Does it tell the story?
So you captured your audience’s interest for a few milliseconds. What next? Now your creative has to work hard and work fast. Your target has to know what you’re trying to communicate and why it matters in their world. Some people will tell you this takes a little creative magic. Actually, it takes research, strategy, data, customer insights and all of the other marketing DNA that help you shape your story in the most meaningful way. And if you do it successfully, your audience will still be along for the ride. This is getting exciting. But it’s still not a big idea yet.
3. Does it drive action?
This point might seem rudimentary, but it’s overlooked far too often. You know what you want the target to do, but never assume that they’ll actually do it without being prompted. So encourage your audience to learn more, sign up, renew, buy now or contact you. And be sure they know how to respond. Again, this seems fundamental. But how many times have you struggled to find a button to click, phone number to call or URL to visit? Remember, it’s only a big idea if it works, and that requires a clear and compelling call to action.
4. Does it translate into all media?
Big ideas are also campaignable ideas. If the thinking is broad enough, it will translate well into all media. Here’s a quick example.
Your audience sees a retargeted banner ad that breaks through and demands their attention. Remember the first criterion? You just nailed it.
Next, they go to a personalized URL (PURL) that is a seamless landing page experience from the banner ad. It’s also a reflection of your target’s interests. On the PURL they watch a video that brings the idea to life and gives them the full story. Second hurdle cleared.
Now your target is engaged. You explained your terms on their terms. They respond by clicking through for more information using a data capture form. Challenge three completed.
The key takeaway here is that the idea had the legs to go from the banner ad to the PURL through the video and beyond. In short, it was campaignable.
Now, let’s go back to that all-important question with a fresh perspective.
How do you qualify a big idea? It’s the creative that captured attention, told a compelling story from your audience’s point of view, drove them to action and translated seamlessly into all media. Admittedly, it’s never easy. But your marketing deserves nothing less.
To see some of our big ideas and their results, visit the J&C portfolio.
Topics: CMO
