Mumbrella360: How to master creative problem solving
Mastering creative problem solving comes down to “how much you really want it”, according to The General Store’s chief creative officer Marcus Tesoriero.
Hosting a Masterclass at today’s Mumbrella360 conference, Tesoriero explained that thinking creatively beyond traditional advertising mediums to solve problems differently should be an essential part of every brand’s marketing mix.
He also noted that pulling off big ideas which have never been done before relies on the commitment and drive from the agency, agency partners and clients, together as one.
“I love a good ad just as much as anyone in the industry, but these days it’s not always the answer, ads aren’t always the answer,” he said.
“We no longer have a captive audience, no one reads the same newspapers, watches the same TV channels. Our audience doesn’t stand still anymore.
“There are creative solutions that can make consumers obsess about your brand, make them actively search us out and allow us to become part of their lives,” he continued.
Tesoriero drew on an example from Virgin Australia’s ‘middle seat lottery’ via Special Australia, where consumers would go into the prize draw if they booked a middle seat on a Virgin flight.
“Essentially it really got people talking about the brand from Australia, all the way to talk shows in the USA.
“It was such a great idea off a simple problem to solve. And it paid off. They put bums on middle seats, increased app downloads, and it helped changed the brand’s image.”
He said the most important thing to remember in mastering creative problem solving is that ideas are the easy part, and execution is everything.
“An idea is not great work until it gets made, so don’t leave those ideas living a lonely life on the wall or the bottom drawer.
“Creative problem solving is a team sport,” he concluded.
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Lauren McNamara is a journalist at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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