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Have you ever been stuck in a creative rut? Below,
world-renowned broadcast marketing specialist,
Doug Harris, shares with us a few tips on how
to ignite that creative spark.
I had the opportunity to work with two Program
Directors recently who had swapped responsibilities on
their respective stations. They stayed in their same
offices, but now deal with a new playlist, a new set of
air personalities, and a new set of challenges. With a
twinkle in their respective eyes, each is naturally
looking forward to besting the performance of his
predecessor, which no doubt delights their
GM.
Our conversations ultimately included a
reference to Spencer Johnson's book "Who Moved My
Cheese" and all parties agreed that this "cheese-
moving" had rekindled a creative spark. But since you
can not change job descriptions every day, how is a PD
to keep his intellectual faculties sharp, when he is
being asked to generate greater results with fewer
resources?
Here are four quick tips taken from
a favorite presentation of mine entitled "33 Things
You Can Do To Become More Creative Today".
| #1 Take a different route to work |
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Do you start your work week the same way Monday
through Friday? Routine is the enemy of creativity, and
although you have may have mapped out the quickest
way to get from your home to the station, I encourage
you to take a different route every once in a while.
You'll see businesses you haven't noticed before, as
well as billboards and other visual stimuli that could
help trigger an idea or at the very least, give you a
taste of how some of your listeners live and commute.
Once you get to the station, don't stop there. Enter
through a different door. Pass through the sales
department. Engage a staffer with whom you don't
normally communicate. Simple, free, and effective, you
will be amazed at the effect this tactic will have on
your day.
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| #2 Eat something wickedly delicious or outrageously different. |
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In my world travels, I've eaten kangaroo, reindeer, and
rattlesnake but you don't have to go to these lengths
to test the limits of your creativity--or your stomach.
And I'm not talking about Fear Factor here. Just try a
new restaurant or a different menu item that you have
not yet experienced. And while you're enjoying it, talk
to the waitress, the hostess, or the bartender. See if
you can guess their favorite radio station. Embracing a
new environment or a new taste sensation could be the
first step to breaking out of a creative rut.
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| #3 Talk to a generation "ahead" or "behind". |
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When September 11th changed our lives forever, I was
reminded by my 80 year old father that Pearl Harbor
had had a similar effect on his generation. We spoke of
the Kennedy assassination, the Challenger explosion,
and the OJ trial and I came to realize that these tragic
milestones meant different things to different people.
The best way to broaden your perceptual horizons is to
talk to someone older or younger than you are. Those
of you with children will know exactly what I mean. An
Ipod means something completely different to my
mother and my nephew. Likewise with Demi and
Ashton, The Passion, and same sex marriages. While
the most important perspective to appreciate is
certainly that of your audience, too many of us have
gotten into the habit of thinking that the rest of the
world is of a like mind, and this is a dangerous threat to
creativity.
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| #4 Go to a competitor's promotion. |
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This one is simple and the reason for doing it is
obvious. Besides comparing your street presence to
theirs, you can see their listeners up close and personal
and watch how their DJ's interact with the public. I am
astounded at the number of PD's that don't go to their
own promotions much less those of the guys across
town, and I think that they are really missing out. Try
it once and see if it turns out to be the eye-opener it
has been for me.
Try one of these this week and let me know the
results. Your audience is waiting for the next big thing
and wouldn't it be great if your station delivered it to
them!?!
You can reach Doug Harris at
dough@creativeanimal.com or at +1 713 522-
4273. For information on the Last Ever Promotion
Director's Academy, presented by Doug Harris and Dan
O'DAY, April 16-17, 2004 in Los Angeles, visit
www.danoday.com/promo.
Doug Harris is an internationally known specialist in
broadcast marketing, currently consulting over 30 radio
stations around the world. His specialty is getting
programming and sales to live in harmony. His
syndicated movie reviews are heard on the Connecticut
radio network and on stations in Texas and North
Carolina and his company, creative animal, produces
the world's only school for promotion directors as well
as a weekly online newsletter called "For Ideas", a
former Billboard Magazine Promotion Director of the
Year and the recipient of numerous regional Addy's.
Harris is also President of Noisemaker Communications,
a marketing company specializing in advertising, PR,
and promotions. Doug Harris is an "almost lifelong"
resident of Texas who loves Lyle Lovett, Red Zinfandel
wines and BBQ--but not necessarily at the same time.
Visit Doug Harris online »
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| Team Pinnacle |
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Pinnacle Media Worldwide welcomes our newest team
member:
Dan Binder
Senior
Associate.
With 15 years in the industry,
Binder was most recently PD at WMJC/Island 94.3, Long
Island, NY. Binder has also been OM/PD at
WQBK/WXCR/WTMM in Albany, New York; PD at WENZ
Cleveland; and APD at Q104 Cleveland. Pinnacle
President/CEO Bob Lawrence notes, "Dan adds
tremendous strength to an already sound and
stable, "Team Pinnacle". We are simply thrilled to have
him join us! Contact Dan at
DBinder@PinnacleMediaWorldwide.com
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