Hi. I'm Sean... an entrepreneur into creating successful business ideas for the social web. I run a digital strategy company called Freeworld Media.
This blog is where I talk about the intersections of my life... past, present and future.
Over the weekend, I picked up a little book called Technique for Producing Ideas by James Webb Young. Originally published in 1939, Young outlines a 5-step technique based on his experience in the early days of Advertising.
I’ve always enjoyed old books about fundamental principles of what makes us who we are – especially when it comes to understanding creativity:
This book echoes what I’ve often thought; that ideas are pulled from a mysterious place and brought to life through structured discipline. Young talks about how ideas provide the soul to coummunications and “bring spirit and life” to advertistement. This creative spark brings together the other-worldly connections of our concious & unconsious mind.
The Five Steps
- Gather raw material – Specific and general knowledge.
- Work these materials over in your mind
- Incubation Stage – Let the unconscious mind synthesize
- Birth of the Idea – that “Ah Ha!” moment when it comes together
- Shaping and development of the idea into practical usefulness
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So what’s next?
In the After-Thought section, Young briefly talks how words bring ideas to life. There’s alot more here that needs to be discussed. He recommends Hayakawa’s book on semantics called Language in Thought and Action.
See Also:
David Ogilvy “Confessions of an Advertising Man”
TED Video: Matt Ridley, When Ideas Have Sex
Berry Gordy, the successful Motown producer is an American success story. His studio was driven by a creative excellence process which gives me several key learnings.
Berry Gordy was a wizard at crafting media that spoke to people in a way that caught their attention. It was a testament to his timing, vision, belief and making it all a reality.
“Gordy’s gift for identifying and bringing together musical talent, along with the careful management of his artists’ public image, made Motown initially a major national and then international success. Over the next decade, he signed such artists as The Supremes,Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Jimmy Ruffin, The Contours, The Four Tops, Gladys Knight & the Pips, The Commodores, The Velvelettes, Martha and the Vandellas, Stevie Wonderand The Jackson 5.”
“Well! A beautiful tomorrow – just a dream away. That says we’re going places.. there’s progress ahead!”
Because its purpose is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two—and only these two—basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs.
- Peter Drucker
2006 CONE MILLENNIAL CAUSE STUDY Findings: (PDF)
“Millennials [people born 1979-2001] say they are prepared to reward or punish a company based on its commitment to social causes.”
Socially and Environmentally Responsible Business’s reap Rewards
Other Notable Consumer Surveys:
Edelman GoodPurpose 2010 Survey (PDF)
In the United States, after quality and price…
Since 2007, our highly acclaimed national studies and ethnographies have painted a clear picture of this powerful and fast-growing consumer segment:
PRWeek/Barkley Cause Survey (PDF)
Hi. I'm Sean... an entrepreneur into creating successful business ideas for the social web. I run a digital strategy company called Freeworld Media.
This blog is where I talk about the intersections of my life... past, present and future.
