Group brainstorms to develop effective marketing campaigns can sometimes become free-for-alls that aren’t productive in the end. When loads of ideas are being floated at once, some that might seem good on the surface may, in reality, be overly optimistic or out of line with the project’s goals. How can a team ensure they quickly weed out the ideas that won’t work without stepping on anyone’s toes?
Decisions being made by committee are notoriously difficult to pin down; everyone has their own perspective on the best course of action, messaging or creative path to take to craft the best campaign strategy. Here, the members of Forbes Agency Council share ways to maintain strong collaboration while diplomatically weeding out ideas that shouldn’t move forward. See their tips below to learn about some basic best practices you can put in place to streamline your next brainstorming session.
Forbes Agency Council members share diplomatic ways to weed out bad ideas during collaborative brainstorms.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Start With The End In Mind
We always start with the end in mind, so each idea that makes it to the table must be directly related to the company’s overall goals. So, we ask ourselves, “Which goal is met with this impact, and how?” If we can’t connect the dots, the idea gets put on the back burner. If we are all focused on the same objective, it is easy to maintain strong team collaboration. – Heather Osgood, True Native Media
2. Understand The Client’s Objective
There is no idea too grandiose or intangible when it comes to brainstorming, as long as it aims to reach and exceed the goals set forth by clients. Often, we find the client’s appetite for risk-taking is limited; hence, it starts with understanding the client’s objective and the space they are willing to play in. If the parameters are clearly defined, then everyone in the room should understand. – Albert Moufarrij, MACH9
3. Follow The Principle Of Radical Candor
At our agency, we live by the principle of radical candor, thus eliminating barriers to clear, critical feedback, both internally and with our clients. Additionally, we believe that ideas aren’t possessed by any single person. Once they are offered to the group, they belong to the group, not the individual. This removes the pride of individual authorship that can hinder collaboration. – Blair Brady, WITH/agency
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4. Ask For Input From Each Person And Listen
Brainstorming can lead to lots of voices talking over each other to be the “first to the win.” For us, it’s important to listen. Really listen to each other. Go around the table methodically and thoughtfully ask for input from each person. Some of our best ideas come from a collaboration of thoughts from several people around the table, not just those with the loudest voices. – Robin Derryberry, Derryberry PR
5. Use A Litmus Test To Verify Ideas Align With Goals
I’m a huge fan of collaboration. However, I also recognize the risk of spinning your wheels in all the wrong directions. Remaining focused on the objective of the brainstorm is the only way to move forward. Generally speaking, there is never a lack of ideas. Verifying the goal in advance and applying a litmus test to each idea offered is the best way to qualify the potential paths. – Dave Wendland, Hamacher Resource Group
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6. Use A Creative Brief To Set Up Ideation Sessions
To conduct an effective brainstorm, the setup is critical. Develop a creative brief around the client’s business goal or marketing objective, backed up with data and target-customer insights. Then divide the ideation session into components based upon the brief. You’ll walk away with concepts that meet the client’s objectives, and the team will feel productive. – Robert Finlayson, Bold Marketing and Communications
7. Utilize The Support Of An Outside Facilitator
For many reasons, I think brainstorming sessions are powerful, but many of them could benefit from the support of an outside facilitator who can ask probing questions that help to synthesize ideas aligned with the company’s goals and objectives. That way, team members feel as though they are making valuable contributions with actionable ideas that can be easily implemented. – Crystal Sargent, Invested Advisors
8. Pair A Strategic Framework With Campaign Requirements
Document a strategic framework with the client’s goals, customers, brand and competition detailed. Then, pair it with a clear set of campaign requirements, such as budget and timeline, to establish straightforward creative boundaries. Once you’re brainstorming, refer back to the framework as collaboration continues. This gives your team free rein inside the process while meeting the client’s needs. – Sara Steever, Paulsen
9. Create A Scoring System And Establish Ownership
After all the ideas are spewed out, create a simple scoring system based on ease, cost and practicality of execution. And, even then, make sure someone agrees to “own” the project and that a team commits to making it happen. – Nancy A Shenker, theONswitch
10. Keep The End User In Mind At All Times
A team can quickly weed out the poor campaign ideas while brainstorming by keeping the end user in mind at all times. It’s easy for marketers to fall into the trap of using their personal opinions for campaigns instead of putting themselves in the shoes of the client or end user. It’s always best to remove yourself from the equation and focus on your target audience’s needs and wants. – Jonathan Durante, Expandify Marketing Inc
11. Separate Ideas From People And Examine Them
Just because someone of influence put forward an idea, that doesn’t automatically make it a good idea. We practice the “idea meat grinder” model at our firm. Ideas must stand up to scrutiny. They must be questioned and exposed for potential weaknesses. They need to be examined from multiple angles. Doing so makes a good idea better and quickly eliminates bad ideas. – Randy Shattuck, The Shattuck Group
12. Use A Campaign Fit Matrix
My company uses something called a campaign fit matrix, which is a spreadsheet. We list each campaign idea in a row, and then list each goal/KPI as column headers. We work from left to right and provide a numeric score on how well we think the campaign will do in each goal/KPI category. Seeing information expressed as numbers helps you develop more clarity than comparing and contrasting ideas will. – Christopher Carr, Farotech
13. Make Anonymous Suggestions Using An Interactive Whiteboard
We use an interactive online whiteboard called Miro for brainstorming sessions. Users post ideas anonymously, which frees participants from concerns regarding the quality of suggestions. The team votes for the answers they think work best. This allows for full participation from all team members, who can share their thoughts freely without the pressure to voice them individually. – Megan Devine, d.trio marketing group
14. Test Out One Of The Most Feasible Ideas First
We end a lot of brainstorming sessions on a variety of topics involving the business with the question, “What could we get done in two weeks, or 30 days?” By putting a time limit on something, you can start to look for the most feasible ideas. That doesn’t mean we won’t go with the ideas that will take a lot longer, but if we can test out one of the ideas that is easier to accomplish first, it’s a good starting point. – Kelsey Raymond, Influence & Co.
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Author: Expert Panel®, Forbes Councils Member
