The Art of Brainstorming

When it comes to public relations, often times it is about that one million dollar idea. However, there is sure to be a lot of work that it takes to get there. Whether it be your primary or secondary research through surveys, focus groups, or in-depth interviews or simply that one golden epiphany in the shower on a sunny Monday morning, the creativity behind the art of brainstorming is never just black and white.

Unlike math and science, there is no one right or wrong answer when it comes to impressing your client. That is why brainstorming in a room with creative minds that challenge the status quo is imperative in order to secure that big headline your client is dying for. There are three simple steps that can lead to a successful brainstorm with your account team. Keep in mind that every situation is different, and this is simply an outline to guide you to achieve the ultimate brainstorm success.

Establish Objectives

Do you know what problem you are trying to solve? What is the client's objective? What is the budget you are working with? What is the timeline for the desired idea? You and your team must know all of the essential factors prior to the brainstorm meeting date. By doing this, you will know all the key components and have minimal unanswered questions during the brainstorm itself.

Gather Different Minds

There are so many different personalities and experience levels that you can find at a public relations agency. In order to get the most out of the meeting there must be: someone to scribe the conversation, a brand new mind (often times an entry-level professional), an extremely experienced professional to guide the conversation, someone from a completely different team or industry to provide a new perspective, an expert in the specific industry of conversation, the brainstormer MVP (someone who is known to contribute top-notch ideas in creative settings), and last but not least, key players from the account team. The most important part of the brainstorm are the people. With great people, come great minds and even greater ideas. Don't be afraid to think outside of the box and speak up to share your ridiculous ideas.

Set a Game Plan

The best question to ask yourself in any PR brainstorm: why would a reporter care about this topic? Thinking like the media is the most strategic route, and be sure to set action items from there. Once the ideas have been selected and narrowed down, communicate effectively with your team to establish everyone's responsibilities to get to the next step in the process. Communication is key, and as communications professionals, PR pros should be experts at it.

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