This time you need to enlist the help of your teacher. Tell him or her you need a cube--a very particular cube. It's a brainstorming cube. Like every cube, it will have six sides. In addition, this cube has one of the following written on each side: Describe it. Associate it. Compare it. Analyze it. Apply it. Argue for/against it.
- Pick a topic or product or service--say, Hot Tamales.
- Take the cube and toss it to a classmate. The first person that catches it looks at whichever side is facing up, reads it out loud, and then instantly responds with a word related to what they read. And example might be: "Associate it. Movies."
- Then the cube gets tossed to another person. "Describe it. Wrapped in corn husks." Another toss. "Compare it. Hotter than Skittles." It flies all over the room, sometimes to a repeat person but eventually to everyone in the class. As the thoughts/ideas are shouted out, persuade your teacher to write them on the board. It's very fast, and all ideas count.
- When you're done you'll have a long list on the board that you can then go back and sort through. Sometimes you'll find new angles. Sometimes you'll find patterns. Sometimes you'll find thoughts that can be combined. You almost always get a broader range of ideas.
- It's a quick technique that allows you to look at your topic from six different perspectives. That may reveal new strategic connections and the One Thing and will lead to the perfect campaign.
- Now, individually, write a headline or tagline related to each statement. Along the way, you just might find the right headline or tagline.
Adapted from an exercise shared by Sheri Broyles, PhD, Associate Professor, University of North Texas
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