Help with the Creative Process

I have known people who do great work starting out the creative process with a blank sheet of paper. Scott McBride the founder of Marketing General, Inc. was one of those people. I am not that type of person. I need models and samples to look at in order to come up with new ideas.

That’s why I have appreciated the advice from Bob Stone, in his landmark book, Successful Direct Marketing Methods[1]. He suggests looking at what now exists and asking the following questions to get the creative thought process going:

• Can we combine?


• Can we add?


• Can we eliminate?


• Can we make an association?


• Can we simplify?


• Can we substitute?


• Can we reverse?

The good news is that when it comes to membership marketing, there is a good resource to help you get started in the creative process. It is the ASAE and the Center, Models and Samples section of the web site. There is an entire section on Membership Marketing Brochures and Applications and another section on Membership Letters. Access is free to members of ASAE.

If you need help with a creative new idea, take a look at it.

[1] Stone, Bob. Successful Direct Marketing Methods. (McGraw-Hill; 7 edition (2001) p. 468.