Out and About in Adland - Cannes Recap: Day 2

Day 2 of Cannes - Monday - was a big day. Two huge speakers started things off in back-to-back seminars.

Malcolm Gladwell spoke in the Kraft Foods seminar.

He brought up a great notion about the desire to place in third rather than first. In business the inventor of something is first; but it is with innovators and tweakers (who place in 2nd and third) who fully develop products for market with the consumer in mind and THEY are the ones who bring in the bank. Think: Zuckerberg and Jobs. They didn't invent the wheel - they perfected it.

The Ghost of Malcolm Gladwell?

So maybe it is high time for companies and brands to think about how a product will be practically used and maybe with a focus on functionality rather than invention it will help pad their bottom line. The trend developing of knowing the consumer through and through when placed in Gladwell's lens proves that knowledge of the consumer and how they  practically use products can only be beneficial to business. Hopefully we can see some better products in the near future from companies other than Facebook and Apple!

Author and thinker Jonah Lehrer spoke in the DraftFCB seminar: Exploring the Science of Creativity.

Lehrer talked about the science behind creativity and brought some neuroscience facts to prove it. Brainstorming - the tool loved by all creative directors and bosses for the past 50 years is now dead. It is proven inefficient. The quantity and quality of ideas genererated individually outweigh a forced brainstorming session. Lehrer also brought up some cool ways to stimulate creativity. When you have no idea and need a spark of divine intervention (moment of insight in neuro-mumbo-jumbo) it is best to not take stimulants (a la caffeine) and never try to force an answer. Creativity is tricky in this regard because the subconscious must mull and work over unseen neurological connections and only through relaxing and maybe a hot-shower can this be best achieved. Relaxing and blue colored rooms facilitate the forging of new neurological connections and can generate new connections (creativity) through increased alpha-wave production.

Though on the flip-side if you have tendrils of an idea and feel like the solution is obtainable it is best to keep hammering away until the solution is achieved. If a problem is solvable and you feel like it is within your power to do-so then by all means pop that redbull or down the coffee.

So the key to creativity is knowing which method to use. This all depends on the type of problem you are faced with. So situational awareness tied in with the correct creativity strategy leads to optimum results.