One movie that I remember watching when I was in high school was the classic movie with Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy called “Bowfinger.” There were a lot of things that were tied into this movie from the movie business and in entertainment, but there was one scene that resonated with me that showcased what it means to have “it.”
So, you are probably asking, what does having “it” mean? Steve Martin’s character talked about “it” being the element that makes someone (or potentially a brand) unique and memorable that you can’t take your eyes off of and have to talk about. I think that is what makes people remember, share, and engage with content that has that spark – and we saw several of these types of moments at the recent Oscars Award Ceremonies as well.
This actually can be applied to what we are witnessing with social media practices, especially when it comes to viral or even real time marketing. We have to evaluate when we are looking at potential opportunities to capitalize for brands, individuals, and even other organizations is the fact that you have to look for the spark. Recent example we saw of this was with the remix of the “Happy” video for UofL.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsyFuyGSCF4[/youtube]
There are a few things we can do in order to spot these trends that would make someone or a brand to have “it” or have that spark. Here are a few things to note:
- Open your mind to the possibilities: I think that this is sometimes hard since you are forcing yourself to think outside of the box and consider what are some ways you can be memorable and separate yourself from the crowd and others.
- Take initiative and voice idea with confidence: If you are working on a team (whether it is an agency or in house) – be upfront and say, hey! Have you seen this and how can we use this to create something cool? If you don’t say anything, you could be missing an opportunity to be a main contributor to a great story.
- If one idea doesn’t work, try another one: Sometimes ideas don’t pan out or they may not be good to implement at a particular point in time. Have a list of them to keep in mind for the future or look for other possibilities. There are always options and other paths to a memorable idea that transforms into a viral story.
- Don’t expect creativity, insist on it: Like exercise, you have to train yourself to think creativity on a regular basis. Look for inspiration for outside sources and consider what are the missing opportunities or gaps that emerge within these ideas and your brand, persona, or agency. It’s the strategic implementation that makes stories and content memorable with others. However, it needs to be exercised on a regular basis to grow and evolve over time.
- Always consider having at least several ideas ready to bounce off with others: You don’t just want to have one idea, but several. Look around to see what is relevant, trending, and consider what are some connections and similarities that could arise that would be important to communicate strategically.
Overall, there are lots of opportunities to uncover sparks that engage, excite, and build a community with key audiences. We are seeing a revolution with creative individuals that are capturing some amazing moments and stories to be shared with the world. Lots of great ideas out there, so little time!
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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