I would have to say that there are a few things that in both research and practice seem to bother me. One is the lack of honesty and respect for fellow professionals, and the other deals with the issue of creativity. I would have to say that most PR professionals and campaigns are innovative and strategic, however, there are some where you are asking yourself – haven’t I seen this before?
Not only that – there are times where you ask yourself the million dollar question – so what? What is the purpose of this research project to contribute to the field? What was the overall goal in designing a campaign that has been done thousands of times before? These are just some of the issues that come up when there is no creativity integrated into the planning and strategy process in both research and practice. If PR professionals continue on this path of repeating the same things over and over again, how can we grow as a profession into the 21st century?
The necessity of creative thinking and innovation is more apparent than ever – especially with this tough economy we are all facing. Businesses and other employers are looking for innovative, strategic, knowledgeable, and creative thinkers – in other words, the complete PR package. The days of either being just a researcher or just a practitioner in PR are coming closer to ending. There needs to be a bridge between the two, and that is where creativity comes into play. Creativity is not just for agencies and firms – but it definitely has a place in research and academia as well.
Creativity can be sparked in many different ways. It has been researched in various fields, especially in Psychology. Some attribute this characteristic as being one you are either born with or not – while others speculate that it is based on birth order. Others say that it is something you can learn, and if you formulate best practices and routines to help the creative process, you can be successful and integrate this into your daily routine.
So, how can you spark creativity in PR and social media? Well, there are many ways to do this like Mashable recommends, and here are some best practices to think about:
- Think creatively everyday – integrate into daily routine like exercise: Your creative side never turns off, yet it has to be trained. Exercise this each day by reading and exploring new perspectives from other fields and ask yourself – how can I use this in PR and my own research / work?
- Surround yourself with inspiration: Listen to your favorite music, design a creative themed working environment, and have a group of professionals and friends you can share ideas with openly. To think creatively, you have to live creatively.
- Take a break through exercise or coffee to brainstorm: Some of my best research projects and ideas came through when I was exercising, so you have to see what activities will help you in this process, and make sure to set a time where you can do this. You never know what ideas may arise from this short span of time.
- Pick a trending topic on Twitter: Looking at what is being discussed and shared via social media will give you an idea of what others are talking about. See what are some of the key hashtags that are being shared in other fields, and ask yourself – how could this be integrated into PR?
- Be the one to connect the dots with networks from other fields: What makes inspiration and creativity happen is to take one idea from another field and apply it to another. It is sometimes hard to be the first one to do this, but it will help generate further discussions and ideas while helping the field evolve and grow.
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