Here's how you can improve your creative thinking skills as a marketing researcher.
In the fast-paced world of marketing research, your ability to think creatively can set you apart from the competition. Creative thinking is not just about coming up with novel ideas; it's about finding fresh solutions to problems, which is essential in a field that constantly evolves with consumer behavior and market trends. As a marketing researcher, enhancing your creative thinking skills can lead to more insightful data interpretation, innovative research methods, and ultimately, more effective marketing strategies. So, let's explore some ways you can sharpen this vital skill.
Curiosity is the fuel for creative thinking. As a marketing researcher, you should cultivate an inquisitive mindset by constantly questioning the status quo. Don't settle for the first answer that comes to mind; dig deeper. Ask 'why' repeatedly to unravel the layers of any problem or situation. This practice can lead to a better understanding of consumer behaviors and market dynamics, which in turn can inspire more inventive research approaches and solutions.
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Dave Fish, Ph.D.
CEO at CuriosityCX
Ok, i’ll bite! Yes, i think you should embrace Curiosity…but not too tightly. Curiosity bruises easily. Instead you may want to just snuggle Curiosity a bit, or maybe a one sided hug like you give to an acquaintance. Under no circumstances should you bear hug Curiosity. A light embrace of Curiosity is also, obviously out the question. And always ask permission before embracing Curiosity. A safe word is also a good idea as is having a representative from Human Resources, but not Phil. Also not Theresa either. In fact skip HR together and just perhaps video tape the interaction. You know, just to be safe. Also don’t take advice from unmoderated bot generated threads like this on LI.
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Ilham Mansour
Professor of Marketing/ University of Khartoum
Strengthen your creative thinking through curiosity, open-mindedness, and a willingness to try new things. Ask questions and look for new information to sharpen your thinking. Practice divergent thinking by coming up with multiple ideas and solutions to a given problem. Visualize your thoughts and ideas using mind mapping techniques to help you identify connections and patterns that could lead to new ideas. Challenge conventional thinking to break away from the status quo and think creatively. Explore ideas and concepts from outside of marketing to get fresh perspectives and inspire new approaches. Collaborate with others to take advantage of their different perspectives and insights.
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Steve Kaplan
CMO | AI Led Growth | Google: "Steve Kaplan AI" | Product Launches | CRM | SaaS Strategy & Tactical Excellence
Use AI to make you smarter, fill in knowledge gaps, improve the ideation phase so that the leading research is concise and complete. You win going in with research.
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Jackson Kabui
🎯 360º Online Audiences | Online Advertising Space Support: 🤓 Net Digital Assets = Net Worth 🌐 www▪️jaxdigital▪️com
🔔 In this world of binaries, you're likely to be labeled as either "creative" or "not creative" Isn't it time to challenge that perception/proposition if deemed as the latter? 🎯 In business, creative thinking is exploring different possibilities to craft new ideas to help you achieve goals and overcome roadblocks 🎯 It involves looking at things differently, breaking down barriers, and thinking “outside the box” Here are some ways to evolve and enhance marketing creativity: 1. Evolve with the times - change is the only constant! 2. Creativity is a learnable trait; nurture it! 3. Embrace open, divergent, generative thinking patterns 4. Attract & reward creativity and critical thinkers you interact with 5. Evolve & think "on your feet"
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Pablo Canseco
Mercadólogo | Especialista en diseño de estrategias comerciales💻| Fundador de “Speranto” el primer proyecto de Marketing Inclusivo en México, especializado en DEI🏳️🌈| 20 años de experiencia en el mercado🧑🏻💻
La creatividad es una habilidad clave en el marketing inclusivo y el liderazgo diverso. Para mejorar el pensamiento creativo como investigador de marketing, adopte una mentalidad abierta hacia la diversidad de perspectivas. Incluya voces diversas en sus equipos y consulte a comunidades subrepresentadas. Desafíe los estereotipos de género y trabaje para representar auténticamente la diversidad en sus campañas. Fomente un entorno inclusivo donde todos se sientan valorados y escuchados. La innovación florece en ambientes diversos donde se respetan las diferencias y se celebran las múltiples formas de pensar. Al cultivar un espacio así, impulsará la creatividad y fortalecerá su capacidad para conectar con una audiencia global y diversa.
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Troilus J Moss 💻
Director of Sales & Marketing | Graphic Design, Funnel Building
Enhancing your creative thinking skills as a marketing researcher is a journey that involves embracing curiosity, exploring unconventional approaches, pushing the boundaries of conventional wisdom, and always answering the who, what, where, why, when, and how!
To think outside the box, you need to step outside your comfort zone. Expose yourself to a diverse range of subjects, industries, and cultures. This can be as simple as reading books on unfamiliar topics or attending workshops outside your expertise. By broadening your knowledge base, you'll be able to draw parallels and combine ideas from different domains, which is a cornerstone of creative thinking in marketing research.
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Rara Naval
Human Insights Director ASEAN and South Pacific (The Coca-Cola Company)
I immerse myself in the creative arts (i.e., visual arts, theater, creative writing etc.). I also read books on creativity to understand creative thinking and creative discipline from the point of view of the creator. Right now, for example, I just finished reading Twyla Tharp's 'The Creative Habit' where she talks about how she has developed rituals and creative practices in her work as a choreographer for various American ballet companies and for Broadway musicals. And the creative discipline she talks about can be applied to any professional endeavor that requires creative thinking, including marketing research.
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Troilus J Moss 💻
Director of Sales & Marketing | Graphic Design, Funnel Building
You want to know the quick answer on how to engage in divergent thinking? By always answering the who, what, where, why, when, & how? Engaging in divergent thinking is a mental process that entails brainstorming numerous solutions for a problem. By giving your mind, the freedom to consider different options without limitations, you can discover creative strategies and original concepts that distinguish your research.
Data visualization is a powerful tool for marketing researchers. It helps transform complex data sets into a more digestible and engaging format, revealing patterns and insights that might not be apparent from raw data alone. Practice creating and interpreting various types of charts, graphs, and infographics. This skill not only aids in your own understanding but also enhances your ability to communicate findings creatively to others.
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Marina G. Arias
Brand Strategy | Market Research | Brand Culture | Omnichannel Activations
If "a picture is worth a thousand words", the right graph can provide more than a thousand insights. Ensure you use the most suitable type of graph to interpret the data you want to share: _ Radar chart to observe which categories stand out within a set. _ Pie chart for market shares or percentage figures. _ Scatter plot to analyze multiple data points. _ Bar charts to track sales figures. _ Dual-axis chart to combine two grouped sets of different categories.
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Troilus J Moss 💻
Director of Sales & Marketing | Graphic Design, Funnel Building
You ever heard the term, "A picture is worth a thousand words?" Harnessing the power of visual thinking to stimulate creativity and enhance problem-solving is not only genius, but mandatory to solve real problems. Visual tools like mind maps, diagrams, and infographics can help you map out complex ideas, identify patterns, and communicate insights effectively to stakeholders.
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Chanderkant (CK) Sharma
Director at DreamGains | Growth Hacker & Community Builder
Data viz is a game-changer. For example, we visualized user behavior for a fintech app and spotted drop-off points. Fixing these boosted retention by 20%. Using visuals not only helps you understand the data but also makes your insights stand out when sharing with others. It’s about making data-driven decisions impactful and clear.
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Raquel López Vázquez
Creative Research & Strategic Design | Inspiring Impactful Solutions 🌱
“Pensar con las manos” a través de diagramas y prototipos (en papel o con herramientas digitales como Miro) ayuda a moldear las ideas, contrastarlas con otras personas y aprender juntas mediante iteraciones de los conceptos.
Collaboration is key in fostering creativity. Engage with colleagues from different departments or even with professionals from other fields. Brainstorming sessions and collaborative projects can lead to a cross-pollination of ideas, providing fresh perspectives that can enhance your creative thinking. Remember, a different point of view can be the catalyst for innovative research insights.
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Troilus J Moss 💻
Director of Sales & Marketing | Graphic Design, Funnel Building
Marketing law: "STOP THINKING YOU KNOW IT ALL!" Encourage teamwork and innovation within your research team. Promote collaboration across different disciplines, provide constructive feedback, and share knowledge to inspire creativity and achieve groundbreaking research results.
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Raquel López Vázquez
Creative Research & Strategic Design | Inspiring Impactful Solutions 🌱
Sin duda pensar y co-crear con otras personas es siempre una buena idea para mejorar, enriquecer, pulir, cuestionar y ver las sombras que no eres capaz de ver de manera individual.
Reflection is crucial for personal and professional growth. Set aside time to reflect on your projects and experiences. Consider what worked well, what didn't, and why. This process can help you identify patterns in your thinking and behavior, uncover biases, and open up new avenues for creative thought. Reflective practice enables you to learn from your successes and failures, thereby improving your ability to think creatively in future research endeavors.
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Anu Taksali
With 12+ years work experience, now I am working with Founders to multi-scale their Businesses by unleashing the Power of Personal Branding | Content Marketing | Linkedin B2B Marketing | Organic Growth Strategist
Regular reflection is essential for boosting creative thinking in marketing research. By consistently reviewing your projects and experiences, you can see what strategies worked or didn’t, and understand why. This process helps you spot patterns, uncover biases, and discover new ideas. Reflecting regularly lets you learn from both successes and failures, encouraging a flexible and innovative mindset. It helps you improve your methods, come up with fresh ideas, and tackle problems with a clearer perspective, ultimately enhancing your creative thinking skills for future research projects.
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Raquel López Vázquez
Creative Research & Strategic Design | Inspiring Impactful Solutions 🌱
Darle espacio a las ideas, el tiempo y la pausa necesaria, es clave para poder tener claridad y poder aplicar la necesaria perspectiva y reflexión.
Lastly, don't be afraid to experiment with new methods and techniques in your marketing research. Whether it's adopting a novel survey design or utilizing a new data analysis tool, experimentation can lead to breakthroughs in both your thinking and your research outcomes. Treat each project as an opportunity to test out different approaches and learn from the outcomes, thereby continuously refining your creative thinking skills.
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Raquel López Vázquez
Creative Research & Strategic Design | Inspiring Impactful Solutions 🌱
Innovar y ser creativo en los métodos, variando y probando en pro de lograr los objetivos propuestos es siempre deseable. Creo además, que puede ser muy útil hacerlo en modo test A/B y pode así, evaluar de qué manera fue más eficaz tu proceso de investigación en cada caso.
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Nathalia Zarama
Marketing Manager | Scotia Wealth Management
To enhance creative thinking skills as a marketing researcher: 1. Engage in regular brainstorming sessions. 2. Explore diverse stimuli like reading, seminars, and different industries. 3. Utilize mind mapping techniques for organizing thoughts. 4. Practice analogous thinking by drawing parallels between concepts. 5. Role-play to understand target audience and competitors. 6. Embrace experimentation and learn from failure. 7. Incorporate creative exercises like word association and picture prompts. 8. Collaborate with colleagues from different departments. 9. Continuously seek new knowledge and skills. 10. Reflect on ideas and experiences to improve the creative process.
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Raquel López Vázquez
Creative Research & Strategic Design | Inspiring Impactful Solutions 🌱
Nunca sabes de dónde puede venir la inspiración o una idea clave y reveladora.. por eso hay que estar siempre predispuesto a asistir a eventos, escuchar a personas expertas y a usuarias, de la materia en cuestión y de otras que pueden tener alguna relación e intercambiar opiniones, rebotar y restar de manera informar las ideas en las que estás trabajando…
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