Creativity in Public Relations (PR in Practice)

Innovation sells. "Creativity in Public Relations" is a guide to bringing new ideas to the world of public relations. Emphasizing the creative process, the value of developing new methods over letting old ones stagnating, and using methods to create new opportunities for one's business. A fully updated fourth edition uses recent developments to provide many new ideas, making "Creativity in Public Relations" a must for any business' PR department. CIPR - Creativity in Public Relations (2010) (ATTiCA) 1 Copyright 5 Table of contents 6 Foreword 11 Acknowledgements 13 Introduction 16 1 A definition of ‘creativity’ 18 SOME POSSIBLE DEFINITIONS 19 A TIME AND A PLACE 21 A DEFINITION FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTITIONERS 22 CREATIVITY, THE NEMESIS OF STUPIDITY 22 ADDED VALUE 23 THE CONTEXT FOR CREATIVITY 26 CREATIVITY VERSUS INNOVATION 28 CREATIVE THINKING VERSUS NON-CREATIVE THINKING 28 BIG ‘C’ OR LITTLE ‘c’? 29 SUMMARY 30 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY 30 2 Creativity: some myths debunked 31 THE MYTH OF THE INSTANT ‘BIG IDEA’ 31 THE MYTH OF LEFT-BRAIN/RIGHT-BRAIN THEORY 36 THE MYTH OF ‘LATERAL THINKING EQUALS CREATIVITY’ 38 SUMMARY 39 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY 39 3 How you think in ‘boxes’ 40 SAME BOX, SMALLER BOX AND BIGGER BOX THINKING 40 WHY THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ‘OUTSIDE-THE-BOX’ THINKING 43 EXAMPLES OF BIGGER BOX THINKING 43 EXAMPLES OF SMALLER BOX THINKING 44 BEING FLEXIBLE IN THE DIFFERENT BOXES YOU USE 46 YOUR ‘CREATIVE THINKING SPECTACLES’ 46 USING ‘CREATIVE THINKING SPECTACLES’ TO PROGRESS YOUR CREATIVE IDEA 49 QUESTIONS ARE A CREATIVE PRACTITIONER’S BEST FRIEND 49 SUMMARY 50 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY 50 4 The creative process 51 THE FIVE ‘I’s 51 INFORMATION 53 INCUBATION 58 ILLUMINATION 60 INTEGRATION 63 ILLUSTRATION 64 SUMMARY 73 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY 74 5 Green Light thinking:creative techniques 75 SUGGESTED TECHNIQUES FORSTIMULATING IDEAS 76 CREATING NEW ANGLES FOR YOUR STORY 88 STRUCTURING FOR INFORMATION GATHERING,IDEA CREATION AND EVALUATION OF IDEAS 91 TECHNIQUES FOR ENCOURAGING A CREATIVE STATE OF MIND 96 SUMMARY 99 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY 99 6 Green Light thinking: brainstorming 100 GENERAL PRINCIPLES 101 A NEW WAY AHEAD: STRUCTURED BRAINSTORMING 104 NOMINAL GROUP TECHNIQUE (NGT) 111 SUMMARY 113 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY 113 7 Creativity – the consultation tool 114 IDENTIFY DIFFERENT AUDIENCES TO BE CONSULTED 116 ENGAGE HARD-TO-REACH AUDIENCES 116 OVERCOME INITIAL OBJECTIONS 117 OBTAIN POLITICAL BUY-IN FROM KEY TARGETS 118 EXPRESS AND MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT YOUR OWN CREATIVITY 118 GENERATE NEW IDEAS AND ALTERNATIVES FROM THOSE BEING CONSULTED 120 OBTAIN VALUABLE MARKET INTELLIGENCE AND INSIGHT 120 CREATE SUPER-ADVOCATES FOR YOUR CAUSE 121 KEY LESSONS FOR SUCCESSFUL CREATIVE CONSULTATION 122 CHALLENGES WITH CONSULTATION 123 FEEDBACK 123 THE CONSULTATION QUANDARY 124 OVERVIEW 124 SUMMARY 124 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY 124 8 Red Light thinking: the evaluation of ideas 126 FORMAL EVALUATION METHODS 127 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN’S ‘PRUDENTIAL ALGEBRA’ TECHNIQUE 129 EXTERNAL EVALUATION 130 YOU DECIDE 132 SUMMARY 132 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY 132 9 Creativity is not just for photocalls 133 CREATIVITY AS A STRATEGIC TOOL 133 CREATIVITY AS A TACTICAL TOOL: 24 PRACTICAL EXAMPLES 136 SUMMARY 147 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY 147 10 Creativity and social media 148 NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE CREATIVE PRACTITIONER 149 THE AGE OF PULL STRATEGIES 150 TELLING A GOOD STORY – IN A SHARED WAY 153 THE END OF THE STUNT AS WE KNOW IT? 153 USING YOUR FAN BASE 154 DON’T BE CREATIVE WITH THE TECHNOLOGY 156 THE QUALITIES OF THE CREATIVE SOCIAL MEDIA CHAMPION 156 THE INEVITABLE BRICKBATS, WHATEVER WAY YOU TURN 157 NEW THINKING HEADS REQUIRED? 158 SUMMARY 159 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY 159 11 The creative meme master 160 IS PUBLIC RELATIONS AN ART? 160 WHAT IS A MEME? 161 DEVELOPING MEME-SENSITIVE CREATIVE THINKING 163 MEME JUDO 163 SOME EXAMPLES OF MEMES IN ACTION 163 THE GROWING SIGNIFICANCE OF UNDERSTANDING MEMES IN COMMUNICATIONS 167 CREATING YOUR NEXT MEME: THE MEME TRIANGLE 168 MEME STRATEGIES 169 THE CREATIVE PRACTITIONER – A MASTER OF MEMES 170 SUMMARY 170 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY 170 12 Obstacles to creativity 172 THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM 173 POOR GREEN LIGHT/RED LIGHT THINKING IN THE CREATIVE PROCESS 174 POOR MANAGEMENT OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS 177 CULTURAL/SOCIALIZATION PROBLEMS 177 OVERCOMING THE OBSTACLES 179 SUMMARY 181 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY 181 13 You are never more than 12 feet from an opportunity 182 THE MILLENNIUM BRIDGE 183 1. BE PRINCIPLED 186 2. BELIEVE THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES – PRIME YOURSELF 187 3. TRY MORE, LITTLE AND OFTEN 188 4. SEE A BIGGER PICTURE 188 5. USE EVERY CONNECTION 189 6. FLIP THE NEGATIVE 190 7. BE PERSISTENT 190 8. DO MORE 190 OVERVIEW 191 SUMMARY 191 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY 191 14 The ‘creative diamond’ 192 THE FOUR Qs 193 THE FOUR Qs OVERVIEW IN CREATIVITY – GETTING THE BALANCE RIGHT 196 THE RIGID, INFLEXIBLE MIND 196 SUMMARY 198 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY 198 15 The creative individual 199 1. BE UNCOMFORTABLE 199 2. BE A PIG, A MULE AND ZEBEDEE 203 3. HAVE A POSITIVE ANCHOR AND BE ROBERT DAVY 205 4. OVERFLOW YOUR JUG 206 5. TAKE YOUR HUNCHES TO LUNCH 210 6. WORK, WORK – AND WORK 211 7. BE A PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AND PARLEZ PR 211 8. IS YOUR ESCALATOR A STAIRWAY? 212 9. SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OF THE POSITIVE 215 10. REACH FOR THE STARS 218 AND 11. BREAK THE RULES, BE HAPPY AND HAVE FUN 219 SUMMARY 220 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY 220 16 Creating a creative culture 222 THE ‘CREATIVE CHALLENGE' 222 MANAGING CREATIVE INDIVIDUALS 224 THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A CREATIVE ORGANIZATION 226 THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR – TO HAVE OR HAVE NOT? 234 SUMMARY 236 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY 236 17 The ethics of creativity: lies, damned lies and impropaganda 237 DEALING WITH ‘IMPROPAGANDA’ 237 THE CREATIVE USE OF ‘IMPROPAGANDA 242 FINAL THOUGHTS ON ‘IMPROPAGANDA 247 SUMMARY 248 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY 249 18 The future of creativity 250 THE CREATIVE RANGE 250 THE INFORMATION STAGE TRANSFORMED 251 THE INCUBATION STAGE TRANSFORMED 253 THE ILLUMINATION STAGE TRANSFORMED 254 THE INTEGRATION STAGE TRANSFORMED 255 THE ILLUSTRATION STAGE TRANSFORMED 257 AND FINALLY: GREATER STUDY OF CREATIVITY 258 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULAR 258 19 Award ceremony 259 20 Interested in finding out more? 261 OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR 261 FAVOURITE BOOKS ON CREATIVITY AND DEVELOPING YOUR MIND’S CREATIVE SKILLS 262 BOOKS ON CREATIVITY IN MARKETING 263 BOOKS ON CREATIVITY IN ORGANIZATIONS 263 BOOKS ON SELF-DEVELOPMENT 264 BIOGRAPHIES AND MEMOIRS 264 NEURO LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING 264 INTERNET SITES 265 TRAINING COURSES 265 ORGANIZATIONS 265 Index 266 CIPR - Creativity in Public Relations (2010) (ATTiCA)......Page 1 Copyright ......Page 5 Table of contents ......Page 6 Foreword......Page 11 Acknowledgements......Page 13 Introduction......Page 16 1 A definition of ‘creativity’......Page 18 SOME POSSIBLE DEFINITIONS......Page 19 A TIME AND A PLACE......Page 21 CREATIVITY, THE NEMESIS OF STUPIDITY......Page 22 ADDED VALUE......Page 23 THE CONTEXT FOR CREATIVITY......Page 26 CREATIVE THINKING VERSUS NON-CREATIVE THINKING......Page 28 BIG ‘C’ OR LITTLE ‘c’?......Page 29 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY......Page 30 THE MYTH OF THE INSTANT ‘BIG IDEA’......Page 31 THE MYTH OF LEFT-BRAIN/RIGHT-BRAIN THEORY......Page 36 THE MYTH OF ‘LATERAL THINKING EQUALS CREATIVITY’......Page 38 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY......Page 39 SAME BOX, SMALLER BOX AND BIGGER BOX THINKING......Page 40 EXAMPLES OF BIGGER BOX THINKING......Page 43 EXAMPLES OF SMALLER BOX THINKING......Page 44 YOUR ‘CREATIVE THINKING SPECTACLES’......Page 46 QUESTIONS ARE A CREATIVE PRACTITIONER’S BEST FRIEND......Page 49 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY......Page 50 THE FIVE ‘I’s......Page 51 INFORMATION......Page 53 INCUBATION......Page 58 ILLUMINATION......Page 60 INTEGRATION......Page 63 ILLUSTRATION......Page 64 SUMMARY......Page 73 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY......Page 74 5 Green Light thinking:creative techniques......Page 75 SUGGESTED TECHNIQUES FORSTIMULATING IDEAS......Page 76 CREATING NEW ANGLES FOR YOUR STORY......Page 88 STRUCTURING FOR INFORMATION GATHERING,IDEA CREATION AND EVALUATION OF IDEAS......Page 91 TECHNIQUES FOR ENCOURAGING A CREATIVE STATE OF MIND......Page 96 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY......Page 99 6 Green Light thinking: brainstorming......Page 100 GENERAL PRINCIPLES......Page 101 A NEW WAY AHEAD: STRUCTURED BRAINSTORMING......Page 104 NOMINAL GROUP TECHNIQUE (NGT)......Page 111 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY......Page 113 7 Creativity – the consultation tool......Page 114 ENGAGE HARD-TO-REACH AUDIENCES......Page 116 OVERCOME INITIAL OBJECTIONS......Page 117 EXPRESS AND MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT YOUR OWN CREATIVITY......Page 118 OBTAIN VALUABLE MARKET INTELLIGENCE AND INSIGHT......Page 120 CREATE SUPER-ADVOCATES FOR YOUR CAUSE......Page 121 KEY LESSONS FOR SUCCESSFUL CREATIVE CONSULTATION......Page 122 FEEDBACK......Page 123 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY......Page 124 8 Red Light thinking: the evaluation of ideas......Page 126 FORMAL EVALUATION METHODS......Page 127 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN’S ‘PRUDENTIAL ALGEBRA’ TECHNIQUE......Page 129 EXTERNAL EVALUATION......Page 130 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY......Page 132 CREATIVITY AS A STRATEGIC TOOL......Page 133 CREATIVITY AS A TACTICAL TOOL: 24 PRACTICAL EXAMPLES......Page 136 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY......Page 147 10 Creativity and social media......Page 148 NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE CREATIVE PRACTITIONER......Page 149 THE AGE OF PULL STRATEGIES......Page 150 THE END OF THE STUNT AS WE KNOW IT?......Page 153 USING YOUR FAN BASE......Page 154 THE QUALITIES OF THE CREATIVE SOCIAL MEDIA CHAMPION......Page 156 THE INEVITABLE BRICKBATS, WHATEVER WAY YOU TURN......Page 157 NEW THINKING HEADS REQUIRED?......Page 158 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY......Page 159 IS PUBLIC RELATIONS AN ART?......Page 160 WHAT IS A MEME?......Page 161 SOME EXAMPLES OF MEMES IN ACTION......Page 163 THE GROWING SIGNIFICANCE OF UNDERSTANDING MEMES IN COMMUNICATIONS......Page 167 CREATING YOUR NEXT MEME: THE MEME TRIANGLE......Page 168 MEME STRATEGIES......Page 169 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY......Page 170 12 Obstacles to creativity......Page 172 THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM......Page 173 POOR GREEN LIGHT/RED LIGHT THINKING IN THE CREATIVE PROCESS......Page 174 CULTURAL/SOCIALIZATION PROBLEMS......Page 177 OVERCOMING THE OBSTACLES......Page 179 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY......Page 181 13 You are never more than 12 feet from an opportunity......Page 182 THE MILLENNIUM BRIDGE......Page 183 1. BE PRINCIPLED......Page 186 2. BELIEVE THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES – PRIME YOURSELF......Page 187 4. SEE A BIGGER PICTURE......Page 188 5. USE EVERY CONNECTION......Page 189 8. DO MORE......Page 190 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY......Page 191 14 The ‘creative diamond’......Page 192 THE FOUR Qs......Page 193 THE RIGID, INFLEXIBLE MIND......Page 196 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY......Page 198 1. BE UNCOMFORTABLE......Page 199 2. BE A PIG, A MULE AND ZEBEDEE......Page 203 3. HAVE A POSITIVE ANCHOR AND BE ROBERT DAVY......Page 205 4. OVERFLOW YOUR JUG......Page 206 5. TAKE YOUR HUNCHES TO LUNCH......Page 210 7. BE A PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AND PARLEZ PR......Page 211 8. IS YOUR ESCALATOR A STAIRWAY?......Page 212 9. SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OF THE POSITIVE......Page 215 10. REACH FOR THE STARS......Page 218 AND 11. BREAK THE RULES, BE HAPPY AND HAVE FUN......Page 219 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY......Page 220 THE ‘CREATIVE CHALLENGE'......Page 222 MANAGING CREATIVE INDIVIDUALS......Page 224 THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A CREATIVE ORGANIZATION......Page 226 THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR – TO HAVE OR HAVE NOT?......Page 234 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY......Page 236 DEALING WITH ‘IMPROPAGANDA’......Page 237 THE CREATIVE USE OF ‘IMPROPAGANDA......Page 242 FINAL THOUGHTS ON ‘IMPROPAGANDA......Page 247 SUMMARY......Page 248 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULARY......Page 249 THE CREATIVE RANGE......Page 250 THE INFORMATION STAGE TRANSFORMED......Page 251 THE INCUBATION STAGE TRANSFORMED......Page 253 THE ILLUMINATION STAGE TRANSFORMED......Page 254 THE INTEGRATION STAGE TRANSFORMED......Page 255 THE ILLUSTRATION STAGE TRANSFORMED......Page 257 KEY WORDS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY VOCABULAR......Page 258 19 Award ceremony......Page 259 OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR......Page 261 FAVOURITE BOOKS ON CREATIVITY AND DEVELOPING YOUR MIND’S CREATIVE SKILLS......Page 262 BOOKS ON CREATIVITY IN ORGANIZATIONS......Page 263 NEURO LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING......Page 264 ORGANIZATIONS......Page 265 Index......Page 266

Creative input is inevitably required of the PR practitioner, and yet many PR practitioners lack a real understanding of the creative process. Creativity in Public Relations addresses this situation. It guides the reader through a range of techniques and tips for generating creative ideas, as described by the "five I's" of the creative process: information, incubation, illumination, integration and illustration. Among the topics it explores are: techniques for stimulating ideas, ways to evaluate ideas, obstacles to creativity, the creative individual, and the creative organization. It includes practical examples and research carried out by those in the PR industry who are regarded as creative by their peers.  By clearly establishing a definition of "creativity," this book will help PR practitioners use the creative process to greater effect in their work. The fourth edition of this popular title includes new case studies and updates on the increasing importance of social media in public relations.

Creative input is inevitably required of the PR practitioner, and yet many PR practitioners lack a real understanding of the creative process. Creativity in Public Relations addresses this situation. It guides the reader through a range of techniques and tips for generating creative ideas, as described by the "five I's" of the creative process: information, incubation, illumination, integration and illustration. Among the topics it explores are: techniques for stimulating ideas, ways to evaluate ideas, obstacles to creativity, the creative individual, and the creative organization. It includes practical examples and research carried out by those in the PR industry who are regarded as creative by their peers. By clearly establishing a definition of "creativity," this book will help PR practitioners use the creative process to greater effect in their work. The fourth edition of this popular title includes new case studies and updates on the increasing importance of social media in public relations. The subject of creativity in public relations is something of an enigma - while the creative element is considered crucial, it remains an abstract concept where no substantial guidance is provided. Andy Green's book seeks to redress this situation