Brainstorming sessions are the lifeblood of any advertising agency. But let's be honest, sometimes those meetings can feel a little...uninspired. Here's how to transform your next marketing brainstorm into a creative powerhouse:

Craft a Clear Agenda: Structure your meeting with dedicated time slots for introductions, campaign overview, brainstorming, and action items. This keeps everyone focused and ensures all bases are covered. (See a sample agenda below!)

Do Your Homework: Before the meeting, delve into client information, target audience research, and current marketing trends. Solid pre-work fuels insightful ideas.

Embrace the Weird: Encourage wild ideas at the start! Sometimes the most unexpected concepts can be springboards for brilliant solutions.

Bonus Tip:

Embrace Diversity: Include team members from different backgrounds and experiences. Diverse perspectives lead to richer and more innovative ideas. Following these steps and fostering a collaborative environment can turn your next marketing brainstorming meeting into a breeding ground for game-changing campaigns!

Agenda

Welcome & Icebreaker (5 mins)

• Fun activity to spark creativity (e.g., "Would You Rather" questions related to marketing campaigns)

Campaign Overview (10 mins)

• Recap of client, target audience, and overall goals presented by Sarah, Account Manager

Brainstorming Session (20 mins)

• Free-flowing ideas for campaign concepts with a focus on digital & social media (encourage participation from everyone)

Idea Consolidation & Discussion (15 mins)

• Narrow down the most promising ideas, discuss feasibility and potential impact

Action Items & Next Steps (5 mins)

• Assign tasks and deadlines for further development of chosen concepts

Wrap-Up & Q&A (5 mins)

• Briefly summarize key takeaways and address any questions

Struggling to craft a clear and effective meeting agenda? Let us help!

To-Do List Example

Sarah: Develop a one-pager for each shortlisted campaign concept, including target audience breakdown, key messaging, and budget estimations (due by the next meeting)

John & Maya: Research competitor campaigns in the same industry and target audience (due by next meeting)

Team: Review assigned one-pagers and provide feedback before the next meeting.

Try it now!

Follow-Up Email

Subject: Marketing Brainstorming - Next Steps for [Client Name] Campaign

Hi Team,

Thanks for all the amazing ideas during our brainstorming session yesterday! It was inspiring to see everyone's creativity flowing.

As a follow-up, here's a quick recap of our next steps:

• Sarah: You'll be developing one-pager summaries for each shortlisted concept, including target audience breakdown, key messaging, and budget estimations. Please have these ready by the next meeting on [date] so we can dive deeper.

• John & Maya: Let's leverage your expertise to research competitor campaigns in the same space as our target audience. Your insights will be valuable for shaping our own strategy. Please be prepared to share your findings at the next meeting.

• Team: Before our next session, please take some time to review the one-pagers Sarah prepares and come ready to provide feedback. Your input is crucial in refining the concepts.

I'm excited to see these ideas develop further! In the meantime, if anyone has any questions or needs clarification on their tasks, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Best,

[Your Name]

Stop wasting time in unproductive meetings!

Meetings can be a waste, but now if you follow this framework. Good Meetings to you from now on!