Do Your Homework

A lot of times being stymied in creativity means you have to do more work to find the answer, says John Sprecher, chairman and chief creative officer of Noise Inc. Branding Communications. In his line of business, creative blocks happen all the time. He tells staff members that one way to break through is to narrow their focus and then do research. 

"In our business we work with creative briefs, which outline your challenge [and] identify your audience, the goal of the project and the action you want someone to take," Sprecher says. That helps define the focus. The next step is doing the research.

Find the message that's of interest and relevance to the audience you're trying to reach; that's where you may discover a variety of solutions.

"Knowing what your audience needs to understand and having identified the core message, you can then craft the message," he says.

Another option Sprecher recommends is to hit the books. "For us, [those are] the very highly respected advertising [magazine] annuals where the great advertising is presented, like The One Show, Graphis and others. You don't go there to steal ideas; you go there for inspiration," he says.

Whatever industry you're in, from architecture to medical research, you'll find publications that show what others have done and you'll find inspiration, Sprecher says. People in every industry have passion for what they do.

Two other suggestions: "Walk around the block or have a beverage," he says. "It's just about getting a change of perspective."

Q: I want to open a high-end retail business, but I'm torn between two locations. Should I hire a market research firm to help me make the decision?