Creative Consumers; Adding Inspiration to Innovation By John Kearon – Chief Juicer ESOMAR Innovate Conference, May 10-12 th  May 2006   The Mind Reading Agency
Ideas please….   – For making this toy more pleasurable for kids  ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ What is  Creativity?
Edison’s gate   and the visit of Albert Mann (President of the Bank of America) 1902
A $Trillion Marketing Services Industry   Trying to satisfy the thirst for creativity
There is no IQ equivalent for creativity   Can creativity be measured?
Define creativity Create measures of creativity Validate those measures Trying to measure creativity…
Creativity (or ‘lateral thinking’) is concerned with restructuring mental patterns, emphasizing/using information in provocative ways and challenging accepted ideas and notions –  d eBono E . Creativity (or ‘Synectics’) is the joining together of different and apparently irrelevant elements. It involves seeking and using direct, personal, and symbolic analogies to find new solutions to problems -  Gordon, W.J.J   Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, & having fun–  MaryLou Cook Creating a solution that is novel and appropriate–  Sternberg B.
Defining creativity “ I have yet to see any problem, however complicated, which, when you looked at it in the right way, did not become still more complicated”.  Poul Anderson
an  experiment with a Nat Rep  sample of 5,000 Measuring   Creativity Creating Measures  of Creativity Implicit creativity measures (Personality tests) Explicit creativity measures (Creativity tests)
Personality test –  Myers Briggs (MBTi) test Least  Creative Most  Creative
Willoughby   Individualist -Team Player (WIT) test Adaptors/Team Players  Prefer to take ideas & improve them. Fairly cautious, practical & standard approaches. Prefer incremental innovation, structure & consensus. Prefer to work in groups & motto is to  do things better   Innovators/Individualist  Prefer to find new ideas & ‘big bang’. Can be risky, challenging & abrasive. Prefer solving problems with less structure & consensus. Prefer to solve problems alone and their motto is  do things differently
Willoughby Individualist -Team Player (WIT) Test
Idea Generation  Exercise
Multiple  Creativity   Tests
Mednick’s Remote  Association Test
Insight Test  (cognitive plane shifting)
Horowitz Test  (abstract flexibility)
Torrence Test  (fluency, flexibility, originality)
0-3 The lights are off . You're just not creative. Never mind, someone's got to follow the rules. You're probably a successful lawyer - or traffic warden. 4-7 = Night Light.  You've got a flicker, maybe a weak glow of creativity going on but you prefer to stick to the facts and leave dreaming to others. 8-11= Regular  60 watt . You're  a good all-rounder, rational and imaginative in equal measures. You can see a good idea even if you can't always think of one. 12-15= Bright Spark .  You've definitely got what it takes. Idea generation comes naturally to you. Your rational streak makes you a great evaluator of those ideas too .....but may just put a break on your imagination. 16-18 = Incandescent!  Welcome to the loony Leonardo club. The sparks are flying all over the place & you could easily set the world alight. You're out of the box definitely & out of your mind, maybe? It doesn't matter you're a creative genius. .
The Creativity  Test Results Normal  distribution
Creativity is like  any other aptitude
More creative  = more ideas Idea Generation  Results 4.9 ideas per person 6.8 ideas per person +39% higher 10.1 ideas per person +49% higher +106% higher
More creative  = better ideas  Idea Generation  Results Elephant ideas Make ears bigger Give it a squeak Make the eyes move Ears feels different  Make trunk longer Squirt water from  trunk (given as e.g.) Sing Nellie the ele Make it walk   Elephant ideas & humanising ideas Pull the trunk to  open it’s mouth Trumpet when it detects movement Have babies inside  ----------------------- Allow it to speak Give it spectacles Give it clothes  Talk back to you Record a message Have the child’s  name on it Elephant ideas & humanising ideas & More abstract ideas A finger puppet Water proof 4 bath Whistle in trunk Make it laugh Make it dance Make it fart &  burp Help spell & count roar when smacked ------------------------  Elephant Hoover A radio with tusks for volume & tuning A Pyjama case Tusks 4 teething +Wheels & ride it Vibrates to soothe Microwaveable as a hot water bottle
Which  are the  3  best  predictors of creativity? Age Gender Occupation Education level Self-assessment Willoughby (WIT) test Myers-Briggs (MBTi) 3 rd  Best 1 st   2 nd  Best
Statistically significant  but not convincing In 3 rd  Place  = Myers Briggs SF  8.68 NT  9.68 ISFJ  8.62 INTP  9.81
In 2 nd  Place  = Occupation 1) Architects  11.00  33) Agricultural Workers 7.71 Statistically significant  & quite convincing 17) Marketing  8.99  23.) Research  8.72  4) Engineers  9.38  30.) Construction  8.72
Individualists are  much more  creative In 1 st  Place  = Willoughby Individualist-Team Player (WIT) Test Team  Player 9.0 Individualist 11.2 2% of pop. 12% of pop. 77% of pop. 7% of pop. 2% of pop.
WIT & Creativity  correlate Idea Generation  Results
Implications  for Business
Creativity can be recognized but not defined;  measured but not easily produced Creative ability varies considerably; just 2% are extremely creative & perhaps 10% show strong creative potential WIT test shows that creatives are Individualists who question everything, ignore rules, work on their own & think differently Highly creative Individualists produce significantly better ideas as well as twice as many of them Summary  of Findings
Please STOP   Brainstorming! Every person & idea has equal worth   Only 2% of people are highly creative A group is better for creating ideas  Individualists create better alone Suspending judgement helps creativity Creatives reject until they hit originality Fast, furious & lots of ideas is better Slow, calm & 1 good idea is better Preparation-Incubation-Illumination Implications for  Brainstorming
Creative Individualists   are a better solution Stop  using brainstorming to generate creative solutions Start  using Incandescents & Bright Sparks as your creative resource Email  the problem to 60 of them to think about (explanation & incubation) Collect  online 1 or more creative solutions from each Individualist Select  the best from 100 and action Repeat  as required!  Implications for  Idea Generation
The  end (this is a static image. stare at any black dot to stop!)

Creative Consumers - Adding Inspiration to Innovation

  • 1.
    Creative Consumers; AddingInspiration to Innovation By John Kearon – Chief Juicer ESOMAR Innovate Conference, May 10-12 th May 2006 The Mind Reading Agency
  • 2.
    Ideas please…. – For making this toy more pleasurable for kids ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ What is Creativity?
  • 3.
    Edison’s gate and the visit of Albert Mann (President of the Bank of America) 1902
  • 4.
    A $Trillion MarketingServices Industry Trying to satisfy the thirst for creativity
  • 5.
    There is noIQ equivalent for creativity Can creativity be measured?
  • 6.
    Define creativity Createmeasures of creativity Validate those measures Trying to measure creativity…
  • 7.
    Creativity (or ‘lateralthinking’) is concerned with restructuring mental patterns, emphasizing/using information in provocative ways and challenging accepted ideas and notions – d eBono E . Creativity (or ‘Synectics’) is the joining together of different and apparently irrelevant elements. It involves seeking and using direct, personal, and symbolic analogies to find new solutions to problems - Gordon, W.J.J Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, & having fun– MaryLou Cook Creating a solution that is novel and appropriate– Sternberg B.
  • 8.
    Defining creativity “I have yet to see any problem, however complicated, which, when you looked at it in the right way, did not become still more complicated”. Poul Anderson
  • 9.
    an experimentwith a Nat Rep sample of 5,000 Measuring Creativity Creating Measures of Creativity Implicit creativity measures (Personality tests) Explicit creativity measures (Creativity tests)
  • 10.
    Personality test – Myers Briggs (MBTi) test Least Creative Most Creative
  • 11.
    Willoughby Individualist -Team Player (WIT) test Adaptors/Team Players Prefer to take ideas & improve them. Fairly cautious, practical & standard approaches. Prefer incremental innovation, structure & consensus. Prefer to work in groups & motto is to do things better Innovators/Individualist Prefer to find new ideas & ‘big bang’. Can be risky, challenging & abrasive. Prefer solving problems with less structure & consensus. Prefer to solve problems alone and their motto is do things differently
  • 12.
  • 13.
  • 14.
  • 15.
    Mednick’s Remote Association Test
  • 16.
    Insight Test (cognitive plane shifting)
  • 17.
    Horowitz Test (abstract flexibility)
  • 18.
    Torrence Test (fluency, flexibility, originality)
  • 19.
    0-3 The lightsare off . You're just not creative. Never mind, someone's got to follow the rules. You're probably a successful lawyer - or traffic warden. 4-7 = Night Light. You've got a flicker, maybe a weak glow of creativity going on but you prefer to stick to the facts and leave dreaming to others. 8-11= Regular 60 watt . You're a good all-rounder, rational and imaginative in equal measures. You can see a good idea even if you can't always think of one. 12-15= Bright Spark . You've definitely got what it takes. Idea generation comes naturally to you. Your rational streak makes you a great evaluator of those ideas too .....but may just put a break on your imagination. 16-18 = Incandescent! Welcome to the loony Leonardo club. The sparks are flying all over the place & you could easily set the world alight. You're out of the box definitely & out of your mind, maybe? It doesn't matter you're a creative genius. .
  • 20.
    The Creativity Test Results Normal distribution
  • 21.
    Creativity is like any other aptitude
  • 22.
    More creative = more ideas Idea Generation Results 4.9 ideas per person 6.8 ideas per person +39% higher 10.1 ideas per person +49% higher +106% higher
  • 23.
    More creative = better ideas Idea Generation Results Elephant ideas Make ears bigger Give it a squeak Make the eyes move Ears feels different Make trunk longer Squirt water from trunk (given as e.g.) Sing Nellie the ele Make it walk Elephant ideas & humanising ideas Pull the trunk to open it’s mouth Trumpet when it detects movement Have babies inside ----------------------- Allow it to speak Give it spectacles Give it clothes Talk back to you Record a message Have the child’s name on it Elephant ideas & humanising ideas & More abstract ideas A finger puppet Water proof 4 bath Whistle in trunk Make it laugh Make it dance Make it fart & burp Help spell & count roar when smacked ------------------------ Elephant Hoover A radio with tusks for volume & tuning A Pyjama case Tusks 4 teething +Wheels & ride it Vibrates to soothe Microwaveable as a hot water bottle
  • 24.
    Which arethe 3 best predictors of creativity? Age Gender Occupation Education level Self-assessment Willoughby (WIT) test Myers-Briggs (MBTi) 3 rd Best 1 st 2 nd Best
  • 25.
    Statistically significant but not convincing In 3 rd Place = Myers Briggs SF 8.68 NT 9.68 ISFJ 8.62 INTP 9.81
  • 26.
    In 2 nd Place = Occupation 1) Architects 11.00 33) Agricultural Workers 7.71 Statistically significant & quite convincing 17) Marketing 8.99 23.) Research 8.72 4) Engineers 9.38 30.) Construction 8.72
  • 27.
    Individualists are much more creative In 1 st Place = Willoughby Individualist-Team Player (WIT) Test Team Player 9.0 Individualist 11.2 2% of pop. 12% of pop. 77% of pop. 7% of pop. 2% of pop.
  • 28.
    WIT & Creativity correlate Idea Generation Results
  • 29.
  • 30.
    Creativity can berecognized but not defined; measured but not easily produced Creative ability varies considerably; just 2% are extremely creative & perhaps 10% show strong creative potential WIT test shows that creatives are Individualists who question everything, ignore rules, work on their own & think differently Highly creative Individualists produce significantly better ideas as well as twice as many of them Summary of Findings
  • 31.
    Please STOP Brainstorming! Every person & idea has equal worth Only 2% of people are highly creative A group is better for creating ideas Individualists create better alone Suspending judgement helps creativity Creatives reject until they hit originality Fast, furious & lots of ideas is better Slow, calm & 1 good idea is better Preparation-Incubation-Illumination Implications for Brainstorming
  • 32.
    Creative Individualists are a better solution Stop using brainstorming to generate creative solutions Start using Incandescents & Bright Sparks as your creative resource Email the problem to 60 of them to think about (explanation & incubation) Collect online 1 or more creative solutions from each Individualist Select the best from 100 and action Repeat as required! Implications for Idea Generation
  • 33.
    The end(this is a static image. stare at any black dot to stop!)