Archive for September, 2009
Critical Thinking and Creativity
The challenges presented by today’s complex and technologically sophisticated marketing environment require critical-thinking skills and creativity from marketing professionals. Critical thinking refers to the process of determining the authenticity; accuracy, and worth of informadon, knowledge, claims, and arguments. Critical thinkers react skeptically to what they hear or see. They do not take information at face value and simply assume that it is accurate; they analyze the data themselves and develop their own opinions and conclusions.
Creative government bureaucracy might sound like an oxymoron, but it is an accurate description of the U.S. Mint since Philip N. Diehl became director. After years of fighting entrenched political resistance, Diehl was able to transform this $1 billion government agency into a close approximation of a private sector, profit-seeking business. The organization than was reorganized, jobs were redesigned and positions added, state-of-the-an computerized information systems were installed, bureaucratic workers were trained to become customer-responsive employees, and new products were introduced. Tn 1998, the 50-state quarter program was launched. The Mint will release five quarters a year, each featuring a different state. It also designed the new dollar coin, first minted in January 2000, featuring the likeness of the Native American Sacajawea. The result of all these creative changes is a government agency that shines, as they say, like a brand-new penny.15
Creativity is an extremely valuable skill for marketers. It helps them to develop novel solutions to perceived marketing problems. Leonardo da Vinci conceived his idea for a helicopter after watching leaves twirl in the wind. Swiss engineer George de Mestral noticing that burrs stuck to his wool socks because of their tiny hooks, invented Velcro.
Creativity is particularly important in the creation of promotional messages.