February 19, 2021
How do you find ways to spark the creative juices for ideas for imaging, promotions and/or show-prep, in this kind of environment with most people working at home and not seeing or meeting much inside of buildings?
|
Jana Sutter, WXXL: I’m strictly working at home and I’m honestly struggling with it. Zoom calls are good, but not as effective as being there in person. I find you need to break out of your isolated-structured routine and give yourself moments for creative thoughts. Mike “OD” O’Donnell, WKRZ: I try to be as resourceful as possible. I look to other forms of media as stimuli for creative ideas. I’ll watch TV programs and ads for imaging and promotion ideas, and wonder if that idea can work for radio. I definitely get ideas from social media because you can see what’s trending out there on various platforms and you figure out how you can incorporate an idea into your creative process. If you’re stuck at home, you have to reach out and observe where life lives and use that for idea energy.
Jeff Hurley, iHeartMedia: The virtual meetings are what they are and you have to get passed that. For creative idea-sharing meetings Zoom meetings have been working well for us. We just had a brainstorming Zoom session today with one of my markets and it was very productive. Randi West, WRMF: We come in so since we aren’t remote working it’s not been a challenge. However, I think when we/I have had a couple of cocktails I come up with my best ideas. Rick Vaughn, KENZ: Twitter! If you’re following the right people, you get all sorts of ideas. As far as imaging and ways to make light of situations whether it’s politics or being trapped in a bubble, or whatever, there’s an endless supply of creative people on Twitter that you can borrow from. Max Volume, KOZZ: By making the effort to reach out and have discussions and conversations. It’s a phone. Use it to call people. You can’t hear vocal inflection or tone in an email or text message. |
Joey Brooks, WKSS: I scroll social media platforms and look for things that are reacting for idea starters. I write a lot of imaging that way. I look for memes and trends and other things that are reacting.
R Dub! Z90: Alone time always helps me. I’ve had my best ideas sitting on a plane when I didn’t have WiFi and just let my mind wander.
Dom Theodore, Radio Animal Media Strategies: Everyone has a different creative process. I typically need a distraction that’s completely unrelated, and then suddenly ideas come to me. I’ve never had my best creative ideas in a stodgy office setting, so working from home isn’t too bad.
|
Valentine, WBHT: You have to get into a different zone mentally. What’s always work for me is simply taking a walk, and still to this day some of the best ideas come from the shower. Still looking at social media to see what people and events are trending as hot topics.
Buster Satterfield, Q102: The reality is we do what we gotta do and prioritizing creativity, it’s what sets us apart. Kevin Kash, WWEG/WIYY: Our business has always been aware that it needs roll with the changes. (Shout out to REO Speedwagon). Gotta look at the situation and do what you can to stay in touch with the audience. Drive-thru events can work well.
Jon Zellner, iHeartMedia: We have a great team responsible for imaging writing, show prep and promotional ideas that is shared with everyone. The fact that so many people are leading similar lives during the pandemic actually makes it a little easier to be more universal with what our imaging sounds like and what our jocks are talking about. Josh Wolff, WAEB: The way I’ve always done it by networking with other programmers and sharing ideas. Kobe, WZNE: Other stations I listen to or follow on Instagram or social media, as well as TV shows or promotions at other brands outside of our business. I try to revise these ideas for radio. My biggest tip for borrowing imaging ideas is to go to tee-shirt websites because they are always very humorous. Rod Phillips, iHeartMedia: I simply need a good cup of coffee, and quiet time – staring at the rolling hills of middle Tennessee. |
Rich Davis, KDWB: Coming in the building daily, it’s been different for me because my afternoon / APD / MD guy Zach Dillion is in with me every day. I see my night guy typically before I leave daily. So, we still get together and talk about creative ideas regularly. We always have our masks on, but the brainstorming still continues here. Zach and I leave our lines open to each other all day so we’re in constant communication even though we may predominantly spend our days in our own offices. I’ve been more connected to Zach during the pandemic than ever before.
Fish, WKRZ: You have to tie in all components and bundle it into a package that’ll work locally. You have to tap into all things digital and see what’s trending, what’s streaming, what’s going viral and you have to make it as local as possible because that’s the only way you’re going to win.
Lee Abrams MediaVisions: Working at home can be a great vehicle for extreme creativity. First, the relative solitude, but most importantly are the inspirations at your fingertips. Diving deep into YouTube, and exploring the endless music libraries online of course. But there are some other cool sites that can drive creative thinking like…AMERICAN RADIO HISTORY – A remarkable collection of digitized back issues of radio, TV and media publications. You can spend hours browsing through this comprehensive library: https://www.american
Buzz Knight, Buzz Knight Media: Pause a moment and consider what is going on in this moment with Pop Culture. This is usually an idea starter with regard to all forms of content. Additionally, talk to your audience in the form of a Zoom meet up to inject some real-life examples of what is going on in the world and how people are feeling. If you are feeling stuck, get unstuck by connecting with people who make you laugh and don’t take life too seriously.
Jonathan Shuford, WRVW: We’re doing a lot of Zoom and Teams calls, and they kind of serve as meetings. It’s not quite the same but it gets the collective brain-trust together to focus on projects and issues at hand. So, for me, it’s been basically par for the course around here.
Orlando, WLLD: When you can’t get out into the streets, you stay tapped in with the reckless, maniacs who are still in those ‘rona streets. Social media, and the like, gives us a great window, here in Tampa to stay reflective of our incessant Party Gras, in the Bay!
Jammer, WEZB: It just comes to you. It’s just a game of constant adjustments and adapting to them.Next Week’s Question Of The Week:
What are your favorite “buzzwords of the day” whether industry or general-life related?
e-Mail your responses to: jodorisio@deanemediasolutions.com or bburke@deanemediasolutions.com
