‘Creativity is not a talent. It is a way of operating.’

Much has been said about how creativity works, its secrets, its origins, and what we can do to optimize ourselves for it. In this excerpt from his fantastic 1991 lecture, John Cleese offers a recipe for creativity, delivered with his signature blend of cultural insight and comedic genius. Specifically, Cleese outlines “the 5 factors that you can arrange to make your lives more creative”…

Read more: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/04/12/john-cleese-on-creativity-1991/

Watch the lecture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ijtQP9nwrQA

I just came back from Walt Disney World, either you love the place or hate it, but one thing is for sure – they understand and execute extremely well on creating a remarkable experience for their guests. A lot has been written regarding the brand power and extremely efficient business practices employed by the Disney Corporation in order to create this magic. Countless books and articles are available including most notably Disney’s own – Disney Institute. There are no secrets here, anyone is able to attend workshops to learn directly from the source.

My recent trip to Walt Disney World piqued my curiosity about the man behind it all. I’ve been a long time fan of Disney and have been numerous times over the years with the family, but I have never spent much time learning about the person who made it all possible. The one thing that stood out above all else for me as I read about all the struggles and setbacks and near financial collapses in the early days was Walt’s crystal clear vision of how he envisioned the future. In Bob Thomas’s book – An American Original Walt Disney , I was struck by the passage describing the idea of Disneyland at a time when it was only a drawing on a piece of paper -

“The idea of Disneyland is a simple one. It will be a place for people to find happiness and knowledge. It will be a place for parents and children to share pleasant times in one another’s company. Here the older generation can recapture the nostalgia of days gone by, and the younger generation can savor the challenge of the future. Disneyland will be something of a fair, an exhibition, a playground, a community center, a museum of living facts, and a showplace of beauty and magic. It will be filled with the accomplishments, the joys and hopes of the world we live in. And it will remind us and show us how to make those wonders part of our own lives.” 

Combined with this vision was his unwavering belief. To board members who complained the Disney was not in the amusement-park business, he replied that the company was in the entertainment business – “ and that’s what amusement parks are.” He admitted that it was hard for them to envision Disneyland the way he could, but he assured them, “There’s nothing like it in the entire world. I know, because I’ve looked. That’s why it can be great: because it will be unique. A new concept in entertainment, and I think - I Know – it can be a success.”  When he finished, there were tears in his eyes.

The members of the board were persuaded.

Former President and CEO of Veuve Clicquot (LVMH) turned best selling author Mireille Guiliano has more to offer then sassy health and lifestyle tips on how to eat well and stay thin. Women, Work and the Art of Savoir Faire, is a candid window into corporate codes of conduct, from the brand guru’s lens. Don’t let the title fool you. While the books’ targeted demographic is a female audience, there are overall learning’s that benefit both genders. Especially if brand is on your radar.

If your goal is to excel professionally, the chapter titled “Be Your Own Brand”, is a must read. We take this to heart here at Sandbox because we build remarkable brand experience. Our clients realize the importance of having a clear vision, and a strong voice for their brand in the marketplace. This sets them apart. Employees are just as much a part of a brand, as a company’s mission statement and logo. You stood out of the pack enough to get the job, but do you really bring your personal essence to the office on a daily basis? We can all do a better job of “Being [Our] Own Brand”. Successful companies understand the direct tie between a strong brand and having a competitive marketplace advantage. This school of thought transfers to individuals. Set yourself apart from the competition, and take advantage in the market place by investing in your personal brand. For tips on how to achieve this in your personal life, Women, Work and the Art of Savoir Faire, is a great place to start.

For more information, visit: http://mireilleguiliano.com/section/sub/12

In the beginning, there was just you and your partners. You did every job. You coded, you met with investors, you emptied the trash and phoned in the midnight pizza. Now you have others to do all that and it’s time for you to “be strategic.”

Whatever that means.

If you find yourself resisting “being strategic,” because it sounds like a fast track to irrelevance, or vaguely like an excuse to slack off, you’re not alone. Every leader’s temptation is to deal with what’s directly in front, because it always seems more urgent and concrete. Unfortunately, if you do that, you put your company at risk. While you concentrate on steering around potholes, you’ll miss windfall opportunities, not to mention any signals that the road you’re on is leading off a cliff.

Read more: http://www.inc.com/paul-schoemaker/6-Habits-of-Strategic-Thinkers.html

Andrew Stanton wrote the first film produced entirely on a computer, Toy Story. But what made that film a classic wasn’t the history-making graphic technology — it’s the story, the heart, the characters that children around the world instantly accepted into their own lives. Stanton wrote all three Toy Story movies at Pixar Animation Studios, where he was hired in 1990 as the second animator on staff. He has two Oscars, as the writer-director of Finding Nemo and WALL-E. And as Edgar Rice Burroughs nerds, we’re breathlessly awaiting the March opening of his fantasy-adventure movie John Carter.

Watch: Shawn Achor @ TED

I may be biased, but I am a big proponent of brand research. Research teaches you things about your company that you could not possibly figure out on your own, helps to answer questions you didn’t realize needed to be asked. Research uncovers how the marketplace sees you, explains your client’s needs, and gauges your progress and growth over time, among many, many other things.

Research is the central tenant to creating a strong, strategically supported brand. When you have a better idea of what your target market is thinking, you can create a brand that can support and guide your strategic objectives while appealing to your most important audiences.

Despite the benefits, not all companies conduct regular brand research – or even general customer research. This results in brands that are stagnant or outdated, and companies that simply do not meet the needs of their target market.

The problem is there are a lot of myths out there about whether or not companies can benefit from regular research. Is your company stuck in one of these ruts?

Read more: http://www.brandingbusiness.com/2011/11/5-myths-about-brand-research/

There’s no doubt about it, Twitter has been behind some of the biggest news stories in 2011, including the revolutionary ‘Arab Spring’ movement and the exposure of a string of celebrities who took out super-injunctions.

While it’s hard to predict what stories the microblogging site will break this year, it’s sure to have a big impact on the London 2012 Olympic Games and the US presidential elections. This is something Wendy Stone of Bright Digital talks about at great length in our new Twitter Best Practice Guide. She states that these two mammoth calendar events will “test the network’s stability and show whether the company’s business model will reward investors as planned.”

Read more: http://www.b2bmarketing.net/blog/posts/2012/03/01/what-does-2012-hold-twitter

Amateur soccer players across the world are being called upon to show Nike Football and manager of F.C. Barcelona, Pep Guardiola, what they’ve got. In a hazy, two-minute spot, Guardiola tells us what exactly he’s looking for and actually finds it in player #7 from the white team (congrats, dude).

“The Chance 2012,” from Nike and agency AKQA, is a global talent search that will whittle thousands of young footballers from 55 countries to a class of 100 who will receive intense training and evaluation in Barcelona from top coaches and scouts. From there 16 will be chosen for a four-week training tour with the likes of Manchester United and the U.S. Youth National Team to try and outshine the competition with the possibility of scoring a professional contract.

Read more: http://www.fastcocreate.com/1680060/nike-football-searches-for-the-next-star-via-facebook

To stay alive and flourish in highly competitive environments, business-to-business (B2B) companies spend more time and money on R&D. Suppliers focus on making their products smarter, faster, and smaller, and more cost-effective and reliable, than the competition. They also find ways to improve and add services so that they provide customers with a complete and satisfying experience. Marketplaces are constantly changing, so companies have to adapt in order to stay ahead.

But how can these B2B companies truly differentiate their offering and be relevant to customers over the long-term? This is where brands come in.

Brands matter in B2B markets. In fact, they may matter even more in B2B than in B2C.

Read more: http://www.brandchannel.com/papers_review.asp?sp_id=1235

There’s a reason ESPN, Google, and Zynga lead their industries. They’re relentless about understanding their users. Companies that place a high value on digital user experience dominate their markets. I’m talking about companies like Intuit, ESPN, Facebook, eBay, LinkedIn, Zynga, Google, PayPal, FedEx, and Harley Davidson. I have seen first-hand how user-experience-obsessed companies operate—In consulting with these companies through my user experience research firm, AnswerLab. Here’s how you can practice the same top five habits.

Read more: http://www.inc.com/amy-buckner-chowdhry/five-habits-of-customer-obsessed-companies.html