It’s a true paradox: thinking creatively requires a structure! What’s more, like anything you hope to perfect in life, you must practice, practice, practice creativity to train your brain to think creatively. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Here’s how I flexed my creative muscles this month.

In March I attended the Florida Creativity Weekend in beautiful Sarasota. As a souvenir, here are two techniques for your own creative toolbox:

Mindmapping

Trust me, you can use this exercise for everything — even which car to buy or where to go for vacation. Mindmapping mimics the brain’s thought patterns, giving every idea a place to live. It’s about coming at a ‘problem’ from every angle and taking a deep dive. Let me know if you want some templates.

Divergent and Convergent Thinking

Divergent thinking encourages you to generate a LOT of ideas. Convergent thinking encourages you to hone in on those ideas, filtering and selecting the best ones based on objective criteria. You’re likely already familiar with a popular strategy for divergent thinking. It’s called brainstorming, pioneered by Sidney Osborn and Alex Parnes.

If you’re interested in attending this creativity conference in the future, let me know. Insights360’s Florida office is only an hour and a half away.  How about doing this creative boot camp together?

In mid-April  I’ll be attending the QRCA Worldwide Qualitative Research Conference in Vienna, Austria. The conference theme is: “Leading Beyond: A Symphony of Transformative Thinking and Discovery.” Global marketing trends and innovative research techniques to apply to my own projects is what I’m especially interested in.

Tip 1: When attending conferences, play an active role. Present, volunteer, lead. While my presentation is earmarked  for a future conference,  I will be leading the daily Healthy Connections with morning exercise at the nearby Stadtpark. We had +30 participants at the Orlando QRCA Conference and I made memorable personal connections with new colleagues. Future partnerships for sure.

Tip 2: Be clear with yourself about what you want to get out of the conference. For me it’s this:

• How can Insights360 be the  U.S. partner to international researchers? What are their needs?
• How can I participate in more international projects? With my 5 languages, I’d love this!
• Make personal and professional connections with researchers from 15 countries on 5 continents

UPDATE on INSIGHTS360 DONATION: While  in Vienna, I’ll give an Insights360 donation on behalf of my 2015 clients. This donation will go to the refugee nonprofit I worked with last September.

Aufwiedersehen! Bis spater!

For details on QRCA Healthy Connections in Vienna, click the link: (QRCA) Healthy Connections

In the U.S., Valentine’s Day is all about romance. In Mexico, El Día del Amor y la Amistad extends the sentiment beyond romance — celebrating friends and a wider circle of  loved ones.

It’s always good to feel appreciated and to express our gratefulness. My clients have become part of my ‘inner circle’ of people I care about. As with friends, I reach out whenever something reminds me of them or I  just to let them know I am thinking of them.

Here’s a tip: genuine, periodic messages are one of the best ways to connect with your consumers  and show them you appreciate them— not just on Valentine’s Day but throughout the year.

See the articles below for ideas on how, exactly, to keep in touch.

Content: How to Keep Your Customers Loyal Forever, Forbes

Working with financial institutions, I often hear feedback from consumers, “They’ve got all these products for new customers, but what about me? I’ve been with the bank for years.” Care for your current consumers and they’ll ‘return the love’ by telling friends about your brand.

Consistency: Virtues of Craft: Telling The Story Of An Artisan Brand, Handful of Salt

Kyle Studstill points out that slow and steady wins the race. When I’m prospecting new clients, I might not always get the first project. Be gracious but  stay connected. Persistence pays off!

Community: Cuties, Pixies, Delites: How Marketing Rebranded A Fruit, Modern Farmer

Love ripples through communities. Cuties supported the ‘mom community’ through a special campaign designed to make moms feel appreciated:

#ThanksMom for all that you do! In the spirit of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, we would like to give you the opportunity to share why you are thankful for your mom. Share a picture and tell us why using the hashtag #ThanksMom …

Here’s to spreading the love!

XXOO

Alicia

Did you know Insights360 now has a Florida location? Don’t incur travel costs for warm, beachy travel — we have the ideal destination!

If your research involves a Florida or SE market, consider Tampa, Florida and enjoy the beautiful views … see what we’re talking about below!

And even if you are in town for other reasons, give me a call, I’ll have “REGGIE,” our dependable and fun-loving Insights360 Turkish taxi driver pick you up and bring you to us at the beach!

Can we use our research skills to make social impact? The answer is a resounding yes.

Our 2015 clients are supporting refugee relief efforts in Europe through a donation from Insights360. Last September, I was in Vienna for ‘holiday’ and ended up spending days and evenings helping refugees who were passing through the Vienna train station (Hauptbahnhof).

What can a sociologist do for these people in such need? I did all I could do…

• I listened attentively
• Captured people’s stories
• Used my languages to help people find their way

I will deliver Insights360’s donation personally when I return to Vienna in April for an international research conference.  I look forward to sharing stories with you when we meet this year.

To learn more about the refugee crisis in Europe and the organization I worked with in Vienna, visit these helpful resources:

• Refugee Crisis in Europe Prompts Western Engagement in Syria, The New York Times
• Train of Hope, Non-profit organization

“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life, and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.” -Georgia O’Keeffe

Happy Thanksgiving! I’m thankful for you — my clients and colleagues. You challenge and inspire me.

My Thanksgiving adventure? Santa Fe, New Mexico. Talk about inspiration! Amazing landscapes, colors and art.

New Mexico was Georgia O’Keeffe’s adopted home; she lived an authentic life. Based on her inspirational paintings, we would never guess she grappled with self-consciousness and fear.

I might have butterflies before the first group or interview, hoping that it will all come together, but I really have no fears when it comes to research. But many do and that’s natural. Here are some ways I center myself when I do research:

• I arrive at the facility or research site 2-3 hours ahead of time if I can.
• I create my own space, set the stage. This helps me feel at ease and empowered in the space.
• I take the time to get to know my facility assistants and any new backroom clients. They’re my support — we’re in this research together.
• I absorb the energy from any aggressive respondents. Don’t deflect it. Use acknowledgement so they feel heard, and seek to understand divergent perspectives.

What is there above the clouds? Or, what are we capable of beyond our fears?

Authentically Santa Fe, right?

If you’d like to learn more about Georgia O’Keefe or the topic of combating fear, browse these resources:

• Georgia O’Keeffe Informational Video from the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
• Be the Warrior, Not the Worrier TED Talk

Right now, clients are planning their research year. Help them get out of their cubicles, out of those stodgy conference rooms, and away from that artificial light. Go ahead — get creative!

It’s proven that we think more creatively if we are relaxed and playful. Here are some ideas I’ve tried to connect with clients outside of research and create research experiences:

• Schedule an extra day after a market research project to visit a client and catch up during a “walk and talk”
• Ask my client to fly in a little earlier and plan a fun evening that takes advantage of local surroundings, be it kitschy decor at a local Minnesota eatery or a beachside restaurant in Florida
• Prepare custom treats based on what you hear in client conversations. I recently prepared Eis Kaffees for a client who’d just spent some time in Prague and Vienna, and I scheduled a local masseuse to come in to offer back massages after our final market of a particularly grueling research road trip

Opportunities to think creatively exist everywhere. Let’s help our clients get outside the box to help them think outside of it. They’ll say thank you and say, “Ahhhh… I needed that!”

Walk along the beach with a client. I promise, the conversation will be inspired.

Visit the links below to learn more about the link between nature, movement, and creativity:

• Want to Be More Creative? Start Doing This via Prevention
• Stanford Study finds Walking Improves Creativity via Stanford News 

Did you know Insights360 does Mobile and Online Research, too? 

Here are three ways we can make it work for you:

• Ask us how we might include online or mobile research into your research. It’s another tool in our toolkit, and a great way of broadening our understanding of the consumer experience.
• Use your preferred online provider and indicate you’d like to use Alicia as your moderator.
• Contact us and we will make all the arrangements with our preferred online research partner.

In September, I attended the annual QRCA Conference in Orlando, Florida. Here are two tools that stood out:

• Metaphor Elicitation with Protobrand CEO, Anders Bengtsson (Interested in learning more? I can contact Anders for a complimentary session)
• Mobile ethnographies with 20/20’s mobile app for video, photo, discussion uploads

Did you know that sitting is considered the new smoking? When I have a long day at the computer, I set a timer, so I’m obliged to move.

Creating a healthy, active lifestyle helps me keep my energy up during my research. Leading 60-minute debriefs after three or four two-hour groups? Yes we can!

At the last QRCA conference, I organized pre-session workouts for participants (QRCA HEALTHY CONNECTIONS). The events included a fun walk/run and a water walk in the lazy river at our hotel — upstream no less. What fun we all had!

Let’s keep moving, grooving and putting our best foot forward!

Tonight while working on this website, my six and eight year old niece and nephew excitedly fluttered into the room and asked me about my job, posing the question, “are you a talketer?”

A series of questions ensued, not unlike an idea generation session. They persisted, “so… you listen to people and help them get better?” Their imaginations sprung to life and you could see their minds working as they tried to grasp the many facets of my work. I shared examples of what I do and, in the end, the simple answer prevailed.

“I guess you’re right, I am a talketer.”

(But I hope I do more listening than talking)

.