Creativity in Public Relations (PR in Practice)

Creativity

in Public Relations

PR IN PRACTICE SERIES

Creativity

in Public Relations

Andy Green

Fourth Edition

London and Philadelphia

Dedicated to Amanda Marsh, a dear friend; to my mum; and to Judith, Charlotte

and Lizzie for putting up with their husband and dad being a pain while writing

this book.

Publisher’s note

Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book is

accurate at the time of going to press, and the publishers and author cannot accept responsi￾bility for any errors or omissions, however caused. No responsibility for loss or damage

occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action, as a result of the material in this

publication can be accepted by the editor, the publisher or the author.

First published in Great Britain and the United States in 1999 by Kogan Page Limited

Second edition 2001

Third edition 2007

Fourth edition 2010

Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or

review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication

may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior

permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accor￾dance with the terms and licences issued by the CLA. Enquiries concerning reproduction

outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned addresses:

120 Pentonville Road 525 South 4th Street, #241

London N1 9JN Philadelphia PA 19147

United Kingdom USA

www.koganpage.com

© Andy Green, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2010

The right of Andy Green to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him

in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

ISBN 978 0 7494 5650 4

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Green, Andy, 1958-

Creativity in public relations / Andy Green. -- 4th ed.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-7494-5650-4

1. Public relations. 2. Creative thinking. 3. Creative ability in

business. I. Title.

HD59.G683 2009

659.2--dc22

2009025963

Typeset by Jean Cussons Typesetting, Diss, Norfolk

Printed and bound in India by Replika Press Pvt Ltd

v

Foreword x

Acknowledgements xii

Introduction 1

1. A definition of ‘creativity’ 3

Some possible definitions 4; A time and a place 6; A

definition for public relations practitioners 7; Creativity,

the nemesis of stupidity 7; Added value 8; The context for

creativity 11; Creativity versus innovation 13; Creative

thinking versus non-creative thinking 13; Big ‘C’ or

little ‘c’? 14; Summary 15; Key words for your creativity

vocabulary 15

2. Creativity: some myths debunked 16

The myth of the instant ‘Big Idea’ 16; The myth of

left-brain/right-brain theory 21; The myth of ‘lateral

thinking equals creativity’ 23; Summary 24; Key words

for your creativity vocabulary 24

Contents

Contents

3. How you think in ‘boxes’ 25

Same Box, Smaller Box and Bigger Box thinking, 25;

Why there is no such thing as ‘outside-the-box’

thinking 28; Examples of Bigger Box thinking 28;

Examples of Smaller Box thinking 29; Being flexible

in the different boxes you use 31; Your ‘creative

thinking spectacles’ 31; Using ‘creative thinking

spectacles’ to progress your creative idea 34;

Questions are a creative practitioner’s best

friend 34; Summary 35; Key words for your

creativity vocabulary 35

4. The creative process 36

The five ‘I’s 36; Information 38; Incubation 43;

Illumination 45; Integration 48; Illustration 49;

Summary 58; Key words for your creativity

vocabulary 59

5. Green Light thinking: creative techniques 60

Suggested techniques for stimulating ideas 61;

Creating new angles for your story 73; Structuring

for information gathering, idea creation and evaluation

of ideas 76; Techniques for encouraging a creative state

of mind 81; Summary 84; Key words for your

creativity vocabulary 84

6. Green Light thinking: brainstorming 85

General principles 86; A new way ahead: structured

brainstorming 89; Nominal Group Technique

(NGT) 96; Summary 98; Key words for your

creativity vocabulary 98

7. Creativity – the consultation tool 99

Identify different audiences to be consulted 101;

Engage hard-to-reach audiences 101; Overcome

initial objections 102; Obtain political buy-in from

key targets 103; Express and make a statement

about your own creativity 103; Generate new ideas

and alternatives from those being consulted 105;

Obtain valuable market intelligence and insight 105;

Create super-advocates for your cause 106;

vi

Key lessons for successful creative consultation 107;

Challenges with consultation 108; Feedback 108;

The consultation quandary 109; Overview 109;

Summary 109; Key words for your creativity

vocabulary 110

8. Red Light thinking: the evaluation of ideas 111

Formal evaluation methods 112; Benjamin Franklin’s

‘prudential algebra’ technique 114; External

evaluation 115; You decide 117; Summary 117;

Key words for your creativity vocabulary 117

9. Creativity is not just for photocalls 118

Creativity as a strategic tool 118; Creativity as a

tactical tool: 24 practical examples 121; Summary 132;

Key words for your creativity vocabulary 132

10. Creativity and social media 133

New opportunities and challenges for the creative

practitioner 134; The age of pull strategies 135; Telling

a good story – in a shared way 138; The end of the

stunt as we know it? 139; Using your fan base 139; Don’t

be creative with the technology 141; The qualities of the

creative social media champion 141; The inevitable

brickbats, whatever way you turn 142; New thinking

heads required? 143; Summary 144; Key words for your

creativity vocabulary 144

11. The creative meme master 145

Is public relations an art? 145; What is a meme? 146;

Developing meme-sensitive creative thinking 148;

Meme judo 148; Some examples of memes in

action 148; The growing significance of understanding

memes in communications 152; Creating your next

meme: the meme triangle 153; Meme strategies 154;

The creative practitioner: a master of memes 155;

Summary 156; Key words for your creativity

vocabulary 156

Contents

vii

Contents

12. Obstacles to creativity 157

The nature of the problem 158; Poor Green Light/

Red Light thinking in the creative process 159; Poor

management of the creative process 162; Cultural/

socialization problems 162; Overcoming

the obstacles 164; Summary 166; Key words for your

creativity vocabulary 166

13. You are never more than 12 feet from an opportunity 167

The Millennium Bridge 168; Be principled 171;

Believe there are opportunities – prime yourself 172;

Try more, little and often 173; See a bigger picture 173;

Use every connection 174; Flip the negative 175;

Be persistent 175; Do more 175; Overview 176;

Summary 176; Key words for your creativity

vocabulary 176

14. The ‘creative diamond’ 177

The four Qs 178; The four Qs overview in creativity –

getting the balance right 181; The rigid, inflexible

mind 181; Summary 183; Key words for your creativity

vocabulary 183

15. The creative individual 184

Be uncomfortable 184; Be a pig, a mule and a

Zebedee 188; Have a positive anchor and be Robert

Davy 190; Overflow your jug 191; Take your hunches

to lunch 195; Work, work – and work 196; Be a

professor of public relations and parlez PR 196;

Is your escalator a stairway? 197; Speak the

language of the positive 200; Reach for the

stars 203; Break the rules, be happy and have

fun 204; Summary 205; Key words for your creativity

vocabulary 206

16. Creating a creative culture 207

The ‘Creative Challenge’ 207; Managing creative

individuals 209; The characteristics of a creative

organization 211; The creative director – to have or

have not? 219; Summary 221; Key words for your

creativity vocabulary 221

viii

17. The ethics of creativity: lies, damned lies and 222

impropaganda

Dealing with ‘impropaganda’ 222; The creative

use of ‘impropaganda’ 227; Final thoughts on

‘impropaganda’ 232; Summary 233; Key words for

your creativity vocabulary 234

18. The future of creativity 235

The Creative Range 235; The Information stage

transformed 236; The Incubation stage transformed 238;

The Illumination stage transformed 239; The

Integration stage transformed 240; The Illustration

stage transformed 242; And finally: greater study of

creativity 243; Key words for your creativity

vocabulary 243

19. Award ceremony 244

20. Interested in finding out more? 246

Other books by the author 246; Favourite books on

creativity and developing your mind’s creative skills 247;

Books on creativity in marketing 248; Books on creativity

in organizations 248; Books on self-development 249;

Biographies and memoirs 249; Neuro Linguistic

Programming 249; Internet sites 250; Training courses 250;

Organizations 250

Index 251

Contents

ix

There’s a misconception about creativity. It is often thought of as being the

fairy dust that adds the sparkle and life to well-planned public relations

campaigns. The aha factor; that brilliantly simple, but inspired something

that transforms the ordinary into the extra-ordinary.

Of course it is this, but it is so much more. In its essence, creativity is

problem solving and it can and should influence every part of a cam -

paign… even research. Research has to ask the right questions, interpret the

results and obtain value for money. Of course all this is scientific, but it also

includes creativity. Generating those key questions requires a way of

thinking which is oriented towards solving problems and demands

creativity.

Again, there is a common myth that there are creative types and if the gift

has not been bestowed on you, then you will have to live with it. Again, it

is obvious that some people seem naturally gifted in this area, but help is at

hand because this book amply demonstrates that creativity is not just the

privilege of the chosen few, but a discipline that can be learned and prac￾tised by everyone given the right amount of time and effort.

In this fourth edition of his book, Andy Green has refined his thinking

and produced an excellent practical guide to creativity. He demonstrates

that creativity is a strategic discipline as well as a practical tool, that it can

be stimulated and evaluated, that social media and the power of ideas are a

Foreword

x

formidable combination, and that obstacles to creativity can be overcome.

Finally it provides an excellent resource guide for those who want to find

out more.

For those who need that 10% inspiration to run alongside the 90%

perspiration, this is a necessary companion.

Professor Anne Gregory

xi

Foreword

xii

Research interviews were gratefully conducted with the following leading

individuals in the PR field. Unless otherwise stated, quotations in this book

attributed to these people arose during my interviews with them. They are:

Mark Borkowski, Creative Director, Mark Borkowski Press and PR.

Paul Carroll, Chief Executive, Communique Public Relations.

Max Clifford, Director, Max Clifford and Associates.

Steve Gebbett, Creative Director, Charles Barker BSMG.

Graham Lancaster, Chairman, Biss Lancaster.

Alan Preece, Director of Communications, University of East Anglia.

Additional contributions from Michael Bland, Simon Collister, Stephen

Davies, Ian Green and Heather Yaxley.

Additional copy-editing: Harvey Smith.

Beta readers: Judith Barber, Jim Britton, Simon Clark, Helen Kettleborough,

Steve McDermott, David Marsh, and Harvey Smith.

Thanks to Tony Murray, editor of Adline, for telling me about the two tribes

in public relations; Dawn Boswell, David Holmes, and Douglas Smith for

their additional creative soundbites.

Acknowledgements

xiii

Acknowledgements

Series Editor: Professor Anne Gregory.

Thanks to the authors quoted for kind permission to reproduce extracts

from their books.

Thanks for additional help with the 2009 edition: Simon Collister, Stephen

Davies, Charlotte Green, Ian Green and Heather Yaxley.

PR in Practice Series

Published in association with the Chartered Institute of

Public Relations

Series Editor: Anne Gregory

Kogan Page has joined forces with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations to publish this

unique series, which is designed specifically to meet the needs of the increasing numbers of

people seeking to enter the public relations profession and the large band of existing PR

professionals. Taking a practical, action-oriented approach, the books in the series concen￾trate on the day-to-day issues of public relations practice and management rather than acad￾emic history. They provide ideal primers for all those on CIPR, CAM and CIM courses or

those taking NVQs in PR. For PR practitioners, they provide useful refreshers and ensure

that their knowledge and skills are kept up to date.

Professor Anne Gregory is one of the world’s leading public relations academics and is the

only professor of public relations in the UK. She is Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Director of the

Centre for Public Relations Studies at Leeds Business School, a faculty of Leeds Metropolitan

University. Before becoming an academic, Anne spent 12 years in public relations practice

and has experience at a senior level both in-house and in consultancy. She is still an active

consultant, working with large Government Departments including the Department of

Health and the Cabinet Office as well as private sector clients. She is a non-executive director

of South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust with special responsibility for

strategy and communication. Anne is series editor of the PR in Practice series and has edited

a book of the same name, as well as authoring Planning and Managing Public Relations

Campaigns, which is also in this series. She was President of the CIPR in 2004 and was

awarded the Sir Stephen Tallents Medal for her out stand ing contribution to the profession in

2009.

Other titles in the series:

Effective Internal Communication by Lyn Smith and Pamela Mounter

Effective Media Relations by David Wragg, Alison Theaker and Michael Bland

Effective Personal Communication Skills by Andy Green

Effective Writing Skills for Public Relations by John Foster

Evaluating Public Relations by Tom Watson and Paul Noble

Managing Activism by Denise Deegan

Online Public Relations by David Phillips and Philip Young

Planning and Managing Public Relations Campaigns by Anne Gregory

Public Affairs in Practice by Stuart Thompson and Dr Steve John

Public Relations: A practical guide to the basics by Philip Henslowe

Public Relations in Practice edited by Anne Gregory

Public Relations Strategy by Sandra Oliver

Risk Issues and Crisis Management in Public Relations by Michael Regester and

Judy Larkin

Running a Public Relations Department by Mike Beard

The above titles are available from all good bookshops. To obtain further information, please

go to the CIPR website (www.cipr.co.uk/books) or contact the publishers at the address

below:

Kogan Page Limited

120 Pentonville Road

London N1 9JN

Tel: 020 7278 0433 Fax: 020 7837 6348

www.koganpage.com