Course Code: MS 214

Semester: MBA IV (M+E) (A+B)

Faculty: Dr.Divya Chowdhry

E-Mail ID: dr.divya@rdias.ac.in

EXTRA STUDY MATERIAL UNIT I

THE CREATIVE PROCESS
A number of advertising people have argued that creativity in advertising is best viewed as a
process and that creative success is most likely when some organized approach is followed. While
most advertising people reject and/or resist attempts to standardize creativity or develop rules or
guidelines to follow, most creative people do follow some type of process when approaching the
task of developing an advertisement. There are several models or approaches to the creative
process including those of James Webb Young, a former creative vice president at the J. Walter
Thompson agency, which is similar to the approach of English sociologist Graham Wallas.
Youngs model of the creative process contains five steps:
1. Immersion
2. Digestion
3. Incubation
4. Illumination
5. Reality or verification
A. Account Planning To facilitate the creative process, many agencies now use account planning
which is a process that involves conducting research and gathering all relevant information about a
clients product or service, brand, and consumers in the target audience. Account planning plays an
important role during creative strategy development by driving the process from the customers
point of view.
Planners work with the client as well as agency personnel, such as the creative team and media
specialists, to discuss how information they have gathered can be used in the development of the
creative strategy as well as other aspects of the advertising campaign.
B. Inputs to the Creative Process: Preparation/Incubation/IlluminationThes models of the
creative process offer an organized way of approaching an advertising problem. Both models stress
the need for preparation or gathering of background information that is relevant to the problem as
the first step in the creative process. Various types of research and information can provide input to
the creative process of advertising at each stage. There are numerous ways the creative specialist
can acquire background information that is relevant to the advertising problem. Some of those
discussed in the text include:
1. Background researchinformal fact-finding techniques and general preplanning input. Various

ways of gathering background information might be discussed.

2. Product/service specific researchthis involves different types of studies such as attitude,
market structure and positioning, perceptual mapping and psychographic studies.
3. Qualitative research inputtechniques such as in-depth interview or focus groups with
customers or ethnographic studies. IMC Perspective 8-3 discusses how many large advertising
agencies conduct branding research and have developed proprietary models to identify how
consumers connect to their clients brands.
C. Verification/RevisionThe purpose of the verification/revision stage of the creative process is to
evaluate ideas that come from the illumination stage, reject any that may be inappropriate, and
refine those that remain and help give them final expression. Some of the techniques used at this
stage include:

Steps in creative process:Preparation

During the preparation step of the creative process model, an individual becomes curious after encountering a
problem. Examples of problems can include an artistic challenge or an assignment to write a paper. During this
stage, she may perform research, creates goals, organize thoughts and brainstorm as different ideas formulate. For
example, a marketing professional may prepare for a marketing campaign by conducting market research and
formulating different advertisement ideas.

Incubation
While the individual begins to process her ideas, she begins to synthesize them using her imagination and begins to
construct a creation. Gabora states that during this step, the individual does not actively try a find a solution, but
continues to mull over the idea in the back of her head.

Illumination
As ideas begin to mature, the individual has an epiphany regarding how to piece her thoughts together in a manner
that makes sense. The moment of illumination can happen unexpectedly. For example, an individual with the task
of putting together an office party may have an idea for a theme while driving home from work.

Evaluation
After a solution reveals itself in an epiphany, the individual then evaluates whether the insight is worth the pursuit.
He may make changes to his solution so it is clearer. He may consult with peers or supervisors regarding his
insights during this step before pursuing it further. If he works with clients, he may seek a client's input and
approval before moving on to the next step.

Implementation
The implementation of an idea or solution in the creative process model is when an individual begins the process
of transforming her thoughts into a final product. For example, during this step, a painter may begin outlining
shapes on a canvas with charcoal before applying oil paints to the medium. According to Gabora, an individual
may begin this step more than once in order to reach the desired outcome. For example, a graphic designer may

open a new digital canvas if he did not have the scale calculated correctly on a previous work, and he will continue
to implement his ideas and make adjustments until he reaches a pleasing final product