4 ways creativity gives businesses the competitive edge
In this article PermissionToPlay founder Kevin Mann shares his tips on embedding creativity into your business to make it more competitive and successful.
Fostering a creative mindset in business is one of the most important paths to growth. This article explores four essential ways that creativity can make your company more competitive and, ultimately, more successful.
Creativity in a business can help teams to solve problems, generate new concepts and, crucially, take risks. If staff are encouraged to be creative and feel at ease sharing ideas, these traits can promote innovation and develop new ways of doing things that cut through gaps in the market. This provides businesses with a unique selling point, helping them to deliver outstanding customer service and present a new, innovative slant on an old offering.
There are strong links between creative minds and the ability to problem-solve. In business, problem-solving helps organisations work efficiently and decisively. A company that can solve its problems well will stand out in the market and gain a larger share of business.
Here are four ways you can build creativity into your company to give yourselves the competitive edge:
1. Create the culture to be creative
In organisations where creativity is embedded in the culture, it is fair to suggest that this makes employees significantly more engaged and productive in their work. Employees who demonstrate creative flair and initiate ideas in a culture that promotes creativity may feel they have a voice; they are listened to and feel more valued compared to the cultures that discourage creativity.
This then also has the added benefit of retaining staff for much longer compared to a business where they feel unable to contribute, which also reflects well on your company as a business to be trusted.
2. Get creative with sales and marketing
When it comes to sales and marketing, creative campaigns can be the silver bullet for a business. A creative, forwarding-thinking marketing campaign, or a quick, reactive idea can go viral in today’s online generation and catapult a business into a household name overnight.
Viral marketing generates more business and brand awareness faster than any slick, programmed off-line campaign. It’s about having the support to take a risk when an opportunity arises, to align a concept with your business and steer it to global attention.
3. Encourage cross-department collaboration
Creativity and cross-department collaboration can bring about fusion-thinking and generate ideas that in isolation may not be brought to the surface. Creative roles are no longer only about the design and marketing departments. Organisations in a variety of fields such as financial services, professional services and engineering are increasingly favouring creative flair over analytical skills when hiring or promoting.
Creativity should be encouraged across an organisation so that everyone feels able to contribute – it’s often these moments when the best ideas are discovered.
4. Foster agile behaviour
A company that promotes a creative culture can allow for adaptability and agile working. This means, while creativity fosters problem-solving and intuitive thinking for a business, it can also foster speed, agility and learning from mistakes and failures, which are crucial to business success.
Great companies embrace a challenge and seek ways to overcome obstacles rather than fire-fight their way around them. This agile attitude is reflected in how you deal with your customers and reassures them that you care about their custom.
So, it’s easy to see how creativity can really help your company rise above your competitors and lead the way in your field. The likes of Google, ASOS and Innocent Drinks are all good examples of how creativity has propelled the companies to success. If you would like help to channel your creative thinking and build your creative culture at work, contact Permission to Play.
PermissionToPlay delivers creative thinking training that helps teams gain the skills, mindsets and confidence to solve problems differently, generate original ideas more quickly, and build a culture where innovation can flourish.
If you would like to find out more about how our creative training packages can benefit your business, contact us today or call us on 0330 311 0034.
ABOUT KEVIN
A self-confessed creativity buff, Kevin helps teams acquire the skills and confidence to be highly inventive by delving into the creative thinking methods and techniques of today’s leading innovators. Previously, he was a marketing director and strategist with over 20 years’ experience supporting organisations going through major change, from start-ups to large mergers and break-ups. He has worked across diverse sectors, from financial services and tech to charities.
Practising creative thinking daily can unearth a wealth of exploration and innovation