Creativity and Consumer Evaluation: The Power of Process and Brand Fans

Creativity and Consumer Evaluation: The Power of Process and Brand Fans

Creativity Is a Process, Not an Event. What most people forget, however, is that Newton worked on his ideas about gravity for nearly twenty years until, in 1687, he published his groundbreaking book, The Principia: Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Creative thinking requires our brains to make connections between seemingly unrelated ideas. one study of 272,599 students found that although IQ scores have risen since 1990, creative thinking scores have decreased. According to psychology professor Barbara Kerr, “approximately 22 percent of the variance [in creativity] is due to the influence of genes.” being in the top 1 percent of intelligence has no correlation with being fantastically creative. Instead, you simply have to be smart (not a genius) and then work hard, practice deliberately and put in your reps. In the words of researchers from a 2013 study, “we obtained evidence that once the intelligence threshold is met, personality factors become more predictive for creativity.”

Your creative skills are largely determined by whether you approach the creative process with a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. People who are praised for talent now worry about doing the next thing, about taking on the hard task, and not looking talented, tarnishing that reputation for brilliance. So instead, they’ll stick to their comfort zone and get really defensive when they hit setbacks. What should we praise? The effort, the strategies, the doggedness and persistence, the grit people show, the resilience that they show in the face of obstacles, that bouncing back when things go wrong and knowing what to try next. So I think a huge part of promoting a growth mindset in the workplace is to convey those values of process, to give feedback, to reward people engaging in the process, and not just a successful outcome.

Incorporating these principles of creativity into the consumer evaluation process, we can draw parallels in the way consumers make purchasing decisions. According to an article titled "消費者は4回評価する。だからファンが大切。だから刹那的なインフルエンサー起用は意味が薄いというお話。｜池田紀行@トライバル｜note", consumers evaluate products in four stages. The first stage is the Concept, where the product needs to evoke a desire to own or purchase it. This stage requires the power of creativity to make the product appealing and intriguing. The second stage is Performance, where the product must deliver on its promises and create a desire for repeat purchases. Just as creativity requires effort and persistence, a product's performance must consistently meet or exceed consumer expectations.

Furthermore, the article emphasizes that the consumer's brand experience is not a one-time event but a continuous process. This aligns with the concept of creativity as a process rather than an event. The TMOT (Total Moment of Truth) represents the ongoing brand experience that is continually overwritten and updated with each interaction. It is the fans of a brand who contribute to this process by organically sharing their experiences as user-generated content (UGC). This UGC feeds into the ZMOT (Zero Moment of Truth) where potential consumers encounter accumulated reviews and stimuli.

To enhance the consumer evaluation process and leverage the power of creativity, there are actionable advice that can be implemented:

1. Praise the process, not just the outcome: Similar to promoting a growth mindset in the workplace, praising the effort, strategies, and persistence in the consumer evaluation process can encourage customers to engage in a more thorough and holistic assessment of a product.

2. Utilize carefully designed constraints: Just as constraints can spark creative thinking, incorporating constraints into the product development process can lead to more innovative and appealing offerings. By forcing oneself to think within specific boundaries, new and unique ideas can emerge.

3. Foster a positive environment: Positive psychology research has shown that happiness and positivity broaden our thinking, making it easier to make creative connections between ideas. Encouraging a positive environment for both employees and customers can enhance creativity and the evaluation process.

In conclusion, creativity is a process that requires effort, persistence, and a growth mindset. This applies not only to individual creative endeavors but also to the evaluation of products by consumers. By understanding the importance of the process, praising effort, and fostering creativity, both individuals and brands can unlock their creative potential and create meaningful experiences for themselves and their customers.