Before I start – By giving this essay once again a title referring to food (for which I’m sorry for!) I’m participating on this little experiment that Wouter started out. We want to subliminally manipulate all Klatergoud.com readers to eat stuff while reading an article on this site. Question is – is it working?
Ok, all jokes aside – a brief history lesson before I start:
Schumpeter popularized and used the term above (Creative Destruction) to describe the process of radical innovation. In Schumpeter’s vision of capitalism, innovative entry by entrepreneurs was the force that sustained long-term economic growth, even as it destroyed the value of established companies that enjoyed some degree of monopoly power.
Personally I’ve been following every move of a certain Dutch brand of apparel goods since the very start, some 16 years ago. I happen to pitch for this brand right now – therefore I’ll have to be discrete and not call it by its name. You’ll have to excuse me for this.
Anyways, I can’t help it – I’m truly fascinated by the growth this brand generated (due to Creative Destruction) over the years and likewise the problems it’s in right now (due to Destructive Creativity).
The brand has followed a classical catastrophically path in the last three years, with all the familiar ingredients: a spoonful of erroneous financial management and a slow approach toward market changes. Cook and boil this for a while and Voila! “Fondue de Catastrophe.” Shit, that even sounds good with bread!
However, what fascinates me is the cause of this downturn. The thing that makes it unique: the enormous creativity the brand has on board! Yes, its own human capital! A fast and experienced majority of hungry creatives whom are eating the business from the inside out! And guess what’s on the menu?
While every self-respected brand guru is preaching the same nowadays: the only way out of a huge pile of shit (read: credit crunch/crisis) remains using a creative approach on things. So – innovate people, innovate!
One has to be careful with creativity! As it can be extremely dangerous for the brand.
The thing with creatives is that they need space to develop great things. Space to come up with ideas and concepts that will enhance your venture. They might feel quite threaten by any form of organization or structure that blocks this space.
Strategy and long term marketing approaches are such things, along with well sought out long term concepts and clever and engaging consistent campaigns.
All these things can literally destroy a good ‘Fondue de Catastrophe’, and most important: they all block creative space. Creatives feel that consitence and long term perspective block their freedom to operate, so they sabotage every attemp made by a marketing manager to engage in such a strateggy. Resulting in the company and brand getting nowhere!
The word is out: protect yourself from hungry creatives! Recognize them before you take them for dinner! Here are some characteristics of creatives that will help you recognize them:
In his book: Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention, Prof. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (last name pronounced as: ‘cheek-sent-me-high-ee’) distinguishes at least three different individuals that can legitimately be called by its name: Creative.
The first type is wide spread in ordinary conversation. It refers to persons who express unusual thoughts, who are interesting and stimulating — in short, to people who appear to be unusually bright, a brilliant conversationalist, persons with varied interests and a quick mind, may be called creative in this sense.
The second is referred to people who experience the world in novel and original ways. Individuals whose perceptions are fresh, whose judgments are insightful, who may make important discoveries that only they know about.
The final designates individuals who, like Leonardo da Vinci, Edison, Picasso, or Einstein, have changed our culture in some important respect. They are the creative ones without qualifications.
Prof. Csikszentmihalyi’s book covers a 5-year study of 91 individuals over 60 years old, who had a creative impact on the world.
So I ask: which of these creatives are mostly like to be found in your company? Or did you – like me, recognized yourself in one of these types? If so – beware, keep an open mind and don’t get too hungry! You might end up destroying what you created!
It has been emotional,
Born in Rio de Janeiro, now in Amsterdam, graduated at the Pompeu Fabra University (Barcelona) and the Radboud University (Nijmegen) with degrees in Marketing Science and Branding. Alfredo is a citizen of the world and a product of pragmatism. He is a consumer, a marketer, a business strategist and a full-time student. Alfredo travels, listens to stories and shares them, loves music and reads all that comes in his path.
Alfredo is the co-founder of Klatergoud, a freelance marketing & communication consultant and co-founder/owner of Fromanteel watches. His main interests are branding, creative communication, (luxury) marketing strategy and entrepreneurship.