Don't Be An Idea Elitist!

Great Ideas Can Come From Anyone, From Anywhere, At Anytime

By David Miranda

Two brothers named Wright who had a small bicycle shop in the American Midwest had an idea that man could soar the skies in powered flight. Sheer madness!

Two college dropouts, a Mr. Gates and a Mr. Allen, thought that personal computers might be popular one day and maybe they would need an operating system. Ridiculous!

A young man in the San Francisco area wanted to find some Pez dispensers from other enthusiasts to complete his collection. He created eBay because he thought there may be others who felt the same way. Poppycock!

Where do great ideas come from? From anywhere, anyone, anytime.

Unfortunately in the marketing arena, we forget this. Marketers become idea elitists, i.e. thinking that great ideas come from ad agencies, marketing gurus, people with Ivy League credentials, high I.Q's, people with experience in the field, people with track records, and the like. Balderdash!

Great ideas come from people who recognize a better solution and possess the passion, fortitude, and conviction to shepherd their ideas to fruition. Marketing executives must be able to encourage, recognize, and nuture creative thinking both in their own organization and from agencies and consultants. The next great idea could come from the most unlikely source - a receptionist, intern, customer, client, mother-in-law, etc.

Don't be an idea elitist. Keep your eyes and ears open. Observe, listen, and query.

Who knows, the next person you meet, could be a future Orville Wright or Bill Gates.