How to access the most creative solutions
Originally posted: November 16, 2021
Over the last few years we’ve been thinking a lot about how our work can have a social impact. We’ve been in business for more than 20 years and worked with some incredible organisations on projects that help communicate important issues, tell a story or develop communities through specific messaging and engagement. That’s the great thing about working in the Territory, and with people living and working in remote locations, there are so many services created to help and empower people. And we get to be part of it. It’s got us thinking — How can we make this better? How can we use the skills we have collectively to create a higher impact and do more social good?
This is the hard part, and why we’re letting you in on our inner thinkings. Our projects are all based on the ideas that you, our wonderful clients, have already come up with. We want to put the thought out there that you have a team full of creative thinkers at your fingertips who have some huge ideas up their sleeves they are just dying to action. So… we’d like to suggest something. Come to us with a problem, rather than an idea. Let us help you find the best solution for that problem.
We’re all aware that the way people consume information has changed a lot over the last 10 years. People are far less likely to read a big chunk of text than they are to watch a beautiful video that makes them feel something. Engaging people is the key to getting your message heard. The beautiful thing is, that technology and a shift in thinking now provides so many options for creating a message that really hits home. Here are some of our thoughts for projects we’d love to tackle and different ways to tell a story.
Graphic novels
There are so many ways you can dissect dense information to make it easier to digest and we’re really digging the idea of doing that with a graphic novel at the moment. What’s a graphic novel? Basically, a long comic book, breaking a story into frames with scenes and characters — an adult picture book! Some examples are Persepolis, talking about the Iranian revolution, and Sapiens, a pretty intense book about evolution. If you think about it, a lot of complex topics can be turned into a story that is easier to absorb if you put a bit of creative thought into it.
Mini documentaries
I’m sure there’s a lot more to your business or organisation than people know about. Sometimes the best way to market yourself is to show people who you really are. Not a sales pitch or fancy deal, a bit of honesty and personality. When people feel like they know you, they form a bond and loyalty. If you’ve got a cause worth talking about, you’ll have a community of people that will spread the word for you because they heard your story in an interesting way and connected with it.
Animated videos
Kids are learning all the time without even realising, through the little animated shows and movies they watch. Even kids who hate school will learn something if it’s shown to them through the perspective of fun little characters they can relate to and engage with. It’s the same for adults really. Reading a brochure, report or document can be a snore, you’re reading sure, but you’re not necessarily absorbing that information. Turning that information into something more fun and engaging is a really effective way of delivering a message. Watch a two-minute animation on a dry topic made fun and you’ll learn so much more. We’ve actually done quite a few of these already, a lot of them based around health information. It’s been a really effective way to communicate about issues that people may otherwise have been unaware of.
Interactive exhibits
This is a great way to let people know about new programs, resources, ideas. It’s also just a really fun way to share any kind of visual information. Imagine an art or museum exhibition, or even a stall at the show, but with elements that the viewer can actively participate in. We did a project like this for the Heritage Council where we helped create a huge memory board grid, where there was an image on one side and information on the other. The viewer would spin the block around to reveal more information, and because this was an engaging activity they would read much more of the information than if it was all just in one static display because it was fun to find the next block. This is just one example of ways to make an exhibit interactive, and for us, it was a really fun process to figure out the best way to engage the target audience in a way that suited the content and intention. The options for interactive exhibits are endless! Imagine creating a virtual reality pod or a sensory journey. There are options to suit all budgets and goals which we can find together.
Murals
Not sure we need to say too much about murals. They’re basically a huge billboard that also brings life to the urban sprawl and creates pride in a community. While marketing can sound painful and cliche sometimes, we’re of the opinion that marketing is much more effective when it is indirect. You don’t need to have your logo plastered 4 metres high on a building for people to be aware of you. A mural can be a great way to communicate your personality and values without yelling it directly in a traditional advertising medium. Everybody loves a mural.
Originally published at https://bellette.com.au.
