Zenzi Client, AmyK, has made 600+ presentations worldwide on leadership and sales.  She draws on Master’s experience at John Hopkins University to help business managers capitalize on how the brain and human perception filters work to be more effective in business and life and offers up these tips for thinking outside of the box.

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Innovation begins with a phenomenon known as the Eureka! effect. When a connection forms between brain cells that have never “talked” before you get a new idea – a Eureka! When this creative moment is nurtured in an environment where free thinking is fostered and disparate connections are encouraged, the result can be game-changing…the result is the Eureka! effect. Think iPod, bio-fuel, and making donations via SMS – these phenomena are complete game-changers. And, the creative ideas behind each of them didn’t simply stay in someone’s head, they were energized in environments of intellectual curiosity.

Ever have a “great idea”, only to have it fade away in the mist of your mind? What would be the power in capturing your great idea and creating a Eureka! moment?

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2 Techniques to Energize Eureka! Moments:

1. 20%. – the amount of time your brain needs to spend in theta mode. What’s theta mode? The opposite of go-go-go mode. Most of us live 80 mph lifestyles, but it’s when we slow down and reflect on what’s going on that we get our best, most innovative ideas. Google allows their employees to spend 20% of their time NOT working on assigned objectives and tasks. So what are these employees doing essentially 1 day out of the work week? Exploring their environment, virtual and real, and “playing” with new ideas together and on their own.  Google’s 20% time culminated in a new $240M division. That’s innovation & productivity!

2. Mix up your brain cells. Literally…sort of.  When you have a challenge or opportunity, first engage your brain by asking it a question. The brain is naturally curious and drives to answer your question.  When you have that BIG question in your head, let it go. Literally…really. Drop the pursuit of an answer and go cycling or surfing (something physical), then read a chapter of a biz book, next spend at least 20 minutes drawing, painting, sketching (with “real” media or with software) and then go back and ask the question again. By forcing your brain to “play” with distinctly different activities, you require different cells to connect creatively. Disparate connections will form and Eureka! moments result.

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Want to move that Eureka from moment to effect?

3 Questions to Grow Your Eureka! to Innovation:
1. What skills, information and knowledge do I need to make this idea happen?
2. Where will I find the resources, help, assistance or collaboration I need to sustain my momentum?
3. What are the first five things I need to do to put this idea in motion?

I cherish the “art of the pitch” – for me it is one of the most enjoyable aspects of media relations. The bread and butter of public relations is the ability to transform complicated technology concepts or multifaceted partnership announcements into two or three sentences that summarize the whole and is still captivating to a news reporter. I often lay awake at night compulsively rethinking or tweaking messages or even email subject lines in my head.

As media channels continue to evolve through new services beyond traditional reporting such as webinars, conferences and executive roundtables in order to balance lost advertising dollars, I have often found that “the pitcher” (me) – has become “the pitchee.” In the past, communication with the media was a one-way street but editors are now reaching out directly to PR agents themselves to push these new offerings (because, in essence, we are the nearest link to our clients marketing dollars).

How should PR practitioners feel about this? How should we react? Is this even ethical in terms of journalistic standards? As the media industry has evolved so too has the PR campaign. Securing “hits” has become just one aspect of the overall PR/marketing mix. Campaigns are now much more eclectic and must blend multiple touch points which, at times, involve extending marketing dollars towards conference sponsorships, hosted webinars, etc. I enjoy working with editors on these types of projects because it helps strengthen the overall relationship they have with my clients. It’s not that they ever offer “pay for play” in terms of coverage, but simply help extend overall brand or product awareness, which is always the end goal.

As a PR expert ask yourself – would you rather be the hero for securing a feature in a top-tier trade which may or may not reach that potential customer ready to make a purchase or for crafting a successful webinar that resulted in immediate sales for your client?

He’s French (but don’t hold it against him!) says Christophe Morin of SalesBrain, a dedicated researcher in the field of neuromarketing. For many years, he has been on a quest to find the “buy button” in the brain, and his findings may surprise you.  Instead of decisions being made in the frontal lobe, the highest cognitive functioning part of the brain, they are happening in the brain stem, or “old brain” or “reptilian brain,” which is 500 million years old. It acts on basic instincts and is responsible for sleep, respiration, and other life critical functions.

So, how can companies use this knowledge of where decisions are made to influence customers and accelerate the marketing decision making process?  Integrate some of the basic principles of neuromarketing and make a quick and meaningful connection and cut through the clutter:  

At Zenzi, we believe in giving back to organizations that are helping to make the world a better place. Supporting nonprofits working to implement social change not only feels good, it is a great way to create buzz about your company. It’s a win-win situation. This is why we encourage our clients to engage in cause marketing campaigns and seek out the right alliances for their mission and corporate goals. When you act out of goodness, people begin to trust you, and right now, trust is one of the most meaningful and hard-earned assets a company can possess. So take a step back from the financial fears and think about what you and your company can do to help the greater good. You’ll be surprised what a difference it will make.

1. 1. Choose a cause that is relevant to your brand: The charity you choose should make sense for your company and be in line with your mission and values. Be strategic when thinking about which non-profit is meaningful and will complement your brand messaging.
2. 2. Be original: The more unique or groundbreaking cause you choose, the more press-worthy it is and the more mileage you will get out of it. Plus, you will help spread an interesting message and will be viewed as an industry leader. The Haagen-Dazs “Save The Honey Bees” Campaign is a perfect example of a creative cause that is also right on target for the brand.
3. 3. Take advantage of social media: Tap into the power of social networks as a cost-effective way to spread the word. TwitCause, new from Experience Project, is an innovative way to help spread the word about your favorite charity via Twitter. We also love SocialVibe, where you can partner with sponsors to create greater impact for your cause campaign.
4. 4. Make sure you walk the talk: Be ethical. Don’t just claim to be helping a charity unless you plan on playing a big role or donating a significant amount of money to the cause. There has been a huge swell of corporate brands falsely claiming to be “green” (2% less plastic used…but still horribly toxic for the environment) or “pink” (check out Think Before You Pink).
5. 5. Be compassionate: Charity causes are often a sensitive issue to those involved, so make sure they know that you genuinely care about what they are doing for the world. A good non-profit should be equally concerned about your mission and values as its own. Sincerity and kindness are the name of the game.
6. 6. Pick one and stick with it: When deciding on a cause to support, it is important to think about the long-term. What are you passionate about? Choosing a cause that resonates with your employees will help energize your team and will help its staying power. No campaign can achieve overnight success, so you have to be willing to hang on to see the results you want.
7. 7. Drive dollars back to you: Tie product purchases into support for the cause. If you donate a percentage of each product to a cool non-profit, consumers are more likely to choose your product over others that aren’t giving back. Sometimes having a direct relationship (i.e. For every ten bikes purchased, you provide one bike to a child in a third-world country) helps to give your customers something they can grasp on to.
8. 8. Think big: Partner with an organization that is already getting good press on their own, then figure out how you can add to it for a bigger and better impact. Maybe choosing a smaller non-profit is right for your company, so you can really make large-scale change for their cause.
9. 9. Be comprehensive: Make sure you are supporting your campaign from all sides, including PR, media messaging, in-store displays, online, events, and guerilla outreach. Evaluate your progress along the way to ensure you are achieving your goals.
10. 10. Have Fun: Be sure to take a moment to enjoy how good it feels to give back! Celebrate your success with a party. Give out awards. Put on a check presentation or ribbon-cutting ceremony. Say thanks to those who helped along the way.