The creativity trap why being different isn't enough

March 2024 (919 Words, 6 Minutes)

In 1985, Coca-Cola launched the “New Coke” campaign. It introduced a new drink that they claimed had a better taste. In a context of market share losses, Coca-Cola attempted to differentiate itself. The goal was to create a sensation and stand out in the market.

In 2011, Coca-Cola launched the “Share a Coke” campaign in Australia. They chose to personalize their bottles and can by replacing their logo with popular names (such as Lily or Mike). That’s different from “New Coke,” as this campaign’s creativity lies in its simplicity. Coca-Cola didn’t try to reinvent their product or create an entirely new concept.

As you may have guessed, the “New Coke” campaign was a total failure, while the “Share a Coke” campaign was a big success. After reversing a decade-long decline in sales in Australia, Coca-Cola implemented “Share a Coke” in over 80 countries. The brand succeeded in connecting with consumers on a deeper and more personal level. In contrast, the “New Coke” campaign failed to consider the emotional connection people had with the original brand. Coca-Cola received so many negative feedback that they withdrew their new product from the market.

The “New Coke” marketers experienced a significant creativity trap.

Trying to be different is a creativity trap

Creativity can be narrowly defined as the ability to create. The words “Imagination”, “Originality” and “Innovation” often seem close to creativity. Creativity is something we use while imagination can be kept inside. Originality refers to uniqueness while creativity is about generating valuable ideas. Innovation is a closer concept and can be seen as the practical application of creativity. Being creative means finding new connections, approaching problems in new ways, or seeing new patterns in the world. But it does not mean being different.

The pressure to be different can be huge in today’s world. However, looking for absolute originality is actually a creative trap. This idea that everything we create must be completely new can hinder our full creativity.

Indeed, creativity is not about creating ex nihilo but rather about adding our own spin to existing ideas and influences. It’s a social and cultural process that involves taking inspiration from the world around us. This aspect of creativity emphasizes why a creator doesn’t need to be an outsider. On the contrary, he should try to be a deeper insider in our society. To be more creative, connect with several professional or artistic communities, be curious about what others do, share your work, and try to collaborate with as many people as you can. What you’ll learn somewhere may be the solution of a problem elsewhere.

In reality, creativity often involves combining existing ideas or concepts in innovative ways. We can find various examples of creative breakthroughs that resulted from this approach. For instance, George de Mestral went for a walk and observed the cocklebur, a plant with hooked spines that attach themselves to fur and clothing. He wondered what would happen if he applied that same principle to shoes, and this led to the invention of Velcro.

Innovation thrives on reinventing and reusing the old.

Beyond Originality: Crafting Ideas That Truly Perform

Let’s consider two copywriters : John and Jane. Both followed the same trainings and know the same techniques. They cover the same niche and largely share the same ideas. They know each other and even collaborate on some projects. However, John is increasingly envious of Jane because she gains many followers when she posts while he struggles. So, he starts wondering: “What does she do better than me ?”.

He then discovers that the secret behind Jane’s success is her unique way to present familiar ideas or concepts. She focuses on effectiveness, and makes a powerful connection with the audience. She can do that by using analogies and sensory language, reframing existing ideas, incorporate personal experience… The outcome is a text whose content may not differ from John’s but whose structure has a strong emotional impact on the audience.

I arrived at this realization that a writer can be creative without straying too far from the norm by reading Harlan Coben’s books. Each new book felt familiar but kept me attracted from the first page to the last. He may use the same framework for all his books, he does so in an effective manner.

These examples illustrate that to have an impact, you have to go further than doing something new. You have to understand what people expect and need. It’s easy to be weird or to create things that no one would use. I recently saw on Reddit a user asking for feedback on a USB typewriter. I discovered that some individuals started converting vintage manual typewriters into USB-enabled devices, allowing vintage enthusiasts and writers to connect a typewriter to a computer. It’s a creative idea that can be appealing to a niche market. However, the feedback was predominantly negative, from “I bought a typewriter precisely because I could write efficiently w/o a computer” to “It seems very gimmicky and overpriced for what it is.” After broader research, I understood that most people found it impractical: modern keyboards offer far more functionality and real typewriters are way more affordable. This invention failed to have a widespread impact due to practical limitations and lack of advantage over existing alternatives. Once again, you can see why effectiveness is key.

In contrast, typical examples of impactful inventions are the iPhone and the Dyson vacuum cleaner. The creativity in these inventions was not based on a will to be different for the sake of being different. It was about finding a solution to a real problem that people were facing. Apple took an existing idea and improved upon it in a way that made it more useful and appealing to consumers. Dyson observed that vacuum cleaners all used bags to collect dust and lost suction power as the bags filled up. He thought creatively about how to create a vacuum cleaner that was more effective. He developed a cyclonic separation technology for household vacuum cleaners, which maintains suction by spinning air at high speed, separating dust and dirt, and collecting it in a bin. The Dyson vacuum cleaner became a significant success because consumers recognized the effectiveness of the technology.

Instead of focusing on being different, focus on your audience or customers. Run tests, gather feedback, stay flexible and iterate to improve your creations.

Conclusion

This article marks the first step in my journey towards embracing a more creative self. I’ve come to understand that true creativity isn’t about being different; it’s about being effective and engaging with others.