Brainstorming with Props - "Goodie Bags" and The WSJ

When developing new strategies or products, coming up with
unique ideas is often a struggle. It is one of the reasons
why, in any industry, there is so much repetition. One way
to generate new ideas and "get the creative juices flowing"
is by brainstorming using props. There are several ways to
incorporate props into a session. Two of my favorites are
the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and goodie bags.

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What is Brainstorming?
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According to dictionary.com, brainstorming is:
1) A method of shared problem solving in which all members
of a group spontaneously contribute ideas or
2) A similar process undertaken by a person to solve a
problem by rapidly generating a variety of possible
solutions.

In action, brainstorming should be uncensored - no idea is
dumb or impossible. In an organization, throw titles out the
window. The janitor's ideas have the same validity as the
CEO's. When brainstorming, try to pretend you know nothing
about what can and cannot be done. Write down ideas as they
come up, no matter how outlandish. The task at hand is to
free-associate, generating as many ideas as possible.

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Brainstorming with "Goodie Bags"
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There's nothing more boring than a sterile conference room.
Yet, this is where many group sessions take place. To liven
the atmosphere, you need a springboard...stimuli to get the
ideas flowing.

One way to provide stimuli is to gather miscellaneous items
into "goodie bags" and have group members sort through them,
writing down ideas as they come up. When I worked as the
seasonal Marketing Manager for Nestl