Here’s an idea without insight. A shampoo brand launches a campaign saying, “Our shampoo smells amazing!” This is an idea, but it lacks a strong consumer insight. It doesn’t show why people care about the scent of the shampoo or what problem it solves.

Now consider this insight: “People associate the scent of their shampoo with feeling fresh and confident throughout the day.”

From this insight, you get some creative ideas:

• A campaign showing a person walking into a meeting, radiating confidence as colleagues notice their fresh, floral-scented hair
• A ‘24-Hour Freshness Challenge’ where influencers test the lasting power of the shampoo

Read more: Check out our guide to content ideation to help you develop your creative ideas.

How can you turn insights into strong campaign ideas?

Here’s a breakdown of common techniques:

• SCAMPER method
• Mind mapping
• First principles thinking

SCAMPER method

The  overseas data SCAMPER method involves six steps:

• Substitute: Replace one element.
• Combine: Merge two ideas.
• Adapt: Modify an existing idea.
• Modify: Exaggerate or shrink something.
• Put to another use: Find a new purpose.
• Eliminate: Remove unnecessary elements.
• Reverse: Do the opposite.

For instance, suppose a fast-food chain wants to refresh its drive-thru experience. It decides to use the SCAMPER method:

• Substitute: Replace speaker orders with touchscreen kiosks for clarity.
• Combine: Merge the drive-thru with mobile ordering for seamless pickup.
• Adapt: Apply curbside pickup efficiency to the drive-thru.
• Modify: Add express lanes for pre-orders.
• Put to another use: Use drive-thru lanes for exclusive pop-up menu items.
• Eliminate: Remove paper menus, going fully digital.
• Reverse: Instead of customers moving, staff delivers food to parked cars for a relaxed experience.

Mind mapping

Mind mapping starts with one central idea and expands into multiple directions, helping uncover new angles, deeper insights, and unexpected connections.

It’s a visual brainstorming tool that allows marketers to see the bigger picture while breaking it down into actionable ideas:

1. Start with a core idea: Identify the central theme or message of the campaign.
2. Branch out: Expand into related concepts, emotions, or problem-solving angles.
3. Refine and prioritize: Identify the most compelling directions to build the campaign narrative.

For example, Apple used mind mapping for its iPod launch. It didn’t say “5GB of Storage”, because this was technical and uninspiring. Instead, Apple reframed it as “1,000 Songs in Your Pocket” – a simpler, more relatable benefit that connected with consumers emotionally.

What makes an idea powerful?

• Consumer insight: What do people need but don’t have?
• Brand strategy: How does this align with business goals?
• Cultural relevance: Does it tap into emotions, trends, or behaviors?

Let’s look at each of these in more detail.

Consumer insight

A strong consumer insight is the foundation of every successful marketing campaign. It identifies a real need, clearsale reinforces commitment to digital security and financial inclusion in new campaign acknowledges the barrier preventing action, and presents a solution in a way that resonates emotionally.

A consumer insight usually follows this formula: “I [consumer] want [need/desire], but [barrier], so [solution].”

It aims to answer the following questions about the consumer:

• Need/Desire: What does the consumer truly want? What emotional or practical need are they trying to fulfill?
• Barrier: What is stopping them from getting what they want? Is it cost, time, lack of awareness, difficulty, or something cultural?
• Solution: How does your brand or product remove this barrier in a way that feels natural and compelling? Why is this solution uniquely suited to them

Having progressed from your initial insight to a compelling idea for a campaign, it’s now time to start planning to bring that campaign to life. The creative brief will guide you on this stage on the journey.

A creative brief is a concise document that outlines the key objectives, audience, message, and direction sms to data of a campaign. This helps you to ensure that your campaign execution is aligned with your strategy. Consider it like a bridge between the brand and the creative team, providing clear guidance while allowing room for innovation.

Read more: Discover how to develop a creative brief for social media content.

A great creative brief ensures:

• The brand’s objectives and challenges are clearly defined.
• The target audience is well understood.
• The creative team knows what success looks like and how to measure it. It guides creativity instead of restricting it.

Example 

Imagine a brand wants to attract Gen Z customers to its coffee chain. Without a clear brief, the agency might create a beautiful, artistic ad that wins awards but doesn’t resonate with Gen Z.

With a strong brief, the agency knows Gen Z values convenience, digital engagement, and experiences. So the campaign might focus on mobile ordering, influencer collaborations, and interactive pop-up stores.