Shitstorming: Why the Worst Ideas Beat Brainstorming Every Time
It SUCKS when you get a calendar invite titled “Brainstorming Session For New Awareness Campaign”
It sucks because you know it’s going to be two hours of your time you’ll NEVER get back.
It sucks because it’s going to be in that stuffy conference room that smells like lukewarm broccoli.
And it sucks because your colleagues are going to be super nervous about being judged by others and looking stupid (except Rory, who’s going to hijack the meeting, as always). So everyone will come up with the blandest, most boring, most average f*cking ideas ever.
So… what to do?
Well, there’s another way to come up with money-making ideas. You just need to be ready to get a little weird.
One word. Two emojis: 💩🌪️
SHITstorming
Jocelyn Brady, aka “The Brain Lady,” shared this genius idea generation concept:
“The purpose of it is you come up with the STUPIDEST idea that you can imagine. The worst thing is the best thing.”
And it works because it tends to “melt away people’s resistance to be correct and serious.”
In other words, with SHITstorming, the goal is to look stupid. Reverse psychology. Genius.
When you think about it, so many wildly successful ideas sounded like the STUPIDEST ideas ever at first:
- An ad campaign for a price comparison website featuring “Aleksandr Orlov,” a meerkat speaking with a Russian accent (Compare The Market).
- A website where anyone can share their knowledge for free (Wikipedia).
- Another ad campaign for a fizzy drink featuring a fat dude in an orange bodysuit slapping people (Tango).
- A rock sold as a collectible toy in custom cardboard boxes, sold over 1 million units at $4 each and became a millionaire (Pet Rock).
- A restaurant where “you will be greeted and waited upon by rude waiters and forced to play a variety of games.” (Karen’s Diner)
The comparison
Group brainstorming:
- Proven ineffective by 40 years of research
- Fear of judgment kills creativity
- Scheduled sessions don’t spark brilliance
Group SHITstorming:
- Embraces the absurd, reducing fear of judgment
- Encourages wild ideas that stand the f*ck out
Next time someone sends you a brainstorming invite, reply with the 💩🌪️ emoji and see what happens.
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Key terms
Point of View (POV)
A point of view is a collection of consistent messages inserted into everything you do and say, showing your segment you're committed to protecting them. It is not thought leadership. It is not random opinions. It is a coherent signal that transforms random acts of marketing into a narrative.
Distinctiveness
Distinctiveness is what makes your brand noticed, remembered, and shortlisted when buyers are ready to act. It is not the same as differentiation. Differentiation gives people a reason to choose you. Distinctiveness gives people a reason to remember you. You need one or the other. Ideally both.
Differentiation
Differentiation in B2B is the practice of solving specific problems that alternatives leave unsolved for a specific group of people. Being different for the sake of it is a fool's errand. The difference must address an ignored struggle that your segment actually cares about.
