Doing improv a few days out of the week is a huge part of our weekly shenanigans. In improv, there are a lot of different games to play, but the one we usually end up going with is “Name Ten Things.”
In name ten things, and improv in general, it is important to know that there are no wrong answers—ever. In fact, the more absurd the answer, the better it is.
You’re probably asking yourself the questions, “Isn’t improv just a bunch of goofing around?” Or, “How could this possibly be productive?”
Truth is, improv can be very productive, and despite its comedic nature, it can be, and should be, taken seriously! This is the reason that we do it. Our job is coming up with new ideas; innovative ideas. Improv helps you think outside the box.
It’s about finding solutions to problems that don’t exist yet. It’s discovering a company’s brand out of notes scribbled onto a paper.
When we sit down to discover a company’s brand, it usually consists of a lot of bad ideas at first. Ideas that just don’t go anywhere. That’s what the whole process is about! It’s about the ability to come up with ten different ideas until you reach that “golden idea.”
No one will see those other nine bad ideas, but the freedom and ability to come up with nine silly things before you hit the one amazing idea is vital. Have you ever thought about trying to come up with one good idea without having a bad idea first? It’s almost impossible!
Improv is an incredible way to get your brain kick-started in the morning. You begin to think outside the box. You can start to imagine things that don’t normally exist. In marketing, this is the key.
