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Last week, I wrote about the appalling lack of creativity on most radio stations today.

That prompted one of Radio’s best programmers, and one of the true creatives I’ve know in our business to offer ideas.

These are his ideas, his words and they are worthy of your time and adoption – because they work!

“I knew a record rep in Canada whose father invented a device that looked like the ‘magic 8 ball’ that had a little window in it and you’d ask it a question and the answer would appear within the fluid inside. His version instead had strips with words appearing seemingly at random. The idea is to promote horizontal thinking, to seek solutions where you wouldn’t normally.

We usually think vertically (logically) – need promo for contest for Mother’s Day, and you try to come up with a script that goes down that path. We follow a vertical path of logic, a to b to c. But by forcing your thought pattern out of that rut, you can find new unexpected inspiration.

But if I had a starter word DOG, maybe I’d think Dog mothers, adopting dogs, or dogs for moms…

Another technique is to look at the opposite. Mother’s Day/ Fathers Day vs month or year. Could there be a mother’s MINUTE? Where would that lead you?

And just because it popped into my mind – one of my favorite promos about fireworks had the line, “Light the fuse and get away. It’s a lot like marriage.”

I love that “light the fuse” line! It resonates with every married person worldwide.

The mind behind these words is Bob Wood, and if you don’t already know him, you can meet him and listen to his work HERE.