We are all born fresh, free of opinion and prejudice. Yet somewhere along the line we become filled with notions about the world around us.

We also develop skills that help us deal with problems that might come our way.

Take a look at the two problems below.

1. Find the sum of the internal angles of a triangle.
2. Find different uses for one pound of black cotton.

If you’ve already come up with the answer 180° to the first problem, chances are you are inclined to think convergently. It is also likely that your memory contains the answer to this question. Thus, coming up with the “solution” really doesn’t require a great deal of cognitive activity.

If you already have a short list of ways to use black cotton, you are probably the kind of person who naturally thinks divergently, which is the mental process of generating multiple answers to any one particular problem.

The late U.S. psychologist, J.P. Guilford, was best remembered for his psychometric study of human intelligence.

He determined that there were essentially two ways that humans mentally respond to any given problem, and that most individuals display a preference for one or the other.

One way is through convergent thinking, the other—

divergent.

Most of us have become “educated” through presentations of a series of problems for memorization or resolution. Consequently, we gravitate toward convergent thinking when it comes to problem solving. Or rather, we are conditioned to deduce the best single answer to a set problem.

Divergent (or creative) thinking is the ability to draw on ideas from across disciplines and fields of inquiry to reach a deeper understanding of the world and one’s place in it.

The products of creative thought are usually considered both original and appropriate based on the problem at hand. More simply, creativity is the act of making something new that people (but not necessarily ALL people) can understand.

Most of our educational backgrounds have conditioned us to solve problems using solutions someone else has already figured out. But when it comes to marketing, what has worked well for someone will almost certainly NOT work for anyone else.

Hence, in today’s fiercely competitive business environment, it is hypercritical that divergent thinking (or creativity) is at the core of the business model.

Creativity isn’t just about painting, sculpting, drawing, singing, playing or taking pictures. It’s about showing people insightful new ways to observe and think about things they think they already fully understand.

But mostly, creativity is about being brave enough to believe that your unique understanding of the world is valid and worth sharing with others, then finding ways to help others see your vision as you do.

Of course, it’s risky. But not any riskier than blending in by playing it safe.

Not long ago, researchers found that certain chemicals found in red wine contained molecules that helped limit age-related illnesses. Today, American’s are drinking more red wine than ever before.

According to the National Resources Defense Council, at least 25 percent of bottled water starts out as tap water. Yet, it is reported that Americans are drinking more bottled water these days than milk, coffee or even beer.

So…what we essentially have here are two beverages that deliver health benefits. One is a result of a fermentation process and the other is one of our most abundant natural resources. Both bottled commodities report sales in the billions.

How? Or more importantly, why?

Alongside of these reports, a documentary was presented to the American public in which a man committed to a strict 30-day diet of food from one of America’s best known fast food chains. The result was an extra thirty pounds added to his frame, and a resounding plea from his family and doctors to revert back to a healthier diet before his experiment killed him.

Consequently, the fast food chain involved in the study (along with just about all the others) got on a health kick. Of course the “bad stuff” didn’t change a bit. But, healthier options were made available.

Somewhere along the line, America became sedentary as more and more jobs require a lot of sitting around. As a result, nutritionists and medical professionals are warning us to be more careful about what we eat and encouraging us to make exercise more of a part of our daily routines. All of this combined with high cholesterol medication advertising, weight watchers marketing, and all the information available through the media and the Internet plants an image in the mind of all Americans. That mental image is: Our hearts aren’t as healthy as they should be. (Or could be.)

The health benefits of water have long been known. So, it stands to reason that as Americans become more aware of the need to make healthier choices, water regains its “positioning” in bottle form as a healthy choice. No surprise there.

Then science comes along and finds a chemical in red wine that may help reduce the risk of heart disease. And, bingo! Red wine starts flying off the shelves, too.

This is a classic illustration of effective product positioning. As consumers, we gravitate toward products that “fit in” with the rest of the things going on in our lives. Healthy Lifestyle=Healthy Products. Wine=Healthy. Thus, drink more wine. Simple, right?

When you’re looking for a way to position your product or service in the mind, it is paramount that you embark on the journey of exploring the mind of the prospect looking for mental images (hooks) that are already there. Then hang your brand message on one of them. If it fits, you’ve got a winning association.

What are some unexpected ways people can benefit from your product or service?

Some say that if Thomas Edison had relied on market research he would have made larger candles instead of inventing the light bulb.

While a statement like that might seem silly, consider this: Many companies seeking to develop products suited for a particular market look to potential customers for answers to questions such as, “What do you like least about candles?”

Back in the day, this type of question would have conceivably solicited responses like, “They burn out too quickly,” which would have lead to the manufacturing and sales of candles that lasted longer. Hence, larger candles.

But Edison was an innovator. He was able to think beyond the norms and conceive of an inexpensive, efficient means of illuminating the world around us even after the night falls and the candles all burn out.

And, yes, had he depended on market research, chances are candles would have continued to get bigger and bigger. But, Edison must have known that improving the engineering of wax and wick formations wasn’t the kind of innovation he needed to change the world, thus, it is possible that he asked better questions.

What follows is a model for a customer-focused means of assessing the market and the opportunities that exist as they relate to the needs of the customer. We call it the ADIA model. If you want a better understanding of how your customer relates to your product/service, focus on the following four elements:

Adequacy
How well does your product/service meet the customer’s needs? Are there additional needs you can satisfy with the same product? New products?

Disposition
How does the customer feel about your product/service based on what s/he knows about it? What is the cost? How can s/he benefit? Rationally? Emotionally?

Influence
What kind of information is the customer receiving about your product/service and where is it coming from? Who or what influences his/her decision to buy?

Acquisition
Is your product/service easy to obtain? How quickly can the customer start benefiting from it? Can you make it easier still?

By constantly focusing on these four elements of the marketing equation, you will find that your ability to innovate will come more naturally. And you will also notice improvements in customer relations.

Effective market research is about asking the right questions. By studying the inner workings of the demand of the market and thinking about new ways to meet it, you can’t help but be innovative.

Conversely, you can painstakingly focus on the workings of the supply. But, if you do, you may just find yourself making larger candles and missing out on an opportunity to change the world.

Last week we stressed the importance of BS (believability and sincerity) in your advertising. And while we maintain that there are many reasons the BS strategy is effective, it is still important that your message does three things:

Engage
Entertain
Educate

Often times, the truth is stranger than fiction. And by truth we mean the kind of truth that few people see or think about on a regular basis. These kinds of truths are also known as key insights.

The right insight can lead to creative ideas that revolve around the truth, but don’t necessarily contain any truth at all.

For example, one major auto manufacturer is currently airing a television commercial for a popular brand of pickup truck.

The ad opens on a scene in Loch Ness, Scotland, where a reporter begins talking about how, “Over a thousand people insist they’ve seen something in Loch Ness, yet when science is applied…”

About that time, Nessie comes out of the water, snatches a truck and drags it into the water as scientists on the shore watch in disbelief while the truck that contains one of their colleagues is pulled under water.

Soon, the truck comes flying out of the water as though it was fired from a cannon. It smashes bumper-first into the side of a hill a good 50 yards inland, then safely drives away without a scratch on it.

This is just one example of a number of ads in the marketplace that are built around a similar piece of insight: People don’t believe advertising, but they like to be entertained. And, while they watch TV, people are willing to suspend reality for the sake of being entertained.

Makes a truck being dropped from a crane seem even less believable and sincere. Let alone engaging or entertaining.

At the end of the day, creativity wins. The more creative and unpredictable the advertising, the more engaging and entertaining it will be. It’s that simple.

But be careful not to be creative just for the sake of being creative. The Tacoma “Nessie” ad does leave the viewer with a strong sales point. And that’s the point.

Educate the consumer without lecturing, preaching or teaching. Engage them without screaming at them. Entertain them without insulting their intelligence. And you’ve got a chance of making an impression strong enough to stay with them until it comes time to go shopping for the thing you have waiting for them to buy.