The Globe and Mail used Lateral Thinking to help design a new classified section, which led to an increase in ad sales.
The Globe and Mail, which has a circulation of nearly one million people, is called “Canada’s National Newspaper.”Newsprint costs doubled in 1999, resulting in a significant decrease in advertising sales and adding financial strain for The Globe. Managers wanted to reverse this trend by thoroughly examining their approach to classified ad sales. They were open to changing everything from the price of an ad to the design of the newspaper itself.
However, this examination process wasn’t going to be easy. There were 80 staff members from advertising sales, production and support services involved, and all of them were offering up ideas. Such a broad range of interests seemed like a setback. However, Bob Harris, Advertising Sales Manager for Telemarketing, recognized the potential for such a diverse mix of people to become an asset if they were given the opportunity to learn about Lateral Thinking.
Bob asked MICA, a Toronto-based consulting company, to hold three creativity-training sessions for the team members. After using Lateral Thinking, the team reached a consensus on The Globe’s next move. The team would develop a completely separate and new classified ad section called “Marketplace.” This section would take the classified ads that had formerly been scattered throughout the newspaper and assemble them in a single location. After agreeing to create a unique section, the group needed to generate fresh ideas about the overall appearance of “Marketplace.”
The team embarked on a Green Hat session so that even the newspaper’s most traditional thinkers could have an opportunity to think outside the box. This session resulted in the contribution of an astounding 80 practical ideas for the new “Marketplace” section. The ads would be mixed with editorial content to attract readers. Instead of listing the ads numerically, they would be grouped thematically. New typeface and category icons would be designed to give the section a reader-friendly feel. The lines between ads would be removed, creating an easy flow.
After the introduction of “Marketplace,” ad sales representatives were eager to market the benefits of the impressive new section to advertisers. Once the attractive design was shown to potential advertisers, sales representatives received a much warmer reception. Advertisers recognized their ads were more likely to be seen in the innovative, new “Marketplace.” The sales staff saw a substantial increase in ad sales just three weeks after the section launch. Meanwhile, competitors saw a decrease in their ad sales.
The Globe and Mail’s use of Lateral Thinking and Green Hat thinking was not only effective, but also time efficient. In the past, it had taken The Globe at least one full year to design or redesign a specific section of the paper. With the de Bono tools to guide the process, the section was unveiled after a mere four months.
However, this examination process wasn’t going to be easy. There were 80 staff members from advertising sales, production and support services involved, and all of them were offering up ideas. Such a broad range of interests seemed like a setback. However, Bob Harris, Advertising Sales Manager for Telemarketing, recognized the potential for such a diverse mix of people to become an asset if they were given the opportunity to learn about Lateral Thinking.
Bob asked MICA, a Toronto-based consulting company, to hold three creativity-training sessions for the team members. After using Lateral Thinking, the team reached a consensus on The Globe’s next move. The team would develop a completely separate and new classified ad section called “Marketplace.” This section would take the classified ads that had formerly been scattered throughout the newspaper and assemble them in a single location. After agreeing to create a unique section, the group needed to generate fresh ideas about the overall appearance of “Marketplace.”
The team embarked on a Green Hat session so that even the newspaper’s most traditional thinkers could have an opportunity to think outside the box. This session resulted in the contribution of an astounding 80 practical ideas for the new “Marketplace” section. The ads would be mixed with editorial content to attract readers. Instead of listing the ads numerically, they would be grouped thematically. New typeface and category icons would be designed to give the section a reader-friendly feel. The lines between ads would be removed, creating an easy flow.
After the introduction of “Marketplace,” ad sales representatives were eager to market the benefits of the impressive new section to advertisers. Once the attractive design was shown to potential advertisers, sales representatives received a much warmer reception. Advertisers recognized their ads were more likely to be seen in the innovative, new “Marketplace.” The sales staff saw a substantial increase in ad sales just three weeks after the section launch. Meanwhile, competitors saw a decrease in their ad sales.
The Globe and Mail’s use of Lateral Thinking and Green Hat thinking was not only effective, but also time efficient. In the past, it had taken The Globe at least one full year to design or redesign a specific section of the paper. With the de Bono tools to guide the process, the section was unveiled after a mere four months.
Challenge:
• Stop ad sales from continuing their downward trend
Method:
• Use Lateral Thinking and Green Hat thinking to produce a new classified ad section
Result:
• Ad sales increase just three weeks after the section launch
• Stop ad sales from continuing their downward trend
Method:
• Use Lateral Thinking and Green Hat thinking to produce a new classified ad section
Result:
• Ad sales increase just three weeks after the section launch
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