We live in the Era of the ideasand the authentic transformation facing organizations is not technological, but creative. We are people like you or like me, not the technology independently, which we promote this transformation. Although the data is tremendously valuablethe true fuel of change is the ideas: that fascinating, powerful raw material that requires being refined. Our innate ability to solve problems and take advantage of opportunities.

But how to work with a raw material as powerful, particular and unstable as ideas? The answer is in the concept of the Circular creativitya strategic philosophy that not only seeks to generate ideas continuously, but to make the most of them through their intelligent and sustainable reuse.

When developing this creativity in an organization or team, As we have previously commented in this section, The key is to cover three areas: The development of the creative potential, the design of a challenge and the use of tools. Within the first, which in my opinion is the most relevant and priority, the example, references, leaderships, space and time for creativity and error are key. Creativity is the most sustainable energy that exists: the more it is used, far from being exhausted, it is regenerated. Therefore, the organizational mentality should not focus on administering shortage, but on promoting its constant and strategic use.

The creative energy Not only is it regenerated by using it, but by force of being inspired: by other people, by culture, for clear objectives and challenges, for commitment or purpose. Creativity expands recognizing it outside, and only this is how it becomes its own energy.

The idea of ​​creative recycling is not new. Already Pablo Picasso He affirmed that “The great artists copy, the geniuses steal”. This appointment, at its provocative time, reveals the essence of the Circular creativity: Ideas do not arise from nothing, but are scattered, ready to be rediscovered and continuously recontextualized. In the 60s, Marshall McLuhan stood out that “Creativity is to make connections”anticipating this contemporary need to reuse insights through new contextual and technological connections.

Ideas are not invented, they are discovered. They float as suspended particles that, in the light of inspiration, become visible. By mixing them, modifying and resignifying them, they generate new ideas. Thus, creating becomes an act of collage with nature and culture.
In marketingthese ideas manifest as Insights. They are deep human revelations that, well worked, can be applied to multiple contexts. For example, the insight “We all seek to feel unique” It has been effectively used, from perfume campaigns, to technology or cars. A powerful insight transcends sectors and temporalities.

What is an Insights bank? In my case it is a tool that has accompanied me for years and that is not lacking in my set of creative equipment. It allows us to maintain a digital repository accessible with previously validated insights. This structured file makes it easier for creative teams to resort and recontextualize ideas quickly, promoting creative efficiency and anticipating future needs. Great brands, such as Nike, and leading agencies (I come to mind Wieden+Kennedy) continuously reuse historical insights to maintain the freshness and relevance of emblematic campaigns such as “Just do it”. That is, they constantly connect with great almost imperishable realities to generate new ideas that contain a classic truth.

There are many other methods that we put into practice so that our creativity circulates:

• Remix Sprint: Agile sessions in which multidisciplinary teams reinterpret past campaigns using emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality or generative. For example, Ikea, with the help of IDEO, constantly develops contained on future food through predictive techniques, allowing sustainable content reuse for years. This can also be done without AI: it is a very inspiring exercise to collect classic campaigns (for example, using books such as The Copy Bookof Taschen) and play to update them in tone, channels, art, etc. What would a “Think Small” in Tiktok?
• Evergreen branding: It consists of designing campaigns from scratch with the explicit intention of reusing them annually with minimal adjustments, but with renewed impact. Pentagram did this masterfully with Slackdeveloping a modular visual identity that constantly adapts to new internal and external campaigns without losing its essence. O & Walsh for Heinz, generating an iconic visual system that, in addition to multiplying the impact and recognition of the brand, facilitates, effective and simplifies the creative process.

Basically we talk about applying a VISION OF CREATIVITY OF FUTURE asking us: And how would this work in two years? What if we take it to this channel? What if we want to make a wink to this other audience using this same idea? An example is Diesel’s anomaly workwith mega recontextualized mega campaigns constantly in different markets. EITHER Forsman & Bodenfors for Volvo: Modular pieces that continually reinvent the concept of security.

• Future-Driven Insight Management: In the line of that Foreight creativity, it implies identifying from today the insights that will be relevant in future scenarios (Insight Backcasting) and generate flexible content for still non -existent formats. It is also a way of generating a creative prototyped mentality in the future. This allows creativity not to be limited to the present, but is projected to tomorrow with strategic solidity.
• Creative Analytics Loop: It uses advanced and AI analytics to predict which existing ideas have future viralization or reuse potential. Agencies such as R/GA with Nike Fuelband have successfully applied this approach to transform insights into multichannel global campaigns for years. If you put a creative planner together to work together, a data scientist, this magic explodes.

Circular creativity, as we see, is also in the incorporation of new methods and in the tuning of those we already use. In the creative industry, and even more in times of constant urgency, the brainstorming It is often seen as an informal session of improvised ideas. However, a truly efficient and professional brainstorming goes far beyond the simple storm of occurrences: it requires a meticulous process of incubation, divergence, convergence and, most importantly, the fair and necessary call. Essential people (4-5 maximum), of mestizo and complementary, inspiring and inspirable visions. Everything starts with a clear and worked brief. Not only a document full of words, but a catalyst of the session: what is looking for? What limitations exist? What opportunities have not explored yet? That clarity is the one that determines who we summon – not always to the entire creative team – and how it will channel energy.

The next step is to design the session with a clear process:

• Incubation: Let the information rest, absorb it in the context and allow each participant to arrive with latent ideas.
• Divergence: Explore all the possibilities, from the most conventional to the most radical.
• Convergence: Select, combine and polish ideas so that the result is consistent and viable.

In this flow, the client ceases to be a passive receiver and becomes a cooker. Add it soon It is not a threat to creative freedom: It is the way to prevent the final work from seeming an agency surprise. Including it ensures that ideas have real connection with your business and that the result has more strength when implemented.

Now, sometimes we don’t have the real diversity of perspectivesespecially in small equipment or with very tight times. Here an interesting and controversial practice arises: simulate diversity. With generative or through lateral thought techniques, it is possible to simulate profiles and roles: the optimist, the skeptic, the uncomfortable client, the final consumer, the disruptive. It does not replace the richness of a room full of voices, but can serve as an exercise of “staging” that does not let creativity remain in a single point of view. Is it ideal? Surely not. But when the risk is to skip the entire process and bet on the first brilliant idea that appears – the one that goes “a boat soon” -, this simulation helps Keep the creative method aliveeven in reduced equipment or pressure contexts.

Another way to implement sustainability in creative processes is to amplify our observation capacity. Because creativity is not always “creating from nothing.” It is often more effective and authentic redesign the existing reality, starting from something that already exists and what people already express. Before inventing a groundbreaking concept, it is recommended Listen to what people are already saying. The forums, comments on networks, product reviews: there is a mine of information on real needs, frustrations and opportunities for improvement. People are no longer passive: consumers are constantly express and participate. Therefore, active listening is not only research, but a starting point for creativity. Instead of forcing a new story, you can start from what people already feel and expect, and redesign it to give value. This approach changes the mentality of creating from scratch to transforming what already exists. It implies seeing social trends as raw material and assuming that great ideas do not always come from a great spark in a closed room, but to capture the real pulse of the people and give it a new form. You let the creativity be put by people, with their problems, comments, criticisms and dreams, and the work of the creative agency or team focuses on redesigning that input to shape, meaning and projection.

But circular creativity is not only to reuse or efficient, but also create generating ideas capable of easily replicating. It is about building clear, differential and exaggerated frames, to deeply connect with specific audiences. This allows to “micro-nature” the idea in pieces that retain the original essence, adapting fluently to various formats and channels. Spotify and Drug5 are an outstanding example with “Wrapped”which makes listening data into infinite atomized creative pieces.

On the other hand, ephemeral creativity does not generate real impact. The Sustainable ideas They last in the consumer’s mind, guaranteeing an authentic memory and lasting recognition of the brand. The creative agencies of the future cannot afford anonymous exercises that do not reverse in measurable and aligned impacts with long -term strategic objectives. Freshness and spontaneity at the service of the idea, not of the occurrence. Designing for the future does not imply being the fastest of the class or anticipating trends, but implementing sufficiently flexible and memorable ideas to endure and evolve. The agencies and brands must Cultivate this vision of circular creativitybuilding structured banks of insights and contents, adopting advanced predictive methodologies and generating ideas capable of transcending the moment to live in the consumer’s mind in a sustainable way. In short, circular creativity transforms ideas into lasting and profitable strategic assets, ensuring its maximum use and generating a real, deep and measurable impact.