It rarely lives in the same place more than once. Its voice is constantly changing and it inhabits a new host at every turn.  It can arrive in a hot, morning shower, in a car stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, or while waiting for a ride in the pouring rain. It can appear in an elevator, while rock climbing or looking out the window of a plane thousands of feet in the air. And what exactly is this creature? It is the Big Idea and here, at Stevens & Tate, we’ve been hot on its trail, tracking it for almost two decades.

In our experience, big ideas have come from, both, very expected sources and from the least likely places, which makes holding onto it all the more important. When big ideas are forgotten it is one of the most maddening moments an Agency professional can experience. But when you do capture one, it’s electrifying.

From our observations, a Big Idea tends to elicit two reactions: One, it’s so obvious and on-point that team members try to add extraneous content to the idea which ultimately weakens its message, or, two, others instantly gravitate to the idea, layering their own meaning and story-telling support.

So, what defines the home-run idea/concept? While not easily measured or quantified, they do seem to share these characteristics:

• It has an undeniable “It” factor that keeps drawing viewers/readers back.
• It often doesn’t require a lot of explanation to its audience.
• It solves the problem/need in a fresh way.
• It has legs, meaning it is campaignable, extendable or can outlive the moment.
• Its audience appeal is broader than originally expected.
• Others secretly (or openly) wished they had created it!

Finding these breakthrough ideas is rarely an accident. The likelihood of unearthing the sparkling new concept is certainly enhanced by insightful, up-to-date marketing briefs – the variety that were developed with close client input – customer interviews, focus group feedback, competitor shopping trips as well as personal guerilla site visits to the client themselves. These can all provide the kindling needed to get the fire really going.