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  • Comfort Zone

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    Posted on February 17, 2011 at 11:45 am

    Once a month, I switch my watch from my right to my left arm. I routinely do things that make me uncomfortable solely for that purpose (next up: trapeze lesson). On Mondays, when we are all collected for our weekly production meeting, I ask if others have done something they’ve never done before, particularly something that took them out of their comfort zone. Why? Nothing extra-ordinary comes from within your comfort zone. Good work? Surely. Excellent work? Yes, even that. Revolutionary? No. As creators and marketers, we are our own worst enemies. Life gets in a rut because we follow the same path day in and day out. Creative solutions can fall into ruts, too. Same for marketing.

    Research (Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink) proves that mice (the human alter ego?) work better when they’re not too comfortable. Too hot or too cold, mice become unproductive. But taken out of their comfort zone, mice become energized and more productive. That is, they work best when having reached a state of “productive discomfort.”

    Creators, demand of yourselves a rise in creative anxiety. Scare yourselves. Marketers, you won’t get noticed by pitching your message inside the comfort zone of your buyers. Step outside. Get some fresh air.

    Next week: Revolutionary Demonstrations That Topple Brand Categories.

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    Comments

    Comment from @squigster February 18, 2011 at 3:21 pm

    love this!

    Pingback from Tweets that mention Brand Thinking » Comfort Zone — Topsy.com February 18, 2011 at 3:53 pm

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by squigster, Gayatri Bhalla. Gayatri Bhalla said: Musing from @burkeybelser: Get out of your comfort zone http://ow.ly/3Z5Si #gbltd [...]

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Burkey Belser

 Burkey Belser

Burkey Belser, president and creative director, pioneered legal services marketing. He has been quoted on brand design topics by dozens of industry publications and is highly rated as a speaker on topics from branding to information design.

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