Brainswarming is a creativity method established in 2010 by Tony McCaffrey as an alternative to traditional brainstorming. It involves participants writing down ideas on post-it notes without talking first, to include more introverted people. The problem or goal is defined and placed at the top, and resources are listed at the bottom. Participants generate ideas that connect the top and bottom. All ideas are revealed simultaneously, connections are made, and potential solutions emerge. The document provides an example of brainswarming around the goal of customers recognizing a store's fish offer in its outdoor area. Various ideas are generated and connected to resources to potentially achieve the goal.

1. Brainswarming:
A creativity method
for generating
Guerilla-Marketing-Ideas

2. Brainstorming
vs.
Brainswarming

3. Brainstorming
Established
1939
by Alex F. Osborn

4. Brainstorming
Basic Idea
„Using the Brain to
storm a problem“
Alle Ideas are thrown into the
group without being rated

5. Brainstorming
Disadvantage
Single persons or small
groups may dominate the
whole process just
because they are more
extroverted

6. Brainswarming
Established
~ 2010
by Tony McCaffrey

7. Brainswarming
Basic Idea
„Why do we need to talk in the
first place?“
The problem is solved by
„putting the cart in front of the
horse“
All participants note their ideas
on Post-It notes

8. Brainswarming
Wait a moment!
How it is done is coming
soon…
;-)

9. Brainswarming
Advantage
Writing Ideas on Post-It
notes includes even more
shy participants

10. Brainswarming
So…
…how is the process of
Brainswarming working?

11. Brainswarming
Do not define the
problem but the goal!

12. Brainswarming
Example:
Customers shall recognize
fish-offer in the store´s
outdoor area

13. Brainswarming
Goal is pinned on top
of the Wall

14. Brainswarming
Customers shall recognize fish-offer in the store´s outdoor area

15. Brainswarming
The ressources are
pinned at the bottom

16. Brainswarming
Customers shall recognize fish-offer in the store´s outdoor area
poster flyer booth stuff

17. Brainswarming
top-down-thinkers
will refine the goal
and define their ideas
from the top

18. Brainswarming
bottom-up-thinkers
will use the ressources
to start thinking about
how the problems can
be solved

19. Brainswarming
Customers shall recognize fish-offer in the store´s outdoor area
poster flyer booth stuff

20. Brainswarming
Important rule:
Don´t talk – just write
all ideas on post-it
notes

21. Brainswarming
New ressources can
be added on the
bottom

22. Brainswarming
Customers shall recognize fish-offer in the store´s outdoor area
poster flyer booth stuff

23. Brainswarming
poster flyer booth stuff online social networks
Customers shall recognize fish-offer in the store´s outdoor area

24. Brainswarming
All collected ideas are
pinned to the board

25. Brainswarming
Customers shall recognize fish-offer in the store´s outdoor area
poster flyer booth stuff online social networks

26. Brainswarming
Every participant sees
the same ideas in
front of him

27. Brainswarming
First connections
between ressources and
ideas on top of the
board are found

28. Brainswarming
Customers shall recognize fish-offer in the store´s outdoor area
poster flyer booth stuff online social networks

29. Brainswarming
Customers shall recognize fish-offer in the store´s outdoor area
poster flyer booth stuff online social networks

30. Brainswarming
Customers shall recognize fish-offer in the store´s outdoor area
poster flyer booth stuff online social networks

31. Brainswarming
Customers shall recognize fish-offer in the store´s outdoor area
poster flyer booth stuff online social networks

32. Brainswarming
It could look
for our example…
this way

33. Brainswarming
Hang large
transparents
Special booth
with
acquarium on
it
Stuff talks to
customers
Facebook
contest
Customers shall recognize fish-offer in the store´s outdoor area
poster flyer booth stuff online social networks

34. Brainswarming
Stop
customers
with special
sign
Pond at
outdoor area
Lure
customers to
outdoor area
Customers shall recognize fish-offer in the store´s outdoor area
poster flyer booth stuff online social networks
Hang large
transparents
Special booth
with
acquarium on
it
Stuff talks to
customers
Facebook
contest

35. Brainswarming
Customers shall recognize fish-offer in the store´s outdoor area
poster flyer booth stuff online social networks
Hang large
transparents
Special booth
with
acquarium on
it
Stuff talks to
customers
Facebook
contest
Stop
customers
with special
sign
Pond at
outdoor area
Lure
customers to
outdoor area

36. Brainswarming
Customers shall recognize fish-offer in the store´s outdoor area
poster flyer booth stuff online social networks
Hang large
transparents
Special booth
with
acquarium on
it
Stuff talks to
customers
Facebook
contest
Stop
customers
with special
sign
Pond at
outdoor area
Lure
customers to
outdoor area

37. Brainswarming
Customers shall recognize fish-offer in the store´s outdoor area
poster flyer booth stuff online social networks
Hang large
transparents
Special booth
with
acquarium on
it
Stuff talks to
customers
Facebook
contest
Stop
customers
with special
sign
Pond at
outdoor area
Lure
customers to
outdoor area

38. Brainswarming
Customers shall recognize fish-offer in the store´s outdoor area
poster flyer booth stuff online social networks
Hang large
transparents
Special booth
with
acquarium on
it
Stuff talks to
customers
Facebook
contest
Stop
customers
with special
sign
Pond at
outdoor area
Lure
customers to
outdoor area

39. Brainswarming
So???

40. Brainswarming
Got interested in
doing this by
yourself?

41. Brainswarming
book
guerilla-marketing
workshop

42. Markting macht Frisch!
Stefan Frisch
www.machtfrisch.de
info@machtfrisch.de
phone +49 911 – 977 98 301
Bloke from germany…

43. Markting macht Frisch!
Stefan Frisch
www.machtfrisch.de
info@machtfrisch.de
phone +49 911 – 977 98 301
all pics: Wikimedia Commons
Bloke from germany…