1. COLLABORATE CREATIVELY
Fred Senn— co-founder of advertising agency Fallon Worldwide and co-author of Juicing the Orange: How to Turn Creativity into a Powerful Business Advantage

"Creativity is woefully underrespected by business. It's seen as something wild, crazy, and not very businesslike; to many people it simply means throwing money at marketing campaigns-'thinking outside the box'.
"But I think companies are starting to see it as an integral part of a business and a much more valuable asset. Over the last six or seven years, organisations have been squeezed by economic downturns; they've downsized, they've restructured, and there's just no fat left on the meat. Creativity and innovation are the only differentiating factors they have left. 

"We've seen Disney, a huge organisation, acquire Pixar, a comparatively small film studio. Why? Because it wanted that creative culture.
"So, how does a small firm inject creativity into its own organisational culture? By following two key principles: have people on board who are genuinely passionate about working for you; and make sure they are part of a collaborative, creative approach. Creativity is the team effort that solves problems and gives you a strategic advantage."

2. the personal touch
Amanda Phillips—director of client services at Proximity London, a leading direct marketing agency

"Creativity should be an essential part of everything we do, but it is the small touches that differentiate one business from another.
"You only have to look at some of the big brands to see how well this can work. Virgin Atlantic made a pioneering move when it began offering massages to its Upper Class passengers-it was simple, inspired, and unlike anything that its competitors had ever done.
"Small firms are even better positioned to appreciate the impact that creativity and a personal touch can make on the bottom line. In a cut-throat employment market, too, creativity can give organisations a competitive edge. Every single person has an innate ability to be creative and a company that welcomes and rewards their ideas and can harness the creative energies of the entire workforce becomes an employer of choice."

3. THINK DIFFERENT... LY
Chris Barez-Brown—creative director of innovation firm ?What If! and author of How to Have Kick-ass Ideas

"Creativity is generally associated with artistic achievements and specific goals, but it is actually just about thinking differently.
"You can't put creativity on a pedestal, only bringing it out for special occasions to come up with new designs, and new advertising campaigns. If you wheel it out once every six months, creativity starts to get a little bit rusty.

"And it isn't just an issue for the marketing team. Creativity should cut across all business functions. A few years ago around 75 per cent of my clients were marketing people. Now the same proportion is made up of technical, logistical, and financial people. Legal considerations aside, there are ways of looking at numbers in an incredibly creative way. Some of the best accountants are highly creative, and that should be encouraged.

"Organisations that want to engage their people in creativity generally look to their leader as a role model in creative thinking and behaviour. However, I think that all people, whatever industry or function they are in, have an inherent need to express themselves and have ideas. All you have to do is listen to them."