Want to spark great ideas? Stop playing nicely. Start playing devil’s advocate.
In digital marketing, we often chase harmony. Aligned teams. Seamless workflows. Creative consensus. It feels good when everyone agrees. But what if harmony is stifling your best ideas?
To build a smart strategy or a game-changing campaign, you need more – not less – tension in the room. The best marketing ideas are forged in the fire of healthy debate.
But don’t take our word for it…
Harmony is the enemy of creativity and memorability
When everyone in a brainstorm immediately agrees on a concept, you aren’t innovating – you’re settling. Safe ideas are easy to approve, but they’re also easy for customers to ignore. Debating an idea forces a team to push past ‘safe’ and into ‘distinctive’.
“If you disagree with an idea, you should work hard to explain why… To avoid the trap of the echo chamber, you must actively farm for dissent.”
Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix
The magic is in the rub, grind and heat of debate
Great ideas don’t emerge fully formed. They need to be bumped into, questioned, and pulled apart by people with different perspectives. It isn’t about tearing someone’s work down – it’s about embracing the friction that turns an initial thought into a bulletproof strategy.
“An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it.”
Legendary creative director Bill Bernbach
Friction is the ultimate polisher
The father of modern advertising, David Ogilvy, believed that pressure and friction were essential for greatness. Decades later, the most innovative companies in the world operate on that exact same principle – without the tension of a healthy debate, ideas remain dull and unpolished.
“A hallmark of a healthy creative culture is that its people feel free to share ideas, opinions, and criticisms. Lack of candour, if unchecked, ultimately leads to dysfunctional environments.”
Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar
You can’t create a killer digital strategy in a room where everyone is afraid to rock the boat. The next time you sit down to brainstorm, don’t look for quick consensus. Nominate a devil’s advocate. Invite dissenters to speak up. Let ideas clash and watch them get stronger.
At State of Social ’26: Friction, we aren’t shying away from the tough conversations – we’re putting them centre stage. So, bring your sharpest ideas and opinions, and let’s debate. Grab your All Access ticket today.
