Three Creative Ideas from the USA

Creative inspiration is all around us - we just have to look

One thing I love about traveling is the inspiration I get from it. I grew up in the US but haven’t lived there for 17 years – and every time I go back for a visit, I discover something new.

Last month was my first trip home in nearly two years. And while I was enjoying ice in drinks and saying hello to strangers again, there were a few creative ideas that I noticed, too. 

Here are my top three:

1.I’ll stay in the car, thanks

Whether it’s dinner, groceries, or new homewares, you can get it all curbside now. Though there are places that have adopted a ‘click and collect’ option in London, that usually requires going into the store to collect your purchases. In the US, it felt like ordering things online and picking them up curbside was everywhere. 

Even the drive-thrus at places like McDonald’s and Chick-Fil-A were designed for customers who wanted to stay in their cars, with multiple drive-thru lanes and designated parking spaces for people who had ordered their food on the app.

If you want to stay in the car, the US has got you covered!

2. Scan the QR code

Since Covid began, QR codes have been used at a lot of restaurants in London, where customers were asked to scan and ‘check in’ as part of the NHS Track and Trace programme.

In the US, we used QR codes to see the menus in many restaurants – from an upscale sushi restaurant in Miami to my favorite bougie breakfast cafes in Indianapolis. 

I suspect we’ll soon see more touch-screen kiosks for ordering (like the ones already in McDonald’s), and it probably won’t be long before we’re ordering meals on our phones – even in some of the nicer restaurants.

3. Return after Reading

At an airport bookstore, I noticed the books in the bestseller section had a special bookmark that said ‘Read and Return.’ When you purchased the books, you could return them (up to six months later) to receive a 50% refund. Perfect for the latest thriller or fiction bestseller that you want to read, but not necessarily keep forever.

Some of these books are then re-sold at a discount, while others are donated to libraries. I’m not sure if this is an ‘airport only’ offering (I saw it in the airports in Florida, Indiana and North Carolina) but I thought it was an initiative that encourages reading, recycling, and saves you money was a winner - and would have taken advantage of it had I known about it at the start of my trip.

BONUS: Getting creative with food

When the hotel concierge in Miami told me that Dasher & Crank was recently named the best ice cream shop in Florida, I had to check it out. Florida is a big state, and with its hot weather, there must be a ton of competition in the ice cream category!  

Being a fan of coconut ice cream (which surprisingly isn’t found on the ice cream trucks I encounter in London parks!), I was ready to try Dasher & Crank’s ‘Salty Beach’ (featuring coconut, sea salt, and graham crackers) until the staff member recommended the ‘Ube Macapuno’ – a Filipino purple yam mixed with coconut. Normally I wouldn’t naturally go for purple ice cream, but I was curious.

And it was delicious! (If you’re ever in Miami, check it out.)

And speaking of food, for those kids (or adults) who can’t decide between a sugar cookie and a chocolate chip cookie, the supermarket bakery at Publix (Florida) has you covered with the ‘combo’ cookie. 

Is this a thing now? It was the first time I’d seen it.

And while we’re talking about cookies, I’d be remiss if I did not mention Oreos. 

I’d really like to meet someone in their product development team, as it feels like they must be fostering a truly creative culture where they are willing to try anything.

My kids picked these patriotic Oreos with red, white, and blue cream mixed with ‘popping candy’ that dances on your tongue (reminiscent of the Pop Rocks we had as kids). 

I thought it was a strange combination, but my kids thought they were ‘awesome.’

So there you have it, the power of creative thinking in the US has solved problems and led to new ways to eat, shop, and read.

Beth Collier helps leaders and teams improve their communication, creativity, and leadership skills through 1:1 coaching and team workshops. She grew up in the US when there were only three kinds of Oreos on the market - and now lives in London, where only two varieties of Oreos are sold.

Clients say her workshops are “more informative and fun than any corporate training” and that Beth’s “knowledge, enthusiasm, and level of care are unmatched.” And she didn’t even bribe them with Oreos to say that.

Get in touch to find out how she can help you and your team.

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