1. Watch a TV show - but watch the ads! Most people watch TV for the content of the shows. Marketers (or maybe just I...) watch TV for the content of the ads. (OK, I like the shows too. But i do love studying the commercials.) There is a lesson to be learned in every ad, if you can adopt a critical, objective perspective. It really is amazing how much you can learn. And, it makes TV more enjoyable because you actually look forward to the commercials!
2. Think about fitness marketing while you are at the gym. Most of the time, we just think about our workout when we are at the gym. But fitness marketing is a fascinating industry. There are very few industries with such a huge demographic of high-interest consumers. There are very clear objectives, motivations and beliefs in fitness marketing. It's a good place to brew some ideas and see how/where else you can apply them.
3. "People-watch" on your commute to/from work. Everyone is a product of products. At any given time, someone is probably marketing 20 different products and brands just buy wearing, using, holding, eating, watching them. We are exposed to thousands of brands a day, and yet we make specific decisions to select a particular brand every time we buy. Why is that?
4. Just once, buy your groceries based solely on the marketing. We like to believe that our purchase decisions are entirely rational (we buy that cereal because its better for us, or cheaper), but the reality is rational only works on what we 'need', which is very little these days. Most of what we buy is what we 'want'. And when you move from 'need' to 'want', the percentage of impulses based on irrationality skyrockets. Succumb to these tendencies and see what happens. It's a fun, interesting experiment.
5. Share content like you are trying to sell it. Don't be a salesman, but be a marketer. Think of the content you are sharing as a product. What is it about the product that made it special enough to share, and how can you tell that story and convey that idea to others? Usually, it just takes a simple added thought, or suggestion to see big differences in how people view the content you share. (Bonus: this lesson will also help you be more influential as a content curator and 'pointer' in social media!)