The first stages....

First and foremost, read the creative brief. Get your head wrapped around the single minded message.
In my case, at the moment, the client is Tabasco and the SMM is the ultimate flavor enhancer.

For the next three days I'll be talking, thinking, and eating Tabasco. It's important to live with the product, let it be part of your life in order to familiarize yourself with it.
And as you "hang out" with Tabasco try and think what that ultimate flavor enhancer message means for people who love and even people who don't particularly eat Tabasco.

Once you've begun to love or hate tabasco, then sit down with a sketch book and crank out 60 concepts. Let the good the bad and the horrible come out of you. It's the only way to finally get to the best ideas...