The art of a good plan. How should a good creative brief look like?

Without a good brief, chances for a successful campaign are really low. Why? Well, if you don’t say what you want, you won’t get what you want. A properly written brief is a basis of a good project. You can be sure your thoughts and your expectations are expressed clearly and you can begin the cooperation with the creative agency with a clear conscience and a mutual respect. So how should a good creative brief look like? Take a look at our tips to find out.

1. The key questions

Before you even start writing your brief, ask yourself a few key questions that will help you realize what the actual goal of your campaign is. What in the behavior of the customer you want to change? What problem do you want to solve? Who is your target audience? What is your key message to the audience, and how can your product aid the problems mentioned aboveWhile that’s clarified, you can move on and begin writing your plan.

2. Describe your brand

Do you actually know your brand? Can you describe it’s background, personality, the tone of voice it’s using? Make it as clear as possible – this information is essential for the agency you want to cooperate with. And the better your agency understands your brand and needs, the better service it will provide you.

3. Inspire

Remember that the brief you have to fill out for your agency is not just a formality. It’s also a chance to inspire your agency and its creative team with your story and vision. Instilling motivation is not an easy task, but from a business point of view, it can be a great return on investment. If your agency and its employees are inspired by your story, they will work better and harder to help you achieve your goals.

4. Communicate

If your brief is good, you should have a good outcome. So communicate clearly. Present your brief in person or at least via Skype, so you can have an eye to eye contact with the people who you entrust the mission of pushing your product to another level. Don’t hesitate to ask them, how do they feel about the ideas you present. Get an instant feedback so you can quickly see the reflection of your vision in the eyes of other specialists.

5. Be simple and specific

If the brief becomes complex, and describing it takes to much effort, there is a fear that it’s not consistent. If you made your homework to really know what you want to say and what effect you want to achieve, it would be easier for you to portray it in simple but yet powerful words. Hopefully, this should be the beginning of a fruitful cooperation between you and the creative agency.

Here is an example of a plan for a good creative brief:

  1. Name and address details – what is the name of the project and the contact information about the Client and the creative team
  2. Overview – what is the big picture of your market. What are the main problems and opportunities. What the creative team should know about?
  3. What is the goal of your campaign? – Define what do you actually want to achieve with your campaign. What in the behavior of your customers you want to change
  4. Who is your target audience? Who are we actually talking to? How we should communicate with them?
  5. Our key statement – what is the key message we want to share
  6. What are our selling points? Why we are the best solution to the problem
  7. Schedule – what you expect from the creative team and when it should be done? Set the specific dates/deadlines
  8. Budget – how much money can we spend on the campaign

If you want to skyrocket your brand’s potential, connect with Funktional. We build brands, products, and services by exploring the vast expense of creativity. See what we can do for you HERE.