How to write a killer creative brief

The creative brief: the single most important document we have as marketers. The reality? It’s the most underrated and often most forgotten step in the project planning process.

What are the benefits of a creative brief we hear you ask?

Whether you’re launching a new website, developing a marketing campaign or simply after refreshed business collateral, a thorough, well thought out creative brief can ensure the success of your next project. We’d recommend considering it for even the smallest of tasks.

Ultimately answering ‘who, what, why and when’, the creative brief will give your in-house and external teams a blueprint to collectively work from. Unified teams working with clear goals and intent can reap the rewards of increased efficiency, decreased approval time, direct accountability and fundamentally produce exceptional creative results that speak directly to your intended audience.

How do I brief my creative agency?

There is an art to writing a truly inspiring creative brief, but it is not as complicated as you may think. Here are our practical tips to ensure you don’t waste time and money on misdirected work…

Step 1 – Keep your briefs brief

Writing an initial design brief is a bit like going on a first date. Holding back information? Red flag. Oversharing? Here’s your ticket back to Tinder! It’s a fine line, but know that you have plenty of time later in the process to share the nitty-gritty details.

We would recommend creating a structured document with easy-to-reference sections as this is useful for breaking down information in a concise way.

Step 2 – Tell us all about YOU

Provide a high-level introduction to you and your brand. Continuing our dating analogy, this is your profile – a stranger should be able to pick up this document and understand who you are, why you exist and what you are trying to achieve as a business. Spare the users time and effort in researching this – you know you best.

Questions to think about:

  • Who are we?
  • What’s our niche?
  • Who are our competitors?

Step 3 – Go into project specifics

This is your opportunity to guide, shape and anchor the creative process. Give an overview of the project and all you want to achieve.

Addressing what we want from each other, the problem or challenge and any constraints are good starting points. You should also include:

  • SMART objectives
  • Background to the project or campaign
  • Any relevant inspiration
  • Content distribution – what channels or media formats are required?
  • Specific deliverables
  • Any budgetary expectations

Questions to think about:

  • What services are required?
  • What competitor activity do we like or dislike?
  • Have you produced work similar to this previously? What worked, what didn’t?
  • Are we working with other agencies?

Step 4 – Define your goals

It’s important to share why you are working on this project. Be sure to define the specific business need and what the work will achieve. At the end of the project, you’ll want to look back at these to make certain the objectives have been met before sharing your work with the world.

Step 5 – Talk about timelines

Early conversations about deadlines are important to keep teams on track. It can often determine the direction of the output, especially if you are working to tight timescales.

We would recommend that you provide a start date / end date / go-live date as a minimum, and supply as many important dates as you can in between. Keep in mind that adjustments may need to be made as the work progresses.

Questions to think about:

  • What stakeholders are involved in this project?
  • Who needs to approve this work?
  • What is the most efficient way to gain feedback?

Step 6 – Let’s target your audience

You wouldn’t take a vegan for a meal at a steakhouse. The same consideration applies in marketing. Outlining your target audience will help better tailor your message to them. You could include demographics such as:

  • Age
  • Gender
  • Average household income
  • Relationship status
  • Education level
  • Profession

If you’re unsure on this, add this as a project milestone. Worry not, the right creative team can research this for you and provide you with the necessary insights to move forward.

Don’t forget, this is a living document and one size doesn’t fit all.

Ensuring you are asking and, most importantly, answering questions during this process is key. If you need help nailing your creative brief, get in touch with our team. We’d be happy to assist in bringing your next project to life.

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