Creative Brief

What is a Creative Brief?

A creative brief is a document, which outlines the strategy for a creative project. It is the foundation of any advertising or marketing campaign and it is made for a creative agency which will be working on this campaign. Think of it as a blueprint for the creative team which will make it possible for them to reach a certain target audience. In addition, working on a creative brief helps to shape the overall strategy and set firm goals for a certain project.

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A creative brief is usually not a one-man job. It includes everyone in the company, who has the most client and project knowledge. Therefore, briefs can be written by creative directors, project managers, producers, account executives and/or designers. They are the first step before making websites, promo videos, ads, marketing campaigns, etc.

How to Write a Creative Brief?

A good creative brief should be clear and actionable. It should encourage the creative team to find the best solution, grab their attention and outline the most important things to keep their focus, without going into much detail.

The most important parts are:

1. Summary + a Clear Goal

The first step (and the most important one) is to describe the project and to set the goals. This description should include answers to all Wh-questions – what are you doing, why you are doing it, how are you planning on doing it, how will you measure the outcomes and most importantly what is the desired outcome. By setting a clear focus it is easier to adjust the processes you will need to get there.

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2. Target Audience

In this part of your creative brief it is important to share everything you know about your customers. Think about their demographic characteristics, any behavioral insights you might have, etc. Any information that can help you to determine and make your buyer persona is more than welcomed. Determining a target audience correctly can push your campaign strongly in the right direction.

3. Project Details

State the scope of the project and provide details about the tone of voice, the message and style. These details should be in compliance with the brand they stand for. So for example if you are planning on creating a TV ad, remember to use the same language you use on your website and/or social media and generally, the language you use to present your brand.

4. Competitors

Providing thorough information on what your competition is doing on the same matter can be a great source of inspiration. This info is not placed in a creative brief to be copied – it’s simply additional information, which can shed another light on the direction you’d like your project to take.

5. Budget and Deadlines

If you have a clear budget for this project, stating this info in the creative brief would be good. In this way the creative team can know immediately to which extent is their idea manageable and maybe discuss with the client if any additional funds will be needed.

The same goes for deadlines – they can be stated, but also open for discussion if the expectations are too high/low. It would be useful to break down the whole process in smaller timeframes in order to have a better overview.