Just like most things in life; we get out what we put in. A good brief is the catalyst for sound and focused creative thinking; a bad brief is a catalyst for wasted hours and money.
Here is our advice on how to write a good brief.
A creative brief is an industry term used to describe the detailed instructions for work required from an agency or creative team.
With all the necessities covered, here are some tips on what to add to your brief in order to give the agency / creative team room to work.
Supply relevant background info on the brand, the business, the target market and competitors. Treat the agency or creative team as if they know nothing; don’t take for granted that they have the same insight and access to information as you do; in most cases you are not the only client they work with, in which case their studio is often working on a myriad campaigns at the same time.
Examples of previous creative work done and feedback on such also help to identify what has and what has not worked in the past. It also shows what exists that can be utilised again such as images etc. this all helps to reduce costs and maximise the available budget.
Because we are often dealing in the realms of subjectivity; footnotes on the preferences of the decision-makers are useful, albeit unwelcome creative parameters; often limiting the creativity, but certainly saving time and money. For example ‘I hate the colour red’, ‘we’ve had a bad experience with X publication and won’t ever consider supporting it again’. The opposite can be equally effective ‘we love Twitter, ‘we have credit at X printers’ etc.
Contrary to popular belief, when it comes to briefs; the creative kind… less is more! Superfluous words, references, supporting docs etc. clutter the minds and fail to add value in the creative process. Carefully selected information that focuses the creative process rather than confuses it provides just the right amount of free reign and guidance.
Tight is sexy, but not too tight, please. Don’t dictate the creative process; if all you need is a yes-sir, no-sir creative solution to your predetermined concept – ask a design agency. Strategic creative agencies succeed because they are able to harness the creative power of carefully selected team members and deliver a solution that is strategically aligned to the campaign objectives.