The art of writing a creative brief
In this article, I want to focus on an important topic that all too often is either forgotten or does not receive sufficient focus from the customer.
Why is it so important?
Because it gets everyone on the same page! From account managers and creative directors to designers and copywriters, the creative brief is an easy way to get all project participants on the same page. Especially because not everyone is going to be involved with every client meeting or will every contributor be a part of the process from start to finish. In fact, several specialists from both parties are only likely to be involved in the project for a very short period of time, so it’s valuable to have a short, easy-to-read, single depot that accumulates all the relevant information.
The brief is the guiding light, showing the outlines of what’s possible
Generated before the design process even begins, the creative brief is a document that organises a client’s objectives and serves as a guide throughout the process ahead. Since creative briefs tend to be short (about 1-2 pages) and because they are inwardly facing, it can be easy to undervalue their importance. But these documents can serve many functions and lay the foundation for several phases of the work that will come down the road. Each element of a brief is an essential building block for the design process that follows it.
Purpose: Briefs define what winning looks like
“The creative brief has to inspire the people who are given the task of solving the problem.”
- John C Jay, GX / Widen + Kennedy
Briefs matter because they define goals and objectives. The brief helps you pick your battles. It guides how time should be spent and ultimately guides you toward victory. It focuses on the outcome, not the means. A brief also acts as a mechanism for generating support for the process. It’s the rallying cry that gives your team, you superiors, and ultimately your customers a reason to care.
Audience: Briefs define the target
“A really great brief is actually just a super smart insight around a very strategic opportunity.”
- Kim Snow, Creative Director at Google
Successful campaigns identify the target audience, but just as importantly, they care about them. A brief gives more than just market segment and demographic information. It gives insights into what the audience loves, likes, feels and needs . If a brief manages to include the emotive side of what drives the brand, we've come a long way.
Outcome: Briefs plot the outcome
“The best briefs I’ve ever worked on have always been the most audacious and seemingly impossible.”
- Mauro Porcini, SVP & Chief Design Officer at PepsiCo
The elements of a brief guide what your outcomes should be, both in terms of brand experience and distribution, if that is relevant. What’s the focus point? What should the audience feel and how will the brand back it up? Where and how do you get your communication working? Briefs can help define the sequence of events from concept to creative to customer experience.
Constraints: Briefs define the rules
“Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.”
- Mission
If you have a brand, there is a set of rules you must follow. These rules constitute the guidelines for the brand and set the framework for the creative process as well as for sales and marketing work. With a brief it is easier to see what can work and what does not, you have an understanding of the brand's language - tone of voice. A good briefing gives the team a defined framework for creative expression.
Assignments: Briefs get the troops moving in the same direction
"You Nike guys, you just do it."
- Dan Wieden, Wieden + Kennedy
A brief gives the marching orders. Everyone invited to a creative brief meeting comes with their own tastes, styles, ideas, and ways of working. The brief allows all those differences to be present and used, but it gets them all working towards the same goal. Fresh ideas are necessary for bold creative, but a single unifying goal is what makes the creative impactful and ultimately worth anything at all. Not only does the brief establish the goal, but it assigns ownership.
For brands and their agencies, this is of the utmost importance. Even when the mission is completed the creative brief still retains value. Although it is no longer needed on an active basis, it can be useful for both designer and client when working on similar projects. It can be a reminder of what went right before and provide insight into what might be needed to ensure a similar success going forward. So even when a creative brief helps lead to a creative jump well done, make sure to save that document as it might come in handy down the line!
We at Mission are convinced that a brief is what kicks off a project. A good brief should act as a compass, which makes it easier to navigate towards a correct solution. I hope you are inspired by this article. If you find it difficult to get started, we are happy to "brief" you on your way to the goal.
