The Creative Brief
If you've ever felt lost at the initiation of a MarCom
project, nine times out of ten it's because you haven't developed an
appropriate creative brief or platform.
Agencies typically use creative briefs
before initiating any MarCom project for a client - particularly in
the early stages of the client/agency relationship.
The brief is the document that defines the parameters of the
project, doesn't leave anything open for misinterpretation, and safeguards
creative execution - keeping it on focus from project inception through
fruition. The brief ensures that
everyone is on the same page, with a clear understanding of
why the piece is being developed in the
first place, and the who,
what,
when, and
where as
well. It adds a little science to the
art of creation.
Truth be told, the brief is also significant to the agency
(or designer) because it decreases the likelihood of developing 'off-target'
creative concepts which translate into additional time and expenditures on a
project. No agency likes to go back to a
client with additional charges (A/Cs). It makes for a challenging working
relationship down the road.
So don't begin any MarCom project without a creative brief.
Write it, review it, get approval from your manager and the client, and make
sure it makes sense, before providing
input to the creative folks working on your team to develop the project.
Components of the
Brief
Creative briefs vary in composition as they depend on the
MarCom element being developed: ad campaign; brochure; direct mail piece;
website; however, the crux of the brief is the same for all pieces as this
document addresses key issues required for creative concept development to
occur.
The creative brief is typically composed of: situation
analysis; target market/audience; objectives; client needs;
needs of target
audience; single most important sales appeal; key benefits; differentiators;
and, supporting points.
These are each addressed in detail so that the person
responsible for coming up with creative concepts understands the key data
points surrounding the project.
Successful Briefs
If you are working in-house, the term 'client needs' refers
to your corporate or organization's needs (feel free to rephrase it as
such). You may also be curious as to the
difference between objectives and
client needs. I know I used to be.
Case in point: a company decides to develop a piece to
generate leads for a new product it's going to rollout in the next 30
days. That may be the
objective of the piece (support product
rollout), but the company may have additional, strategic needs. The company may need
to develop this piece to re-establish itself as a thought leader in the
marketplace, or it may need to develop this piece to pre-empt a competitor from
introducing a similar product in 30 days - in an attempt to gain competitive
ground. This may affect the design of the piece, and it will almost certainly
affect the copy.
So spend some time developing the brief. It should be well thought out and
comprehensive. And one final point
Successful briefs are typically based on an understanding of
the company's brand and/or positioning.
If you don't have any information regarding corporate/product
positioning, do your best in answering these questions: For (target customer); Who
(key qualifier); Our Product is a (Product Category); Our Product (Description); That
Provides (Key Benefits); Unlike
(Competitive Differentiation); and, Unprecedented
(Unique Proposition). Once you get these answered, they will serve you well in
writing the creative brief.
And finally, keep the brief to no more than 2 pp in
length.
Until next time, best of luck in your marketing
efforts. If you want a copy of a
creative brief template, send me an email:
maria@marketingacumen.com!
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