How to write a frigging awesome creative brief!

April 2014

Creative Request Process

April 2014

Your Marketing Team

Team Member Title Roles/Responsibilities

Wendy Batchelor Interim Marketing Director

Strategy, ideation, creative brain

Jennifer Huang Marketing Manager Manage team timelines, allocates resources where appropriate, manage agency partners

Benita Hansraj Research & Information Officer

Brand voice champion, storyteller whiz

Meghan D’Mello Graphic Designer Brand champion, graphic layout extraordinare

Timelines

Tasks Timing (Hours) Facts Review 3 Brand Review 2 ENG Graphic Layout 5 – 10 FRE Graphic Layout 3 - 7 FEC Article Magazine 200+ Eblast Coding 8 Banner creation 1 – 3

Process

Timing: If there are competing priorities, Directors of each team are to discuss and inform Marketing team which priority takes precedence.

Questions?

Just thinking….this may not be the ideal

Our 60 minute objective

To inspire you to write great creative briefs

To provide tools and tips to help you

To ensure that we have an effective AND efficient creative process internally and at our agency

On the agenda today…..

1. Tell you a little about the new process

2. Show you the new briefs

3. Provide some tips and inspiration for you

4. Give you some real life examples from other companies/industries

5. Clarify the roles in your marketing team

6. Allow for a little time to ask some questions

Why a brief?

A brief is the map of where an entire troop of people are about

to go storming toward….

if you are a horrible cartographer, you will be setting the stage for

a disastrous voyage!

Remember….

AN INCH Wrong in the brief

M E A N S

A MILE Wrong in the output

Forget the creative brief!!! (for now)

The document itself isn’t the right place to start….

© Crayon 2010

When someone asks you to write a creative brief they’re not asking you to undertake a form filling exercise

They’re asking you to go away and

do some original thinking

They’re asking you to untangle all the information that’s been thrown at you and find the one thing that will tell your audience why they need what your client is offering…

Marketing folk then

take this idea and bring it

life

© Crayon 2010

So what does this process look like?

It looks something like this…

Challenge

Audience

Insight

and this is the journey we take to create a proposition that excites… RTB

Response

TOV How will we know it worked?

Proposition

Stage 1: Audience

© Crayon 2010

This is not an opportunity to write everything you know about them or list their demographics. Your task is to bring your audience to life…

Stage 1: Audience What do they do?

What do they think and believe?

What’s really unique about

them?

What are their hopes & fears?

What do they love? Hate?

Stage 1: Audience – some tips

1. If you really have multiple audiences, get that out of the way briefly and focus on what makes them similar

2. Imagine someone you know who is in the target audience

3. Write a story if it helps……..

FORE….sorry about that. I just took a lesson. Haven’t mastered the new tips yet. How are you enjoying this course? My husband’s

partner told us about it…usually a couple of months to a get tee off time – but his partner’s is a member. I’m looking forward to a

dinner in the clubhouse with our friends. Heard the chef has come up for the summer from the city. My husband Brett and his partner

are a few holes behind. They came up after work. We’ll get together at the clubhouse. The kids? Well, Hudson and Kelsey are home

with the Nanny - you have to get one – makes life so much easier. When I went to NYC for our girl’s shopping weekend – the Nanny

was a godsend. Hey… you should join us at our Muskoka cottage next weekend? We’re having a few friends over for cocktails. It

will be great to get out of the city. We need to get up there soon as we’re switching over our furnance. Brett tells me it’s really simple.

We found a great company to do it all for us. You know Dr. Wicker – our family doctor? He recommended ABC – they’re the biggest

in the country and when I called, they told me they would put this monitor on the tank – so we don’t ever have to think about it again.

Will be great in the winter when we’re down in the city or at our Florida house. Speaking of which – you should come up for a ski

weekend – we’re members of a private club – no waiting for the lifts and a Starbucks right on site. It’s beautiful up there – you can

really relax with nature. Not to worry – we have wi-fi and full cable so we can still check in with the office and watch the game while

the guys compare the latest scotch. Yea, bring the dog…I’m sure he will get along with Beau – our Portuguese Water Dog. Yes, I

know, the same one that Obama has – here, let me grab my iphone and I’ll show you a pic. Oops – looks like we are holding up the

group behind us – see you at the clubhouse later”

Carole – 50 – HHI $150,000+ (an example)

Stage 2: Insight

When you start to bring your audience to life start by exploring why they behave like they do or why they hold the attitudes they do….then select the most profound insight…

FORE….sorry about that. I just took a lesson. Haven’t mastered the new tips yet. How are you enjoying this course? My husband’s

partner told us about it…usually a couple of months to a get tee off time – but his partner’s is a member. I’m looking forward to a

dinner in the clubhouse with our friends. Heard the chef has come up for the summer from the city. My husband Brett and his partner

are a few holes behind. They came up after work. We’ll get together at the clubhouse. The kids? Well, Hudson and Kelsey are home

with the Nanny - you have to get one – makes life so much easier. When I went to NYC for our girl’s shopping weekend – the Nanny

was a godsend. Hey… you should join us at our Muskoka cottage next weekend? We’re having a few friends over for cocktails. It

will be great to get out of the city. We need to get up there soon as we’re switching over our furnance. Brett tells me it’s really simple.

We found a great company to do it all for us. You know Dr. Wicker – our family doctor? He recommended ABC – they’re the biggest

in the country and when I called, they told me they would put this monitor on the tank – so we don’t ever have to think about it again.

Will be great in the winter when we’re down in the city or at our Florida house. Speaking of which – you should come up for a ski

weekend – we’re members of a private club – no waiting for the lifts and a Starbucks right on site. It’s beautiful up there – you can

really relax with nature. Not to worry – we have wi-fi and full cable so we can still check in with the office and watch the game while

the guys compare the latest scotch. Yea, bring the dog…I’m sure he will get along with Beau – our Portuguese Water Dog. Yes, I

know, the same one that Obama has – here, let me grab my iphone and I’ll show you a pic. Oops – looks like we are holding up the

group behind us – see you at the clubhouse later”

Carole – 50 – HHI $150,000+

FORE….sorry about that. I just took a lesson. Haven’t mastered the new tips yet. How are you enjoying this course? My husband’s

partner told us about it…usually a couple of months to a get tee off time – but his partner’s is a member. I’m looking forward to a

dinner in the clubhouse with our friends. Heard the chef has come up for the summer from the city. My husband Brett and his partner

are a few holes behind. They came up after work. We’ll get together at the clubhouse. The kids? Well, Hudson and Kelsey are home

with the Nanny - you have to get one – makes life so much easier. When I went to NYC for our girl’s shopping weekend – the Nanny

was a godsend. Hey… you should join us at our Muskoka cottage next weekend? We’re having a few friends over for cocktails. It

will be great to get out of the city. We need to get up there soon as we’re switching over our furnance. Brett tells me it’s really simple.

We found a great company to do it all for us. You know Dr. Wicker – our family doctor? He recommended ABC – they’re the biggest

in the country and when I called, they told me they would put this monitor on the tank – so we don’t ever have to think about it again.

Will be great in the winter when we’re down in the city or at our Florida house. Speaking of which – you should come up for a ski

weekend – we’re members of a private club – no waiting for the lifts and a Starbucks right on site. It’s beautiful up there – you can

really relax with nature. Not to worry – we have wi-fi and full cable so we can still check in with the office and watch the game while

the guys compare the latest scotch. Yea, bring the dog…I’m sure he will get along with Beau – our Portuguese Water Dog. Yes, I

know, the same one that Obama has – here, let me grab my iphone and I’ll show you a pic. Oops – looks like we are holding up the

group behind us – see you at the clubhouse later”

Insight – an example

Our target likes to feel they are using the best – they deserve it after all - and will talk about it when they

have found it

Stage 2: Insight

If you follow this approach, your insights should seamlessly fit

with your audience

description

Stage 3: The proposition

The proposition is just a single key thought that explains why the audience

should buy our product or service

How you’ll know when you’ve got it right?

© Crayon 2010

You will know when your proposition is right... it’s when it locks your insight and your reason to believe together…

© Crayon 2010

Think of it like this… Imagine you got in a elevator with a prospect on the top floor.

Before you reach the lobby you have to convince

them in one line why they should buy your product or service

How to write a proposition

It always takes a lot

longer than you think, so

give yourself

the time it deserves

FORE….sorry about that. I just took a lesson. Haven’t mastered the new tips yet. How are you enjoying this course? My husband’s

partner told us about it…usually a couple of months to a get tee off time – but his partner’s is a member. I’m looking forward to a

dinner in the clubhouse with our friends. Heard the chef has come up for the summer from the city. My husband Brett and his partner

are a few holes behind. They came up after work. We’ll get together at the clubhouse. The kids? Well, Hudson and Kelsey are home

with the Nanny - you have to get one – makes life so much easier. When I went to NYC for our girl’s shopping weekend – the Nanny

was a godsend. Hey… you should join us at our Muskoka cottage next weekend? We’re having a few friends over for cocktails. It

will be great to get out of the city. We need to get up there soon as we’re switching over our furnance. Brett tells me it’s really simple.

We found a great company to do it all for us. You know Dr. Wicker – our family doctor? He recommended ABC – they’re the biggest

in the country and when I called, they told me they would put this monitor on the tank – so we don’t ever have to think about it again.

Will be great in the winter when we’re down in the city or at our Florida house. Speaking of which – you should come up for a ski

weekend – we’re members of a private club – no waiting for the lifts and a Starbucks right on site. It’s beautiful up there – you can

really relax with nature. Not to worry – we have wi-fi and full cable so we can still check in with the office and watch the game while

the guys compare the latest scotch. Yea, bring the dog…I’m sure he will get along with Beau – our Portuguese Water Dog. Yes, I

know, the same one that Obama has – here, let me grab my iphone and I’ll show you a pic. Oops – looks like we are holding up the

group behind us – see you at the clubhouse later”

Proposition - example

ABC company – feel confident enough in us that you can brag to

your friends

The right choice – the choice you can be proud of

(a reminder – these are not consumer facing words)

The brief…FINALLY!

© Crayon 2010

Remember don’t think of this document as a form… …it’s your opportunity to turn your thinking into your story for the creatives Here’s some tips on how to do it…

Have a consistent theme for the entire brief and let your personality or the personality of the consumer shine through…. …use evocative,

expressive and unexpected language

The briefs – when to use

1. Creative brief

2. Digital Brief

3. Event Brief

New creative

New content

Known digital component to the project

Event or face to face moment

Meant to inform look, feel and content

Meant to inform specific details about the channel

Creative brief – when you don’t need

• When it’s a repeat of past creative with just minor changes and you know the actual changes

• When it’s an event or digital project AND its doesn’t require any creative/copy

The brief…..

The things we all need to know and agree upon:

Project Name: Project Champion: Approvals by:

1. 2. 3.

Brief Date: Click here to enter a date. Hours allocated to team: In Market Date: Click here to enter a date. (please note that all projects for website are to be English and French – so allow for translation time)

The person completing the brief – the one that will answer questions / gather information and be the key contact for the marketing team

Who needs to approve this?

Consider this in the timelines

How many hours do you feel it will take to

get this done? This will be discussed at the face-to-face briefing

Note: this doesn’t mean your project will be complete X hours

after you submit – these are the hours

that will be allocated within the system

The brief…

GENERAL INFORMATION Project Scope — What do we want to do?

Why do we want to do it?

Be specific and simple

“want to create a super impactful 4 page ad for the Toronto Star”

Amazing opportunity to reach a large and relevant audience for dirt cheap

Great opportunity to communicate loads of

information

The brief…

Demonstrate UNICEF’s awesome leadership

Ensure reader’s understand we save

children’s lives

Increase visit to website by 10% Increase % of on-line donations to 60%

Donations of $15,000

UNICEF … they are involved and are leading the charge in saving children’s

lives around the world

The brief…

1. Who is UNICEF – general background and info

2. What we do – info on the three emergencies

3. How to help – donation info/SG

Visit the website to donate – unique URL Call to donate – unique 1-800

Mail in donation

Check all boxes that apply

The brief…

This comes from your pre-work…so it should be easy to complete!

“I know UNICEF from my Halloween orange box when I was kid…I don’t

REALLY know what they do”

UNICEF – remember us? Look at us now!!!

The brief…

Huh, I haven’t thought about UNICEF since my orange box at

Halloween…wow…they really do great work – they are actually saving children’s

lives!

My heart has been touched, I feel terrible about some of the conditions

children are in. They don’t deserve this – I’m going to do something about this – I

can make a difference!! I CAN SAVE CHILDREN’s lives!!!

I am grabbing my cell phone now – I am going to donate – I will save a child’s life

The brief…

Again, this is from your pre-work – so it should be REALLY easy!!!

UNICEF: for when I want to save a child’s

life

Reason to believe = Why does the product deliver the proposition You must use this section to show the creatives why they should believe in your thinking Keep it simple and the language persuasive

The brief…

Most of this time it would “no child too far”

Sometimes a product may have a sub-positioning – for example – Children’s Observatory could be;

helping Canada’s children

How would you want the recipient of your message to describe the tone of voice? Don’t just copy it from the brand guidelines. “Caring, authoritative – like David Suzuki”

“Exciting – like a dog that just got off his leash”

© Crayon 2010

Resist, resist, resist…. Avoid the urge to write

everything you know about the product when you come to write the brief…

(this can go in the support

brief if you so wish)

© Crayon 2010

The briefing is just is important as the

brief!

Be inspiring! Be creative!

Be motivating!