Writing a creative brief

Marketing Objective

Why we are advertising

Consumer Objective

The desired change in attitude or behaviour

Advertising Objective How we want people to react

How it worksThe advertising has to affect people in such a

way

That they are moved from one mind state or type of behaviour

to another

Which in turn generates the required

commercial outcome

Advertising Objective

Consumer Objective

MarketingObjective

Guinness Marketing Objective

Increase frequency of use amongst Guinness drinkers

Consumer ObjectiveMake people adopt Guinness as their pint of preference

Advertising ObjectiveInstill Guinness drinkers with a real sense of pride

Which objective do I put into the creative brief?The one that points creatives in the right direction

Marketing Objective restates the business problem which is more useful to the clients than to the creatives

Consumer Objective tells creatives what effect we would like the advertising to have on people’s attitudes and/or behviour

Advertising Objective tells creatives how people are supposed to react to their ads

Need for being realistic The only one I buy One of my favourites One I occasionally buy I have heard of it, but I never tried it I have never heard of it before

Need for being realistic

Do we need to …► Extend usage to new targets?► Increase frequency of usage amongst

current users?► Increase loyalty?► Establish or regain our relevance?► Activate the brand at contact?► Clarify our positioning?

Knowing the Target audience A clear, simple objective and clear

recognizable target audience. Who they are? –

Definition v/s description18-25 years males with high disposable income and enjoy sports on television, reads the Midday and tends to share its views, goes to a holiday at Goa, has a club membership, etc.

Insight

What makes a good core idea

Single minded

The Creative plea

‘Give me the one thought and a thousand facts

to back it up’

Motivating

The Consumer Button

‘Tell me why I should be interested in what you

are selling’

Different

The Competitive Set

‘Show me how it stands out from the

crowd’

By asking the right people…

..the right questions about the brand

What are its key characteristics? Where is it made? What goes into the making of it? Does it have an interesting heritage? Why is it better than its competitors? Any exciting news?

…and the right question about the brand usership

Who uses the brand? How, where and when is it used? What distinguishes users of the brand

from non-users? How does the brand benefit them? What physical, social, psychic needs

does it fulfill?

What is the support?

If it does, it isIf it doesn’t it isn’t

What it isn’t?

‘Everything I know about the product’

What it is?

Support for the proposition Focused but rich

Focused but rich?

As many interesting and relevant facts - emotional as well as rational - as much as you can get your hands on

Tone of voice

It’s how we say what we are going to say How we speak depends on who we are

- Think of the brand as a person- Now what sort of personality traits

would you like the brands to have- How would you describe that person to

group of friends- And what kind of conversation would

you expect to have with that person

Every line in the brief should be

Relevant to the strategy

Relevant to the creative team

The briefing is more important than

the Brief

What is briefing?

Unlike briefs, briefing is all about inspiration

Everyone puts so time on getting the brief right and yet it is more often a chance remark at the briefing that sets off an idea in mind

What briefing should not be Slipping the brief under the door… or

emailing it A meeting squeezed in before lunch or

after a pre-production meeting A speech by the planner An event attended by the client Group therapy

What briefing should be An open exchange of ideas between

planner, account service, media and creatives

A change of scene – use inspiring location

A piece of theatre – use props/ images/audio to bring your vision to life

An experience – invite creatives to use/ taste/ drink the product themselves

A few suggestions

Check in advance if your creative team have already worked on a similar brand and ask them or their input into the brief

Conduct a category advertising review – show them how other brands are behaving

Know your brand's advertising history – what’s been done before, what’s worked/hasn’t worked and why

Remember the creative team can read! No need to slavishly follow exact order or wording brief

Talking To Creative

Trying to speak their language

Creative Brief

A short ‘piece of communication’ to the creative team/s across disciplines on the problem

As the name suggests it needs to be two things Creative And Brief

Do not load the brief with unnecessary detail and numeric objectives

Crystallizing Your Thoughts

Brief Background Brand History ( If new agency) Market situation (Brands and competitive

position – Category growth, Brand growth etc)

The years marketing objectives Marketing approach/strategy Views on the communications Role &

Objectives

Crystallizing Your Thoughts The Target Audience

Demographics Psychographics

Key Message/s Supports for the claim Expected media mix Mandatory Inclusions Budgets (media and production) Timelines

GOLD – Case Study

The Preamble

A painting of the environment

Background

• About the brand

•The competition

•The Category

•A lead up to the problem

Crisp Is the word !

•Current perceptions

Background – Gold

History – Strength, Alternative Currency, Largest Market

The brand gold – ‘a must’, Tradition - marriage, status symbol, security

Current Environment – Under attack at the top – Diamonds & Platinum + a host of other fashion accessories, loosing ground with the young urban

Communication Intent

What is the communication/advertising intended to achieve?

What is the advertising trying to do for the brand?

Position gold as a fashion accessory for the young urban woman.

Gold – Advertising Intended to achieve

Target Audience Definition

Who is this animal ?

- Specific

- One person definition

Gold – Target Audience Sheetal Gandhi, 21 years old living in Bandra, Mumbai

Sheetal studied in St. Xaviers College and is currently working for Viz Craft.

She loves parties and visits discs and pubs on a weekly basis. She uses western clothing on a daily basis

Sheetal is very fashion conscious. She is aware of all the latest trends and is one of the first in her circle to buy the ‘new stuff’

Sheetal believes that the woman of today is not as bound as her earlier generations

She feels that she has her destiny in her hands

She is willing to explore and try out new and exciting things that come her way

Category Relationship

Summarize his or her feelings about the brand/ category in relation to the task at hand.

Gold – Her relationship with the category

Gold conjures up images of old fashioned, heavy, ornate, marriage, responsibility

She does not wear gold on a regular basis. In fact she wears it only when her mother forces her to wear on formal occasions

She loves Diamonds and wares and swears by her sliver and junk jewellery

She knows that Gold would be part of her life someday but does not wait for that day

Creative Challenge

What challenge must the creative rise to meet?

Gold-Creative Challenge The advertising must break down this barrier and change the ‘not for me feeling in her mind’

Gold

Key Consumer Insight

The one truth that rings true with the consumer in relation to the task at hand.

Gold – Key Consumer Insight

The Task – Position Gold as a fashion accessory for the young urban woman

Gold does not go with any of my outfits. There are no trendy designs available that match my style.

The Proposition

Describe the one reward or benefit we are promising, from the consumers perspective.

Gold – Proposition

‘Collection g’ a range of gold jewellery that defies current usage boundaries.

The support What do we have that we can share that proves our point

The collection in use. Demonstrated in her environment … her dressing style … her attitude

The creative idea – Gold so different you’ll wear it differently

Gold – Support

Tone/ Personality Small idea of your brand and the tone of this particular communication.

Gold – Tone The communication should be young

friendly and lighthearted

Visually it should be contemporary and warm

Mandatory

What do you need? What are the elements that must appear. (logos, conditions, mediums, templates etc)

Gold Mandatory Logo of gold

World gold council

Other Initiatives

Contests

Direct Contact

Events

PR Cross promos

T H A N K Y O U!