We’ve got something uncomfortable to share with you.
“One third of all marketing budgets are potentially wasted due to poor briefs.”
That’s not all…
“80% of marketers think they’re writing good briefs. Only 10% of creative agencies agree.”
These insights came from a group called Better Briefs. They’re a company that wants to help agencies and their clients work together in a more cost effective way (which we all love). Every year they do a bit of research around how well the briefing process is going in creative agency land and…we reckon there’s room for improvement.
“60% of marketers use [their agency’s] creative process to clarify their strategies rather than being clear about these from the outset.”
“60% of marketers use [their agency’s] creative process to clarify their strategies rather than being clear about these from the outset.”
That’s one pricey way to write a brief.
These learnings aren’t new to us at Cadence. The briefing process is rarely linear. Emails back and forth. Meetings to “align” and “circle back”. This is a very messy and costly process – and happens more often than you think.
Most of the time we’re ok with this process. We’re passionate about collaboration. We like to meet clients where they are at, and help them along the journey. But we do sometimes wonder if organisations realise just how much money they could be saving if they were to refine their briefing process.
Cadence is passionate about working for brands that want to do good in the world. That means we’re often working with tight budgets made up of precious donated funds. We want to help you use those budgets well so we thought it might be helpful to write this resource to help you write a good brief and save some of your marketing budget for the stuff you wish you could do.
It’s really hard to write a good brief
A caveat before we begin. Most people don’t know how to write a brief because it’s really hard. It requires know-how and help. For most of us, it’s a special skill that’s learnt and honed over time. It also requires your executives and teams getting you information you might not have and in a timely manner. So cut yourself some slack and see it as something we’re here to help you get better and better at.
Without further ado, here are the key elements of a great brief.
1. Executive summary
Start with a high-level overview. What’s the main goal of the project? This should be a concise paragraph that gives Cadence a quick understanding of the project’s purpose and what success looks like.
2. Who are you & what do you do?
Provide a brief introduction to your company. What do you do? Who are you? Also, describe the specific product or service this project is about. What does it do, what makes it unique, and how does it fit into your larger brand?
If you’ve worked with us before, you might want to include any information we don’t know that would help us with the problem you need our help with.
3. Background & situation analysis
Why is this project happening now? What’s the context? Include any information you might have about the market landscape, key competitors, and any previous campaigns. This helps Cadence understand the environment they are creating for and what you are up against.
If you don’t have this, that’s fine, but if you do, don’t hold back.
4. Business & marketing objectives
What are you trying to achieve? Be specific, time bound, and use metrics. For example, instead of “increase donation,” say “increase donations by 15% for our May June appeal” or “drive 1,000 new email sign-ups in the next three months.” This gives Cadence a clear target to aim for.
If you’ve only got general goals, that’s ok, we can help you with the clearer metrics.
5. Target audience
Who are you talking to? This needs to go beyond basic demographics. Create an audience profile or a persona. What are their behaviours, motivations, pain points, and media consumption habits? The more detailed you are, the better Cadence can tailor the message.
If you don’t have this information, a good place to start is commissioning Cadence to do some research and analysis for you. We regularly do this for our clients.
6. Messaging: what do you want them to know?
This is the core of your brief. If your audience could only remember one thing about your product or service after seeing the creative, what would it be? This statement should be a concise, compelling idea that all the creative work will be based on.
Again, we can help you create this but it’s likely you know your audience and product really well and can get us started with some core messaging.
7. Deliverables & scope
What do you need Cadence to produce? Be specific about the required assets. For example, “three social media ads (one for Instagram, one for Facebook, and one for TikTok),” or “website copy for the homepage and product page.” Cadence might have some insights and suggestions here regarding the deliverables, but it’s good to have a sense of what you might need. This helps us having to requote and re-scope halfway through the project.
If that happens, it’s not a drama but if you can get your ducks in a row early, it’s a smoother, cheaper process.
8. Budget. State your budget clearly
Providing a realistic budget range upfront saves a lot of time and ensures Cadence’s creative ideas are grounded in reality. This allows us to propose solutions that are feasible and relevant to your financial constraints.
9. Timeline
Outline all key dates, including the brief date, proposed agency presentation date, and the final launch date. Include any internal milestones or review periods that Cadence needs to be aware of – like who needs to see and approve the work at key stages.
10. Logos and legal
Are there any specific logos, brand guidelines, or legal disclaimers that must be included? List any non-negotiable elements that need to be part of the final creative.
11. Key stakeholders & contact info
Who is the main point of contact for the project? List the names and contact information for everyone on the client’s side who will be involved in the decision-making process. This prevents confusion and streamlines communication.
One final caveat. Our briefing system might not be the right one. Feel free to break our system if it makes sense to. Some briefs will fit this system, but most briefs are unique. Write your brief in a way that makes the most sense of what you’re trying to achieve. Just make sure you include the key elements: goals, target audience, messaging, budget, timeline.
Happy brief writing!
Footnotes
- The Best Way for a Client to Brief an Agency, Better Briefs and Mark Ritson.
