Hey Creatives, Do Your Briefs Fit?

Do you sometimes find that they’re too loose and don’t provide the support you need? Are they sometimes too tight and limit your ability to move freely?

I’m talking about creative briefs, of course.

As anyone in marketing communications knows, most of the creative work we produce is highly subjective. Everyone has an opinion, and some opinions are more constructive than others. How do you know if you’ve hit the mark? If you’re lucky, you’ll eventually have metrics to track how effective a piece was. But what about when you’re reviewing first comps?

As anyone in marketing communications knows, most of the creative work we produce is highly subjective.

Enter the almighty creative brief. Picture a wide-shouldered superhero — “CB” emblazoned on his chest, cape flapping in the wind. I’m sure actual briefs are also part of his superhero costume (because even creative briefs can have a sense of humor). But I digress.

Not All Briefs Are Created Equal

Nick Palmer, group creative director at Publicis Modem Toronto, recently posed a few simple questions to a group of creative directors on LinkedIn:

1. What is the first thing you look for in a brief?
2. What’s the most important thing a brief should give you?
3. What is your most common complaint about creative briefs?
   

The group’s responses varied greatly, and they demonstrate how differently creatives view briefs. But every perspective had the same underlying theme: meaningful input.

The Best Briefs Provide Ample Support and Room to Breathe

You could make a sound argument for any number of approaches to completing a brief. But in the end, it’s just a tool, and tools are only as useful as the people who use them. At its most fundamental level, the brief should include the objective and all the mission-critical information required to meet that objective. If it’s inspiring, even better.

Bassett & Partners put together a great little video about creative briefs. It should be required viewing for any professional who works with creatives. Grab a cup of coffee, put up your “Do Not Disturb” sign and take 26 minutes to be inspired.

Skip Briefs at Your Own Peril

You wouldn’t leave home without clean underwear, would you?

The creative brief provides the road map for any creative project. The inspiration. The agreement. Without a well-crafted creative brief, the people who come up with the approach are merely guessing; and the people who review the work are merely sharing an opinion.

Every comment, every critique, every suggestion should be rooted in the brief. It’s the difference between “I like that one better” versus “Of all the options, this version seems to best meet the objective.”

Without a well-crafted creative brief, the people who come up with the approach are merely guessing; and the people who review the work are merely sharing an opinion.

That’s where the brief is everyone’s ally. It takes the onus off of any individual for having the definitive opinion. It makes a highly subjective process almost (gasp!) objective.

Do you work with creative briefs?

If so, how do you approach them to ensure that your creative executions will be on point? What insights can you share?

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Jeff Thomas is a professional creative in Orlando, Florida. He’s been a writer
ever since he started writing.