Brand messaging: Ensure that the project aligns with the interests of the client and their business. Make it clear how the campaign will benefit their brand.
Key deliverables: These are the milestones to be tracked during the campaign with the help of project tracking software. They let the client know whether the campaign is progressing as expected. Project deliverables include increased customer engagement, a specific number of leads, or increased revenue by a specific deadline.
Deadlines: Ensure the deadlines are clear to everyone involved. You can write the deadlines for every milestone to help the client understand the campaign’s pace.
Which questions should you ask yourself when writing a creative brief?
With the right blueprint, every project produces great results. But oftentimes, project teams work without strong guiding principles. A carefully crafted creative brief can inspire teams and keep them focused. But to create a great brief, a lot of information is needed so all the big questions should be answered in advance.
Here are 9 questions that should get answered by your creative brief:
Why are we doing this? This question helps creative teams understand the more detailed information that comes later.
What is the objective? The creative team needs to know the vision and how progress will be measured. If the objective isn’t defined, the project may continue to expand but never get completed.
What is the budget? If you don’t specify the project’s budget, your team won’t know the effort and resources needed.
Who is the target audience? Do you want to reach a mass audience or focus on one niche group? Understand the target audience by consulting the client and doing lots of research.
What is the project’s message? If you had to describe the project in one sentence, what would you say? What is the key takeaway? If you don’t understand the project, no one else will.
How will the message be transmitted? Will you use websites, branded video content, social media, signage, logos, or traditional media? Consider the channels for transmitting your message.
What is the project’s tone? What’s the style and feel you’re aiming for? The tone should be determined by the client’s brand and the target audience. For example, B2B messaging is usually formal and jargon-laden.
What is the timeline? Create milestones to ensure your team is productive and efficient. The creative brief may also explain how many rounds of revisions are needed.
Who okayed the project? In most cases, the creative director usually gives the final sign-off. Make it clear who the final authority is.
5 common creative brief mistakes
Having too many goals: This can confuse the creative team; they won’t know what to focus on. Sit down with the client and discuss what they want from the project. If they have many goals, focus on the most important one. If there’s one thing your brief should do, it is to provide clarity and direction.
Not establishing a target audience: Let the creative team understand who the target audience is and what motivates them—paint the full picture. Include all the relevant information about the audience, it’s the only way you can build a campaign for them.
Copy-pasting information: If you’ve worked with a client for a long time, you may be tempted to reuse information from an earlier brief. Don’t give in to the temptation, make every brief unique so the creative team doesn’t skim the repeated material.
Using generic descriptions: Avoid using meaningless descriptions or jargon, they don’t add anything to the brief. Write in simple English and leave out terms like cutting-edge, innovative, original, etc. Simply explain what sets the client apart from the competition.
Leaving out some information: Provide all of the information that is essential to the project. Don’t leave anything out, not even the small technical details you consider unimportant. You risk creating a concept that can’t be executed.
Will a creative brief save time and money?
Yes. When you write a creative brief to outline a project’s vision, timeline, audience, and measurables, you create a roadmap for success. You also show your client that you’re both working towards the same goal. A brief also acts as your safety net in case things change during the course of the project.
Use project management templates or an online project management software like Kissflow Project to create a solid brief for your campaign, starting today.
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