How To Write A Creative Brief, by True Digital

How to write a creative brief

Agenda
What is a creative brief?
What a creative brief is not.
How to write a creative brief.
Some examples.
Your turn.

What is a creative brief?
cre·a-tive (krea tiv), adj.
1. having the quality or power of creating. 2. resulting from originality of thought; imaginative.
brief (bref), adj.
1. l asting or taking a short time. 2. using few words; concise: a brief report. 3. abrupt; curt. 4. a short and concise statement or written item.

A creative brief is not…
A list of instructions.
A checklist.
A form to fill out.
A copy and paste job.
An easy document to write.

How to write a creative brief
Job description
Target audience
Objectives
Single minded proposition
Substantiation
Key response
Desired brand character
Mandatory inclusions

Job description
What do you want the creative team to produce?
A banner campaign? An email? A website?
Tip: This is one sentence. Not a background essay!

Target audience
Men aged 35 and over with a large household income.
Michael Jackson
Clint Eastwood
Richard Branson
The bottom line: You need to provide more than just demographics. You need to get inside the consumer’s head.

Target audience
Who are we talking to?
How old are they?
Are they male or female?
How much money do they make?
What do they read?
What TV shows do they watch?
What do they think? Feel?
What are their likes? Dislikes?
What are their dreams? Their biggest fears?
What kind of house do they live in?
What kind of car do they drive?
What sort of job do they have?
Where do they shop?
Are they customers? Prospects?
Do they love our product? Hate our product? Why?
How does the product fit into their lives?
What makes them tick?

Target audience
Lovable – an example (18-30yrs):
Sarah has been with her boyfriend Michael for the past 2 years, she’s strong, confident and has attitude. She enjoys going camping just as much as she enjoys their yearly trip to the Lake District where they stay in a cottage with friends.
Sarah is currently working in communications, for her, work is about having fun. She still loves her ‘girls nights out’ but makes sure she still has time for her boy. She’s in to her sport and keeps fit and healthy with regular netball and running. She likes the movies, reads all the gossip mags (Take a break, Pick me up) and reads books on the best seller list.
She shops at River Island, Office, Shellys for her shoes. When they get take-away ‘a good Chinese’ is her favourite and she drinks ‘vodka/tonics and/or Stella beer when they go out with friends. She’s good company and has a great sense of humour.

Target audience
Kissed – an example (13-18yrs):
Phoebe is young and cute, her friends describe her as a real character. She LUUURVES her music and her friends, for her it’s all about on-line chat rooms, her mobile phone, ipod and fashion.
At parties she drinks pink Bacardi breezers, she thinks they look totally cool. When she goes shopping with her girlfriends its all about sports clothes. Phoebe hangs out on the weekend and usually goes to the movies, the shops or the beach. She reads Cosmo Girl, but also Cosmo sometimes.
Phoebe has a few male friends in her life, but no ‘real’ boyfriend. She’s close to her mum, but could kill her little brother and sister.

Target audience
Interrogate them
Get the word on the street.
Put up research surveys
Become them
Read their magazines.
Watch their TV shows, movies.
Listen to their music.
Shop where they shop.
Eat where they eat.
Join a support group.
Use the products they use.
Get close to them
Visit a call centre.
Talk to sales people.

Objectives
What is the advertising intended to achieve?
Is it realistic?
What do we want the target audience to do / think?
Buy something? Use more? Switch brands?
How are we going to do this?

sin·gle-mind·ed (snggl-mndd), adj.
1. having one overriding purpose or goal. 2. steadfast; resolute.
prop·o·si·tion (prp-zshn), n.
1. a plan suggested for acceptance; a proposal. 2. a matter to be dealt with; a task. 3. an offer of a private bargain, especially a request for sexual relations.

The single idea that makes the ad.
The first and last thing creatives look at in the brief.
Give the creative team an ‘angle’ to work from.
Take the first leap in imagination.
Write the first ad in the campaign.
The bottom line: “If the creative brief is not itself creative, if it does not suggest solutions to problems, present information in an expansive and interesting way, and interpret the information with imagination and flair, then its authors and presenters have no right to expect anything different from the creative team.”

What is the single most motivating and differentiating thing we can say about the brand or product to the target audience to make them act in the desired way?
Single minded - ONE compelling reason

What’s in it for the consumer?
Rational and emotional benefits?
Disadvantages of non-use?
Product characteristics?
Ways of using it?
Price characteristics?
Newsworthiness?
Product heritage?
Image characteristics?
Performance compared to competitors?
User characteristics?
How it’s made.
Surprising facts about the product, users or usage.

Rational and emotional benefits
Thirst, hunger, social status, self-confidence, peace of mind, being a good mum/wife/husband, a leader not a follower.
Disadvantages of non-use
Missed opportunity, risk of damage.
Ways of using it
To share, give, treat yourself.
Price characteristics
Better value, money-off offer, cheaper, more expensive.
Newsworthiness
Surprising facts, unusual attributes, new, improved.
Product heritage
Old-fashioned quality, ‘what your mom used to use’, trusted name, founder’s philosophy.

Image characteristics
High quality, good value, friendly service, contemporary, irreverent.
Compared to competitors
Price, product, service.
User characteristics
Celebrities use it, experts use it, the #1 brand (most people use it), exclusive (only a few use it).

So, when it’s written, how do you know
if it’s an engaging proposition?

Is it instantly clear and does it communicate exactly what you want to say?
Does it contain a fact about the product you didn’t know before you started writing? Is it surprising or thought-provoking?
Does it contain a strategic insight?
Does it contain a benefit to the consumer?
Do you believe it?
If the answer is ‘no’ to any of these, it isn’t an engaging proposition.

Some examples
Lanson champagne makes any occasion more special.
Lanson – the champagne for people with the imagination to create their own champagne occasions.
KP chocolate dips are great fun to eat.
KP chocolate dips make you feel naughty when you eat them.
The Independent – for people who like to make up their own minds.
The Independent – not written for sheep.

And how do you know if you have a single-minded proposition?

Count the thoughts!
Does it have any ‘and’s’?
Or ‘but’s’?
Or brackets?
If the answer is ‘yes’ to any of these, it’s not single-minded.

Sony Camcorder – an example
Product attributes
Powerful zoom lens
CCD imager with many thousands more pixels
Single-minded proposition
The powerful zoom lens allows you to spot a bee’s balls from ten paces.

Isuzu Rodeo – an example
Target audience
Rodeo buyers see themselves as different. They are cooler, more adventurous, fun. They want their vehicle to be a sort of a tool, to help act out and express their active lifestyle. It has to be able to be pushed, and they will push it to the limits. These are the kind of people who will want to get their vehicle covered in mud on the first day they own it.
The normal restrictions don’t apply with an Isuzu Rodeo.

Isuzu Trooper – an example
Target audience
The Trooper buyers are process-oriented. They like knowing all the details before they buy; they don’t just buy. They don’t buy things for what they say, but instead for what they do. They want to know the features and functions. These are the kind of people who when asked why they bought a Trooper could list about a thousand reasons. They like to be prepared in any eventuality. They are looking for an SUV that can handle anything that might be thrown at them.
Trooper is exactly the right equipment for life’s great expeditions…it’s the Swiss Army knife of SUVs.

Substantiation
The deal clincher.
Why should I believe you?
Supports the single minded proposition. Makes it credible.
Not facts separate from the proposition!
Not extra propositions!
Tip: If you put ‘because’ before each proof statement it should follow on from the proposition.

Substantiation
Polaroid – an example
With Polaroid, the picture is only the beginning.
Substantiation
People can use Polaroid in innovative and unusual ways.
Polaroid is a means, not an end.
Polaroid can set a chain of events in motion.
Polaroids can be taken for a certain reason, to achieve a particular objective.
Polaroid is a tool for communication, the pictures can be a language in and of themselves.

Key response
What do we want the prospect to do as a result of the advertising?
Call a number?
Visit a store?
Tell a friend?
What beliefs, attitudes, opinions, behaviour do we want to change?
How do we want people to think and feel about our brand?
Tip: Should be written in first person.

How would you talk to your target audience?
How do we want people to feel about the brand after they’ve seen the advertising?
Avoid ‘fat’ words, ie warm, aspirational, confident. Choose strong, edgy words ie righteous anger, sinful, joyous.
If your brand were a person, who would they be?
Patronising? Respectful?
Humorous? Matter of fact?
Sophisticated? Irreverent?
Contemporary? Old fashioned?

Lovable – an example
Temperament: Fun but grounded
Character: Lovable
Attraction: Desirable
Charm: Cheeky but soft
Presence: Engaging aura
Individuality: Ability to connect with people
Colour: Shocking pink (fuschia)
Sound: ‘Shakin your arse’ – Groove Armada
Texture: Satin with a touch of lace
Sense: Tickled on the balls of your feet
Feel: Laughing to the point of tears
Smell: Vanilla pods and chilli

Kissed – an example
Temperament: Playful
Character: She’s a tease
Attraction: Blossoming
Charm: Innocently appealing
Presence: Vibrant
Individuality: Making her own rules
Colour: Apricot
Sound: ‘Since you been gone’ (Kelly Clarkson)
Texture: Brushed cotton with silk trimming
Sense: Space rocks popping in your mouth
Feel: Butterflies in your tummy/discovery
Smell: Angel Perfume by Thierry Mugler

Mandatory inclusions
Logos
Taglines
Phone numbers
Call to actions

Common errors to avoid
Briefs that are full of contradictions.
Briefs that are repetitive.
Objective = SMP = Substantiation
Briefs with unrealistic objectives or an unbelievable SMP.
Briefs that are lazy.
Generic; nothing unique or distinctive; could be for any brand in the sector.
Briefs that are long.
Often full of marketing jargon with no single idea or focus.
The catch all brief with something for everyone.

Guiding principles
Know your product or service inside out. Search for intriguing angles and insights.
Make it lean and to the point. Keep it short. Keep it simple.
If it’s not relevant to the consumer. It’s not relevant to the brief.
Get in the consumers mindset.
Ultimately the advertising must sell to consumers, not the client.
Use simple plain language. No jargon.
Go further than the client’s brief – challenge yourself (and them)!
Don’t just accept what your client tells you. Your value to them often is thinking further than they have.
Bring the brief alive. Remember your job is to inspire great creative.
Involve account planning and creative in the process.

A final thought
Remember,
You are PART OF the creative process.

http://studysmart.studygroup.com	3433
http://www.binarytweed.com	2540
http://www.slideshare.net	732
http://www.scoop.it	668
http://nitschkecsu.wordpress.com	415
http://yoquierosercreativo.wordpress.com	396
http://studysmart.bellerbys.com	374
http://gettom.blogspot.com	207
http://almccann.com	181
http://trainingvle.uk.studygroup.com	167
http://kimberlyboland.blogspot.com	124
http://altcomm.wordpress.com	121
http://www.onemanshow.se	106
http://vizedhtmlcontent.next.ecollege.com	97
http://www.mcgrawmarketing.com	38
http://belajaradvertising.blogspot.com	28
http://www.gettom.blogspot.com	24
http://zapomni.me	19
http://adamsmithfashion.blogspot.com	19
http://abtasty.com	17
http://sharonite.blogspot.com	16
https://jujo00obo2o234ungd3t8qjfcjrs3o6k-a-sites-opensocial.googleusercontent.com	14
http://online.twu.edu	13
http://pinterest.com	11
https://utsa.blackboard.com	11
http://posterous.com	10
http://ig.gmodules.com	9
http://flavors.me	8
https://blackboard.inholland.nl	8
http://www.blogger.com	7
http://www.blankdesign.com.au	7
http://howinsaneisthat.blogspot.com	7
http://harrietjanemcmahon.wordpress.com	6
http://lurnq.com	6
http://kimberlyboland.blogspot.com.au	6
http://translate.googleusercontent.com	5
http://denizkahraman.com	5
http://www.kimberlyboland.blogspot.com	5
http://martinlijanto.blogspot.com	5
http://rmuilti.blogspot.com	4
http://swalsh.com.au	4
http://www.linkedin.com	4
http://jujo00obo2o234ungd3t8qjfcjrs3o6k-a-sites-opensocial.googleusercontent.com	4
http://joannsondy.posterous.com	4
http://paper.li	4
http://jennicorbett.schoolcommunicationarts.com	3
https://twitter.com	3
http://adamsmithfashion.blogspot.co.uk	3
http://sharonite.blogspot.com.au	2
https://bbpilot.smumn.edu	2
http://adamsmithfashion.blogspot.fr	2

How To Write A Creative Brief, by True Digital

by True

Accessibility

Categories

Upload Details

Usage Rights

75 Embeds 9,931

Statistics