The marketing communications brief is a tool to clearly develop an effective plan and understanding between the client requesting a project and the marketing teams delivering the project. The brief captures key details such as the client and project name, marketing objective, target audience, desired response, competitive environment, mandatory requirements, evaluation plan, production deadlines, media options, budget, and obtains approval from both the client and marketing teams before work can commence.

1. CQU Marketing Communications Brief
Division of University Relations
Many marketing communications projects get underway without a very clear sense of expectations between the customer requesting
the project and the marketing/communications/creative teams delivering it. This Brief is a tool that will assist us in clearly developing an
effective plan and greater understanding of the project. Developing the brief can be driven by the customer and/or by authorised
Division of University staff, but both parties are required to agree on the Brief before work can commence. Please use as much room
as you need to respond thoroughly to the criteria below.
1. Client Name/Faculty/School Division/Contact details __________________________________________________________
This should be the name of the customer paying for or responsible for the project, who will ultimately approve the creative product
2. Project Name__________________________________________________________________________________
Example: “New campaign to introduce a degree in leadership.”
3. Prepared by/Contact details___________________________________________________________________________________________
Client representative primarily responsible for collaborating on the brief… the project manager
Communications Brief
4. Marketing Objective ____________________________________________________________________________
What is the objective or purpose of this activity/ad/marketing material?
5. Target Audience _______________________________________________________________________________
Age, sex, level of education, location, other criteria. Who is the ad talking to?
6. Desired Response_________________________________________________________________________________________________
What do you want the target audience to think, to feel, or to do? Be specific.
7. The Key Proposition ____________________________________________________________________________
What’s the single most important thing we can say to achieve the Desired Response? This should be a verifiable truth, preferably
demonstrating a competitive advantage, not ambiguous generalities because they result in poor communications.
What makes the proposition believable? ___________________________________________________________
Describe benefits and give reasons why the target audience should believe what we want them to believe. What else can we say/do to achieve
the objective?
8. Competitive Environment________________________________________________________________________
What’s going on in the market and community? In what context are we communicating the message? Do we know what the competition is
doing?
9. Mandatory requirements ________________________________________________________________________
Logos, specific colours, contact details etc.
10. Evaluation_____________________________________________________________________________________
How will the marketing/communications product be evaluated? How will the success of this project be determined? Should you measure
responses, calls, enquiries etc.?
Anticipated production considerations
11. Deadlines/Timelines/Delivery information __________________________________________________________
A date must be entered for delivery of creative product. Timelines will be worked out after that. Provide delivery requirements.
12. Media ________________________________________________________________________________________
What is the best communications vehicle? Print ads (trades, newspaper, magazines); Outdoor; Web; Broadcast; Direct Mail; Brochure; Booklet;
other. Note, external media specialists will be consulted and an actual media plan will be provided
13. Budget_______________________________________________________________________________________
How much are you budgeting for the project? (Note: Further estimating and budgeting will be required)
Approval
The Client and the Division of University Relations agree that this Brief captures the scope of the project and expectations of each
party collaborating on the project. It is acknowledged that work can now commence.
Approved by Client/Date _________________________________ Approved by DUR/Date ______________________

2. For office use only