THE PERFECT CREATIVE BRIEF

Devin Liddell Director/Strategy

hello

Why the rst time didnt go so well.

slide 04 / 186

What is the FUNDAMENTAL TENSION within creative briefs?

MIT Study: Why dont police sketches work?

But what about these?

Text Text Text

Why are political cartoons so recognizable?

The brain loves big, exaggerated features. Not details.

The fundamental tension within creative briefs:

COMPREHENSIVE versus CONCISE.

PART ONE
WHY WRITE A CREATIVE BRIEF?

Why write a creative brief?

You want high-quality, e

ective, measurable creative work

You want to save time and money You want fair payment or compensation The project is su ciently large, high-

prole, important, or long-term in nature

BETTER WORK GREATER EFFICIENCY OPTIMAL PRICING

PART TWO
THE STATE OF THE CREATIVE BRIEF

The state of the creative brief

Less frequent Less prepared Increasingly important

I dont have time.

I dont know enough.

I want you to do it.

Memo Forms

Memo Forms

Fax Cover Sheets

Memo Forms

Sta Contact Lists

Fax Cover Sheets

Memo Forms

Sta Contact Lists Routing Slips

Fax Cover Sheets

Memo Forms

Sta Contact Lists Routing Slips

Fax Cover Sheets

Invoices

Memo Forms

Sta Contact Lists Routing Slips

Fax Cover Sheets

Invoices

Service Agreements

Memo Forms

Sta Contact Lists Routing Slips

Fax Cover Sheets

Invoices

Di erent Kinds of Invoices

Service Agreements

Memo Forms

Sta Contact Lists Routing Slips

Print Estimates

Fax Cover Sheets

Invoices

Di erent Kinds of Invoices

Service Agreements

Memo Forms

Sta Contact Lists Routing Slips

Print

Fax Cover Sheets

Invoices

Service Agreements

Di erent Kinds of Invoices Estimates Project Briefs

Memo Forms

Sta Contact Lists Routing Slips

Print

Fax Cover Sheets

Invoices

Service Agreements

Di erent Kinds of Invoices Estimates Project Briefs

Emergency Phone Trees

Memo Forms

Sta Contact Lists Routing Slips

Print

Fax Cover Sheets

Invoices

Service Agreements

Di erent Kinds of Invoices Estimates Project Briefs

Emergency Phone Trees

The Sheet With the # Codes to Punch for Long-distance Client Calls

Memo Forms

Sta Contact Lists Routing Slips

Fax Cover Sheets

Service Agreements

Billable Hours Reports Di erent Kinds of Invoices Print Estimates Project Briefs

Invoices

Emergency Phone Trees

The Sheet With the # Codes to Punch for Long-distance Client Calls

Memo Forms

Sta Contact Lists Approval Sticker Things Routing Slips

Billable Hours Reports Di erent Kinds of Invoices Print Estimates Project Briefs

Fax Cover Sheets

Invoices

Service Agreements

Emergency Phone Trees

The Sheet With the # Codes to Punch for Long-distance Client Calls

Job Sheets

The creative brief is not a tactical document.

THIS IS A STRATEGIC DELIVERABLE.

A creative brief coexists with a project brief.

When is it okay to ONLY use a project brief?

Just a project brief will do:

When all of the strategic and creative

questions have already been answered.

When the deliverable is entirely tactical. Examples: A reprint of existing collateral

featuring a di erent partner logo.

A branded giveaway in which the

giveaway has already been identied.

Who should write it?

900 Seconds
(Break)

PART THREE
INGREDIENTS FOR A BRIEF: 5 CORE ELEMENTS

01: The Big Picture

High-level background information Declarative statements; this is whats
happening and this is what we want to do about it

The biggest obstacle to success

02: Business Objectives

Ultimate goals and/or criteria for success
(e.g., increase awareness, generate sales leads, improve morale)

Why right now is the ideal timing

03: Creative Objectives

Criteria for success (e.g., expression of Mandatory elements that inform the
brand attributes, desired emotional impact, alignment with other initiatives, relevant synergies) creative direction (e.g., product shots, use of spokesperson)

04: Audience & Response

Who the target audience is and what they What we want them to do and why they
should do it care about (e.g., demographics, motivations and inspirations, turnoffs, etc.)

The single most important takeaway from

the experience

05: Competitive Landscape

The competitors What theyre doing (e.g., notable marketing
activities, strengths and weaknesses, description of competitive pressures on business and creative objectives)

What about a description of the deliverable(s)?

What is the cost of dening the deliverables? What is the cost of not dening them?

5 Core Elements
The Big Picture Business Objectives Creative Objectives Audience & Response Competitive Landscape

PART FOUR
5 WAYS TO MAKE A BRIEF LIVE . . . OR DIE!

01: Written format + verbal presentation

Writing is about being exact; carefully

selected language

Not the same as a cover sheet (e.g., see

attached PowerPoint

A tool for an advocate/evangelist A set-up for great creative

02: Brevity

Longer does not mean better; remember

that theyre called briefs

Not a work in progress A one-pager or a brief within a brief

03: Clarity

Relevant information in context No tribal language

QuickTime and a decompressor are needed to see this picture.

04: Opens more doors than it closes

Leaves room for the creative to achieve

the objectives in unexpected ways

Uses brand guidelines to set the stage for

breaking new ground (instead of breaking the rules)

05: Compelling language

Write the manifesto Put the energy into the brief that youd
like to get out of the creative

Inform. Invest. Inspire.

5 Success Indicators
Written format + verbal presentation Brevity Clarity Opens more doors than it closes Compelling language

Lunch
(eat)

PART FIVE
EXERCISES

Write this brief.

900 Seconds
(Break)

Using the content youve just developed, sketch out a new creative brief format.

Q/A

devinl@pbdh.com

Thank You