Bang on brief

Great work starts with a great brief. Creating such a brief is a collaborative process; we know nearly all the questions to ask about your business and objectives and you know nearly all the answers. Why only ‘nearly all’? Because none of us knows exactly what will be thrown up by the questions asked or the answers given; enlightenment is part of the briefing process and that’s partly why we do it.

What purpose does a brief serve?

An accurate, agreed brief saves time, removing irrelevant details to provide a clear platform of information and objectives from which to start work. It also saves money as costly misunderstandings, misdirection and moving goal posts are avoided. Finally, a properly constructed brief delivers a better return on investment as clear thinking translates into clarity of communication.

5 steps towards a great brief:

Consult internally. Giving relevant colleagues an opportunity to contribute at the outset will help consolidate your thinking, highlight any overlap or conflict and secure buy-in further down the line.

Start at the right place. The business objective. Too often, a briefing session begins with “We need a website/leaflet/promotional belly dancer” – when in fact the media choice should be decided only after the rest of the brief has been completed and aim, audience and messaging agreed.

Be prepared to have your thinking challenged. Part of our role is to conduct a (friendly!) interrogation to ensure that your assumptions are correct. Far better to address any flaws at the outset – and that’s where our perspective can help.

Let the creatives do their job. By this we mean avoid the temptation to pre-empt or pre-determine the conclusion or creative approach – that process starts where the brief finishes and it’s what you’re paying us for.

Remember, this is a collaborative process so you’re not expected to fill in all the blanks, but it may help clarify your objectives ahead of more detailed discussions.