When you’re developing a new marketing campaign for your brand, you need a plan of action to keep everything on track. Whether it be the creative direction, set design, photography ideas or video elements, the best way to keep your team on task and the project running smoothly is through the use of a creative brief.

Now, you may be new to the world of creative briefs and wonder:

“How can I create a successful creative brief for my team?”

Creating this plan of action is much simpler than you may think and can be done by following a few easy steps.

So, to get you started and prepped for your next marketing project – let’s discuss 8 tips to help you craft an effective creative brief.

What is a Creative Brief?

A creative brief is essentially a blueprint and guideline for your project.

It consists of every element that is neccessary for the team to know. This includes information for the creative team, designers, managers, marketers and anyone who will have a hand in the development of the project.

Plus, a creative brief extends past the realm of creative and production. It also serves as a document where you can outline the:

• Goals for the project
• Deadlines for deliverables
• Strategy and marketing initiatives

In fact, a creative brief is a comprehensive document that allows your team to effectively communicate their ideas and efforts for your marketing campaign or creative project.

8 Tips For Your Next Creative Brief

Now, that we know what a creative brief is – let’s talk about how you can effectively draft one for your next project.

Here are 8 tips for developing a successful creative brief.

1. Cover Your Brand + What You Do

The first tip to creating a successful creative brief is to cover all aspects of your brand. This includes giving a small synopsis of your company, what you sell or provide as a service and your overall brand mission.

By including this, you are giving a small background to reiterate the brand focus and goal. This is extremely helpful if the project includes the use of freelancers or contractors. If someone on this project is being sourced externally, this blurb of information will give them a better idea of what your brand is about.

2. Outline The Project That You Are Building Include The Target Audience

The second tip for your creative brief is to outline the project. So, for example if you’re putting together a new social campaign, you would need to include points such as:

• The purpose of your campaign
• Where you will be sharing it
• What your images and videos will consist of
• How long the campaign will last
• The audience you are targeting

These are just some starter points for outlining the entirety of your project. This section can be as full as you want as long as you craft your thoughts for the whole team to understand.

The more information the better, to help each person visualize their part of the project and what they need to achieve.

3. Explain Your Intentions/Goals Of The Campaign

The third tip for your creative brief is to explain the intentions and goals of your project or campaign.

This breaks down into why you are creating it in the first place. For example is it to:

• Sell more products
• Launch a new line
• Gain exposure
• Introduce yourself to the market
• Give a refresh/rebrand
• Change your target audience

Your project will consist of various reasons and goals. It is key that you lay each of them out for the team to assess and understand. So, this way you are able to craft written and visual messages that align with the project’s overall intention.

4. List What Needs To Be Done – Production + Deliverables

The fourth tip for your creative brief is to create a centralized to-do list.

This includes topics such as:

• What needs to be done for the project
• Who will be in charge of each element
• Any additional hiring
• Production – sourcing props, set design, finding a location
• Choosing materials, colors or any additional items to build the project
• Tasks for each person depending on their role and expertise.

In addition to this list, you will also need to include the deliverables. These are the final elements that will derive from your project, such as:

• Number of photos
• Video files
• Graphics for social
• Advertisements
• Social media posts and more..

By quantifying what needs to be done, then you can check off as you go to make sure the project is on track for completion.

5. Add the Creative Vision, Aesthetic & Message

The fifth tip for your creative brief is to add the vision, aesthetic and message.

This element of the brief is the most creative, where your team needs to be able to visualize the look and feel of your project.

In this section, you should include:

• Design elements
• Color scheme
• Font choices
• Art direction
• Shot list for photographs
• Mood board for inspiration / what you’re aiming toward

Allow this section of your creative brief to be as visual as possible for the most accurate results.

6. Give The Metrics For Time & Budget

The sixth tip for your creative brief is to give metrics for time and budget.

For the time aspect, this would require you to lay out a timeline for the project such as:

• Start date of the project
• Milestones For Completion
• End date
• Deliverables due date

Creating this schedule will keep everyone on task and focused to finishing their portion within the time constraints.

Plus, this is a good section to add in your budget. This requires a financial breakdown of how much the project will cost.

This can include the price of props and production, payment for hires and any costs allocated toward advertising and marketing initiatives.

7.  Identify Venues of Marketing For This Project

The seventh tip for your creative brief is to identify the venues of marketing for your project.

For example, you could develop the project for:

• Social Media
• Website
• Online Ads
• Print Advertising
• TV Spot
• Digital Media/YouTube Ad

These are just some examples of where you can market your project. For many campaigns, brands choose the online route as it yields high results and fast return.

So, if you decide to publish the project exclusively online – consider breaking down which social media outlets you will use and where you will post your new content.

8. Breakdown Who Your Team Is And Who Will Be Working On This Project

The final tip for your creative brief is to go over the members of your team and identify each person’s role.

In fact, this is one of the most important aspects as it shows who is responsible for each task. This holds each member accountable for their own work. And, it can be used as a guide if someone has questions and needs to consult with other team members.

Plus, this will help you keep track of who is on the project, their specific role and what they are expected to complete within the project timeline.

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So, as you can see, drafting and developing a successful creative brief is easy with these 8 helpful tips. When you’re building your next project, don’t hesitate to create your own brief to help keep your ideas aligned and team on track.

Looking for creative help on your next campaign? Check out our latest work for brands like you.

And, don’t forget to connect with us on social media at @h_collective.