Professional Documents
Culture Documents
How To Write A Creative Brief
How To Write A Creative Brief
Agenda
A list of instructions.
A checklist.
A form to fill out.
A copy and paste job.
An easy document to write.
1. Job description
2. Target audience
3. Objectives
4. Single minded proposition
5. Substantiation
6. Key response
7. Desired brand character
8. Mandatory inclusions
Job description
What do you want the creative team to produce?
A banner campaign? An email? A website?
Target audience
Target audience
Who are we talking to?
Target audience
Sarah has been with her boyfriend Michael for the past 2 years, shes
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. Shes 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. Shes good company and
has a great sense of humour.
Target audience
Phoebe is young and cute, her friends describe her as a real character.
She LUUURVES her music and her friends, for her its 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. Shes
close to her mum, but could kill her little brother and sister.
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Target audience
Interrogate them
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.
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Objectives
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proposition (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.
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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.
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Product characteristics?
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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,
founders philosophy.
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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).
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The Independent for people who like to make up their own minds.
The Independent not written for sheep.
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Single-minded proposition
The powerful zoom lens allows you to spot a bees balls from ten
paces.
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Single-minded proposition
The normal restrictions dont apply with an Isuzu Rodeo.
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Target audience
The Trooper buyers are process-oriented. They like knowing all the details before
they buy; they dont just buy. They dont 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.
Single-minded proposition
Trooper is exactly the right equipment for lifes great expeditionsits the Swiss
Army knife of SUVs.
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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.
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Substantiation
Polaroid an example
Single-minded proposition
Substantiation
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Key response
Patronising? Respectful?
Humorous? Matter of fact?
Sophisticated? Irreverent?
Contemporary? Old fashioned?
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Temperament: Playful
Character: Shes 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
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Mandatory inclusions
Logos
Taglines
Phone numbers
Call to actions
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Guiding principles
1. Know your product or service inside out. Search for intriguing angles and
insights.
2. Make it lean and to the point. Keep it short. Keep it simple.
If its not relevant to the consumer. Its not relevant to the brief.
Dont just accept what your client tells you. Your value to them often is thinking
further than they have.
5. Bring the brief alive. Remember your job is to inspire great creative.
6. Involve account planning and creative in the process.
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A final thought
Remember,
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