How to fix a bad creative brief, Part 1
The best way to fix a bad brief is to not write one in the first place. But stuff happens. Your first draft may be a clunker. That’s why it’s called a “first draft.” So here is a checklist. Whether you look at it before you write a creative brief or after, keep these ideas […]
8 things that do not belong on a creative brief. Ever.
A question I hear often is, “How do I know if I’m including enough information for the creative team?” It’s the wrong question. I’d prefer it re-phrased: “How do I know if I’m including the right information for the creative team?” The creative brief is an exercise in reduction, so judicious editing and conciseness are the order […]
If you can’t explain what a creative brief is, how can you write an inspired one?
What is your definition of a good creative brief? If you work in advertising, marketing, PR or social media, and a variety of other fields, chances are you have a working answer. Here’s a great answer from a book called What’s a Good Brief? The Leo Burnett Way, written in 1998: “A good creative brief… […]
Ad agencies: Bad client briefs are your fault.
A 3-STEP PRIMER ON IMPROVING BOTH THE CLIENT BRIEF AND THE AGENCY/CLIENT RELATIONSHIP. In April, Adweek ran a story titled, “New ANA Survey Shows the Gap Between Clients and Agencies on Issues Like Compensation and Briefs.” The ANA is the Association of National Advertisers, an organization begun in 1910 with more than 650 companies, representing […]
5 classic creative brief-writing mistakes
I’ve read hundreds, perhaps thousands, of creative briefs in my nearly 30 years in the ad business. Certain mistakes always seem to repeat themselves. Follow this simple guide and you can avoid some of the more common ones that creative brief writers make everyday. 1. Don’t forget that a creative brief must wear its passion on its sleeve. Brief […]
3 steps to avoid a creative brief that looks like a walk-in refrigerator.
Ideas present themselves when you least expect them. Just recently I was reading the Los Angeles Times and came across an article entitled, “Europe’s little fridges hold secret to less waste.” It was a eureka moment. Having lived in Europe myself for a short time 30 years ago, I remember my own tiny fridge in […]
Rave review for 2nd edition of How To Write An Inspired Creative Brief
The second edition of How To Write An Inspired Creative Brief, the book Paul Suggett ranks #1 on his list “10 Advertising Books You Absolutely Must Read” has earned an equally prestigious review on his About.com page. He writes: In a nutshell, this is a book that can improve the quality of the work coming out of […]
3 reasons why creatives should never write their own creative briefs.
In the late 1980s, when I was about three years into my career, I went to work for a business-to-business ad agency that did not have a creative brief as part of its process. I didn’t know this when I took the job. I learned to ask the question every time I moved jobs after […]
Clients should take these 5 steps to assure an inspired creative brief.
The creative brief may be the domain of the advertising agency, but the power of its inspiration begins with the client, the company doing the advertising. The creative brief, after all, is a response to the input the ad agency receives from its client. If you, as the representative of your company’s branding efforts, choose to […]
What creatives can contribute to writing a creative brief
Writing a creative brief should never be a solo practice. It must be a collaborative process. This is not the same as creative-brief-by-committee, but it should be a team-assembled creation. I confess that when I was a practicing copywriter, even a young creative director, I rarely worked with the account management or account planning teams to […]
