229: ANA on creative briefs
Eight years after the publication of its white paper, Better Creative Briefs, the Association of National Advertisers released new research in June 2025. And that’s our topic today on The Brief Bros. Henry Gomez and I do an overview of their findings. And let me be upfront: I was interviewed and credited in the 51-page […]
228: A lively conversation with Professor Mark Ritson
Originally aired September 21, 2022 This week, Henry Gomez and I are joined on The Brief Bros. by a luminary in the field of marketing: Professor Mark Ritson. Our guest has earned a well-deserved reputation for pulling no punches in his commentary on and assessment of marketers and their brand management. Plus Henry is an […]
227: Are B2B briefs different?
True or false: when you write a brief for a B2B client, you can’t use a B2C brief template. It’s an oldie but goodie, one I’ve heard for years. Henry Gomez, too. And perfectly timed after our episode last week about Go Daddy at Cannes. Today on The Brief Bros. we dispel the myths around […]
226: B2B Grand Prix at Cannes
Special thanks to our friend and loyal viewer Brian Sherwin at Della Famina in New York. Because of Brian, The Brief Bros. discusses a popular win at Cannes. Brian shared a break-down of a Cannes Grand Prix winner in B2B for Go Daddy. The information he shared with me comes from Joe Burns, a noted […]
225: The Open Brief
A shout-out to our friend and past guest on The Brief Bros., Lance Saunders. He shared with us a fascinating article about The Open Brief. It gave Henry Gomez and me a brilliant topic for today’s discussion. And it triggered memories of past lives where we both had experience with a version. Is the open […]
224: Chaz Wigley’s new book
Our old friend, Chaz Wigley, returns to The Brief Bros. He reminds us why his 100 Things Planners Should Know is a font of wisdom. His insights, collected after decades as a strategist, are the building blocks for a stellar career. Chaz shares his favorites among the 100 Things. But this conversation is mostly about […]
223: Brand Truth vs Human Truth
Returning to our Lightning Round debates, The Brief Bros. today ask: Which is more important on the creative brief—brand truth or human truth? Howard sides with Brand Truth. Henry lines up with Human Truth. In this short episode, we offer insights to help brief writers tackle their next brief. What’s in your brief?
222: The history of the brief
Four-plus years in, The Brief Bros. finally get around to asking an important question: When did the creative brief make its first appearance? Henry Gomez did quite a bit of research on this. Because it’s what good strategists do. So we decided to do a brief history of the document. Who was the first to […]
221: Insight vs SMP
Part Two of The Brief Bros.’s Lightning Round, inspired by my buddy Giles Edwards, who puts his podcast guests through a series of five or six quick-answer questions. So we ask, Which is more important on a brief, the insight or the SMP? Henry Gomez tackles Insight, and I give you my best thinking on […]
220: Lightning Round: Objective vs Target
Today on The Brief Bros., we borrow from our buddy Giles Edwards who puts his podcast guests through what he calls a Lightning Round. Each guest is hit with a series of fast-delivered questions and expected to deliver fast answers. So Henry Gomez and I took this concept and adapted it to our show. This […]
