How to write a practice brief without actually writing a practice brief.
All professionals practice. Why? Because they know they need to stay sharp. Often, their profession requires it, but even if it doesn’t, pros practice anyway. That practice comes in many forms: refresher courses, conferences, online and in-person training. If you write creative briefs for a living, even if it’s not your main task, you need […]
What not to expect from a creative brief.
My video podcast co-host, Henry Gomez, often says on our show, The Brief Bros., that an inspiring creative brief doesn’t guarantee inspiring creative. But it vastly improves the odds. His comment inspired me to ruminate on what great creative briefs should not be expected to do. I file this under “intellectual honesty,” which everyone, regardless […]
Why are creative briefs hard to write? Because briefs are about good writing.
Some observations about outstanding, inspiring creative briefs. First, they are short. They fit on one page, maybe a page and a half. Second, the best ones avoid using bullet points. If they do use bullet points, said bullets are written in complete sentences. At worst, the bullets are memorable phrases. Third, these great briefs, when […]
Creatives love to complain about bad briefs. If they tried writing one they’d find out how hard it is.
All creatives should learn how to write a brief. It’s humbling, and will make them better readers of briefs.
Why the “one-sentence creative brief” is a false idol.
Who writes a one-sentence creative brief? More to the point, who wants a one-sentence creative brief? I don’t. I doubt creatives want one. Not truly. Oh, I’ve read a few comments on LinkedIn promoting a one-sentence creative brief, pleading for such a creature. But has anyone ever actually read one, worked from one or possessed […]
Creatives must contribute to the creative brief before the creative briefing.
Well duh. But you’d be surprised how often this seemingly obvious piece of advice is never followed. I remember a workshop I delivered to an ANA member a few years ago. It was for a national paint brand. When I asked about their existing process, I was told that marketers, who typically wrote briefs for […]
Six questions creatives must ask about a creative brief before the briefing.
Wait, you don’t see the brief until the project kicks off? You look through the document for the first time as you listen to the briefing? Whoa. That’s a problem. You’re a creative. You have to make magic from the words on this page (let’s hope it’s only one page, maybe half a second page). […]
