How to write a creative brief that gets better work

A good creative brief is short, specific and a little uncomfortable to write. What to include in yours, and what to leave out.

Bad work often starts with a bad brief. Not because anyone was careless, but because a brief is where a company has to make decisions, and it's easier to write everything down and let the agency choose.

A good creative brief does the opposite. It decides. Here's what to put in yours.

The problem, in one sentence

Not the deliverable. "We need a video" is a solution. "People like us but don't know we've moved into a new market" is a problem. Once it's stated clearly, the best answer might not be a video at all.

One person to talk to

"Adults aged 25 to 54" describes half the country. Describe a real person instead: what they believe now, what they're tired of and what would change their mind. Creative people can write to someone. They can't write to a demographic.

One thing to say

This is the hard part. If the work could only land one idea, what's the idea? A brief with five key messages has none. You'll feel you're leaving things out, and you are. That's what makes it work.

The more a brief tries to say, the less the work will.

Why anyone should believe you

Give the reasons: what you've actually done, made or changed. Facts are useful raw material. Creative teams can do a lot with a true, specific detail and very little with a claim that you're passionate about quality.

What success looks like

Say what should be different afterwards, how you'll measure it and who has to sign it off. Include any real limits, such as dates or budget, up front. Constraints don't hurt creativity. Discovering them late does.

Creative brief example: one line that does the work

Here's the difference a clear brief makes. A weak brief says: "Raise awareness of our new app among young professionals and communicate that it's innovative, easy to use and secure." Three messages, a vague audience and no problem to solve.

A stronger version says: "People who've just started their first job feel stupid asking about money. Show them this app won't make them feel that way." It names a real person, a real feeling and a single thing to say. It's also more fun to work on, and that matters: the most useful thing a brief can do is make people want to start.

Keep it to a page

If it won't fit on a page, you haven't finished deciding. Read it out loud to someone who doesn't work with you. If they can repeat it back, it's ready.