Writing a brief: how to ask your client for the information you need on a project and how this can be translated to an effective creative brief to your agency

1. Ad & PR Lab
Panteion University

2. Hello again

3. Last time

4. Basic principles of strategy
 Know your market
 Define your USP
 Consider your resources
 Make sure you can keep your competitive advantage
and then…
 Set Defined Goals and Objectives
 When you develop a Strategy you stick to it
 Explore Different Tactics
 Always Measure and Then Evolve

5. Today we set foot inside

6. Deconstructing
strategy

7. It all starts with a brief

8. …but that doesn’t
mean they always
bring a good brief

10. Why it is crucial that a client gives
a decent brief
 A good brief is the most important piece of information that a
client can pass on to an agency to ensure an exceptional
outcome and measureable work
 A good brief saves time and money
 A good brief is a written brief that has been approved by the
levels of the client that will make decisions on which
proposals will be realized

11. What to always ask for in a client brief
 Information on the brand/service/institution you have to
come up with a strategy for: the character, the position in the
market, the price point, the chosen distribution strategy
 Target group: is there research that determines the potential
buyer/user?
 View of the competition: this will start off your own research
in order to differentiate

12. What to always ask for in a client brief
 Digital assets (website, microsites, social media, mobile apps):
analytics often help you acknowledge the interests or the
dislikes of your visitors
 Specific Goals that have to be achieved through the campaign
(awareness, leads, sales): if you believe what the client
expects is not feasible, you must make an argument upfront
 KPIs (Key Performance Indicators): these are the factors that
will determine whether your campaign will be considered
successful or not

13. What to always ask for in a client brief
 Previous activations so that the new campaign is an evolution
vs. what has already been done. Results of the activations, as
well
 Media that have been utilized. Additionally, are there any
agreements that you have to take under consideration in your
planning of the campaign?

15. The road to less nervous breakdowns
 Create a Client Brief form that you will distribute to your
clients
 Do not accept anything less in order to start working
 If the client refuses to fill the form, arrange a meeting, try to
elicit the same information and send back a contact report
with the issues discussed, asking them to confirm before you
go on with your work

16. So, hey, we’ve got a new brief in the agency

17. Do NOT forward the
client brief in the agency

19. Your brief is meant
to inspire the
creative team

20. But also
to bring
discipline in
the art, so it
becomes
advertising

21. Your brief may also address other teams,
such as media, production, etc.

22. Your responsibility
is to find the right
way to touch your
internal target
audience within the
agency

23. Usually, there is an agency
creative brief form

25. Background
All the elements that will help your team
understand the product/service, the environment,
the business background, what the business goals
are, the opportunities, etc.
Make sure it’s all laid out as simple as possible – you
don’t want to impress your team, you want them to
understand the case

26. Objective
What this particular brief’s aim, ie. present a new
product to the target group, strengthen the
awareness of a service, enhance trial, engage more
people with a flagship store, etc.

27. Target audience
The people you want to touch with your campaign.
That actually means “people”, so don’t only use
numbers (demographics) to define them.
Try to describe who they are, what their habits are, what
they would like to do if they had the chance, the issues
they are facing in their everyday life.

28. Promise
The product’s offer in a single sentence, the
benefit that will present to the user.
That could be (according to respective cases) “making
your everyday life easier” for an e-banking service, “never
worrying again about your kid’s safety” for a new car
seat, “freeing your hands in the garden” for an innovative
piece of garden machinery, etc.

29. Support for your Promise
Why will people believe in your Promise?
These are the features and details of your product
that prove your Promise – so, a reality check for
your Promise

30. Key outcome
What we want the target group to do, feel or think
as a result of our campaign.

31. Tone of voice
Are we talking funky, dirty, seriously, with a tint of
humor or in plain informational tone?
(usually, clients will tell you that they want their
campaign to sound modern and friendly – try to read a bit
more into that)

32. Timing & Parameters
Requested timeline, internal time plan to meet the
client’s deadline, time needed for production,
stoppers, etc.
There may also be mandatories that must be taken
under consideration (brand guidelines, strong no-
nos, etc.)

33. Not to make you
anxious,
but briefing is the
most important
process in creating
a campaign

34. Home-fun:
- You have a client brief: your client is Ad & PR Lab
(so, Betty Tsakarestou)
- Work on your brief to your agency and bring it
back, so we can all discuss it in class

35. All these wonderful things happen
within the magical walls
of an advertising agency

36. Next time we’ll get into
those walls

38. Thank you

39. Appendix | More brief samples