Creativity Begins With a Creative Brief - Part 2

Here is the basic template for you to create your own creative brief.

1. Objectives

* What is the specific business outcome this campaign, project or assignment must achieve?
* What role should/must communications play to help achieve this business outcome?
* How will we measure our success against these communications objectives, and if necessary, the business result?


2. Target Audiences

* Primary Audiences: Who is the specific audience which must change their attitude, opinion or behaviour so that we will achieve the communications objective and the business result?
* Secondary Audiences: Who will influence the primary target audience, both positively and negatively?
* Media: What traditional and social media will be critical to reach these audiences in a relevant and credible way?


3. Issues and Opportunities

* In priority order, what are the issues that will or may prevent us from achieving our objectives? (Note: The issues should only be ones which communications can make an impact. Important issues where communications can't help need to be noted and discussed with the other relevant parties.)
* Of the primary audience: what is 'the little voice in the back of their heads' saying about us, our products or services, the category or our industry?
* What opportunities, assets or drivers can we leverage against these specific issues?


4. Strategies

* For each prioritised issue above, what specific strategy will address, minimise, neutralise or eliminate a particular issue? (If you have three issues, you will have at least one strategy for each. Some issues may have two strategies.)


5. Messages

* What is the single overall message which this campaign must deliver to key audiences?
* What is the most relevant or differentiating message that will surprise or engage our audiences to change their minds about us?
* What rational and emotiona messages must be communicated to the audience's little voice?
* Who else is competing for our target audience's attention with similar or related messages? How are our messages different to theirs?

6. Resources

* What staffing is available to us?
* What is the approximate budget?
* What is the time frame for delivery?
* What materials, resources or skills do we have?


7. Initial Thought-Starters for the Brainstorm

* What is the most relevant and differentiating idea that will surprise consumers, or challenge their current thinking?
* What is the psychological, social or cultural tension between the current perception and the desired perception?
* What idea will help us start a relevant and compelling dialogue between us, our consumers, and their key influencers?


One last point: How long should a creative brief be? A general answer: roughly 2-3 pages. A specific answer: as long as necessary, as long as the writer is not repeating him/herself.

Andy Eklund has more than 25 years experience as a creative director in marketing, communications and public relations. If you found this article helpful, you can get additional tips, hints or suggestions from our blog (http://www.andyeklund.com) or our website (http://www.aqus.com.au). Thank you!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Eklund