If you’re familiar with content ideation or scriptwriting, you know the impact strong preparation has on your campaign’s success. These practices, however, are not the only tools in your pre-production toolbox.
Creative briefs are the foundation for transforming your amazing ideas into amazing content. With a well-developed creative brief, you and your team are on track for an engaging and successful video campaign!
What is a creative brief?
A creative brief acts as a roadmap for the production process, from start to finish. This document overviews your project’s key elements and creative direction. While each creative brief is customized to your client or campaign, there are standard categories that should be detailed in every creative brief.
Let's review the main aspects of a strong creative brief, so you know just how to answer every important question for your next project!
Project Background
The project background section of your creative brief answers two questions. Why are you making this campaign? What is the main outcome or goal you want to achieve? What will your main call to action be?
This section of the creative brief grounds all the additional logistical and creative information. When the tentpoles of your project are clear from the start, everyone understands why each requirement or decision is made, which they will learn about by reading the rest of your creative brief.
Target Audience
This section is fairly straightforward. Who are you making this video for? What are the groups you want to reach? While some campaigns are relatable to many, emphasizing a particular group or buyer allows your brief to stay focused. Specificity is key!
Key Messages
Speaking of specificity, your creative brief must outline the core messages of your campaign. This is where you write out exactly what you want to say. You should also explain the benefits of the product or service in this section.
By the time people finish this section of the brief, they will know the specific story or specific CTAs your campaign will convey to your audience.
Tone and Style
In this section of your creative brief, you explain the written and visual choices you make to create the right mood for your audience. By determining the voice and affect of your video campaign, you can accurately represent your brand and product.
Mandatory Elements
Here you list out every non-negotiable for your project. Anything required to match your creative vision and stay within your client’s parameters will be explained in this section. You can also explain what should be avoided, so there is not confusion about what your campaign must look like.
Technical Specifications
The technical section is, well, technical, but very useful! You should cover everything from aspect ratio to special effects to how the campaign will be distributed. These are important guides for the equipment needed, as well as budget allocation throughout the production process.
Budget
There is no creative brief without a budget section. This area of the brief should be as transparent as possible, so everyone is informed about any limitations in the timeline, creative direction, or overall project.
Timeline
The creative brief is as much of an overview on the project’s timeline as it is on the project’s creative direction. In this section, key milestones should be noted, as well as realistic deadlines for deliverables and revisions.
Approval Process
Lastly, your creative brief should inform everyone of the necessary steps you must take for final approval. How many rounds of revision are needed? How many stakeholders need to approve the campaign before it goes live? What will approvals look like? Truly, everyone who reads the brief must be able to answer these questions by the end.
Why do creative briefs matter?
A lot of information goes into writing a creative brief, but it is worth all the effort. Creative briefs align everyone involved in the project from production crews to clients. They communicate critical information about the campaign, so everyone is on the same page, every step of the way. When your team has a shared vision, your production is bound to be a success.
Moreover, the creative brief provides clarity to stakeholders and clients. They will understand creative decisions and timelines when they know exactly everything that must be achieved by your production. Additionally, clients will be convinced that this campaign is a success because your creative brief showcases that you and your team are solving their business problem with your project.
Perhaps most importantly, the creative brief streamlines the production process. You can have a less stressed and more efficient team when everyone is working toward the same goals. Likewise, teams are better prepared to avoid errors or scope creep when they have clear guidelines to work within.
In the end, a strong creative brief leads to a strong production, which results in a strong video campaign. Being prepared makes your work all the more powerful.
Once you nail your creative brief, your project will be untouchable. Take it from us! At Plaid Pony Productions, we are all about putting in the work before, during, and after production. We can tell you firsthand that mastering creative briefs pays off every time!
