Creative Briefs and Working with Advertising Agencies

1. Creative Briefs and Working with Advertising Agencies 17th February 2012 ACE Seminar Jen Orkis

2. So you want to develop a campaign…

3. A method to the madness Develop Creative Brief Select Agency Analyze Data Program Staff Program Staff, Partners Program Staff, Partners Test Creative Concepts Develop Creative Concepts Develop Executions Agency Research Team Agency Stakeholder Review Produce Final Materials Pre-test Materials Agency Program Staff, Partners, Agency Research Team

4. What is a creative brief? Creative Research

5. What is a creative brief? • The beginning of the creative process • A road map to inform and inspire the creative team • Informed by research, the communication strategy • A “creative contract” agreed upon by all partners

6. Same same…but different Communication Strategy Creative Brief Campaign, activity or material level Specific deliverables Short-medium term One page! • National or project level • Comprehensive • Longer-term • Long!

7. Who should be involved in writing the creative brief? • Everyone who will have a say in approving the creative • Program staff • MoH, HEU, NACP, TACAIDS, RCHS • USAID • Service delivery partners

8. What’s in a creative brief? Purpose Target Audience Communication Objectives Barriers Benefits Tone Channels

9. Creative Brief: Safe Motherhood Campaign

12. Selecting an Agency • Establish a proposal review committee • Identify agencies • Issue an RFP • Hold a bidders conference • Score submissions • Invite short-listed agencies to pitch • Adjust scores • Final selection, notification and documentation *Optional

13. Components of a RFP • Terms of the contract • Technical proposal requirements • Capability statement • Proposed staff • Samples of previous work • Strategic thinking and technical approach • Initial creative ideas • Sample media plan and schedule • Proposed timeline

14. Components of a RFP • Cost proposal requirements • Estimates for typical communication products • Budget justification • Creative brief • Deadline and instructions for submitting proposals

15. Things to Consider • Staff size • Current clients • Number of years in existence • Agency ownership and affiliation • Agency billings • Experience with health/social issues • Agency resources • Creative, media, PR, research

17. Scoring Matrix

18. Meet with the Finalists Meet proposed account staff Agencies give oral presentation of their proposed approach and creative ideas Clarify and discuss ideas Consider going to their offices Do them all in one day Adjust scores Selection, notification and documentation

19. What’s a concept? A big idea Based on a strategy/creative brief Embodied in headline, a tagline and a key visual Works for all messages, calls to action Will work on TV, radio, print Can continue to roll it out in different ways

20. What is a concept? • May demonstrate different benefits • Beauty vs. good health • May use different approaches • Celebrity endorsement vs. audience testimonials • Could use different tone • Romantic vs. humor

21. Why do concepts? There is no one solution Not sure of the most appealing benefit Need to see how the campaign will work in multiple media Need to see how the creative ties the whole campaign together Testing concepts gives you a better chance of effectively reaching your audience

22. A concept is NOT… Different colors or fonts Different models Different informational messages Different calls to action Illustrations vs. photographs

23. Couples HIV Counseling and Testing Concepts

28. Couples HIV Counseling and Testing Executions

33. Malaria in Pregnancy Concepts

40. Safe Motherhood Executions

44. We’re not what they’re used to…

45. Tips for working with ad agencies Identify a single contact person Hold regular meetings Document key decisions Come to a shared understanding about the review and approval process Go back to the creative brief Health ≠ boring!