The perfect campaign brief

1. The perfect campaign brief Liz Wakefield, MD, Upshot Marketing

2. The perfect brief…why? The better your agency brief, the better and more accurate the results will be. So if you’d like: better, more effective, measurable work cost and time efficiency fairer remuneration read on for our six steps to briefing success….

3. Step 2: where are we now? This is the section that describes the background of the brief - the current position of the brand or the issue at hand What is the history behind the campaign? What is the current status? Why is there a need to change? The brief should try to contain the following information (as relevant): product or service description manufacturing or service delivery distribution channels market size (volume and value) customer usage data the brand’s positioning its history of brand communications competitive brands/products communications activity to date

4. Step 3: where do we want to be? This is the section where you state the campaign objectives - the desired destination of the journey. Typical objectives are to effect improvements in: sales usage awareness image reputation profitability customer profile shareholder value and/or response levels

5. Step 4: who are we talking to? This is the section where you outline the target market. All communications are designed to elicit some form of response from a particular group of people. These target groups should be defined and prioritised as accurately as possible via demographic and behavioural data, lifestyle data, product/service usage, attitudes, etc. Equally important are the insights that you and your agencies already hold about these target groups that can be leveraged to create the desired reaction. Often your agency will conduct further research to generate even greater understanding – and your existing insights will provide them with a useful and welcome platform to build on.

6. Step 5: how will we measure success? This is the section where you outline campaign measurement You and your agencies need to know what success (or failure) will look like. Measures should be put in place to establish whether or not the campaign delivers against its desired objective. How will the campaign be measured? When will it be measured? What benchmarks currently exist? Who will measure it?

7. Step 6: practical considerations The agency response(s) to your brief will have many consequences in terms of implementation, so it’s important that all the key practicalities for them to bear in mind are included in your brief. These fall into four main areas: Area 1: Campaign requirements What materials do you need? What formats? What quantities? Do you have copy written/ ready/ signed off?

8. Step 6.2: practical considerations Area 2: timings What are the key delivery dates? What are the key payment dates? When should the key project milestones be set? What are the booking dates or deadlines for media? Should it consider the timings of other campaigns? Is there another related event? (e.g. a sales conference with a deadline that precedes the media copy date) How do you want the creative timings to run? What phases of pre-testing research are planned? What are the logistics of production?

9. Step 6.3: practical considerations Area 3: budget Tackle budget upfront to reduce the reworking of solutions; the need to reduce total costs and to improve integration across the campaign. Your approach to setting the budgets may vary from brief to brief. Ideally, you will know the budget from the outset, in which case it should be clearly stated and broken down into its component parts. Sometimes ‘scenario budgeting’ will be required in order to give clear direction to the agency. Area 4: approvals The final piece of detail needed in the brief is who has the authority to sign off the work that the agency produces? This person (or people) should also be the one(s) to sign off the brief before it is given to the agency.

10. Best wishes for a successful campaign