Process and tools to design and produce BCC materials: creative briefs

1. Process and tools to design and produce BCC materials: creative briefs Bremen Leak Johns Hopkins University In collaboration with Elena Olivi, PSI Mary Kante, JHU Hannah Koenker, JHU Martin Edlund, Malaria No More The Alliance for Malaria Prevention Workshop on Behaviour Change Communications Bamako, Mali 21-24 September 2010

2. To a communications practitioner, the creative process looks a lot like this. In other words….

3. You need to plan before you create. A creative brief helps you do just that. AMP BCC workshop Bamako September 2010

4. A creative brief is a planning tool used to summarize key elements of your campaign for internal and external audiences. Creative team or agency BCC team Production team Creative Brief Creative Brief AMP BCC workshop Bamako September 2010

5. What does a creative brief usually include? • a brief overview of the campaign or initiative and the health issue at large • an audience profile, including demographic factors, behaviors, attitudes and beliefs • behavioral objectives, such as increased net usage • communication objectives or key messages • creative outputs or materials to be produced • other creative considerations such as tone or manner, essential words or logos, and languages • budget considerations and timelines AMP BCC workshop Bamako September 2010

6. Tips for writing a creative brief • Use simple, concise and clear language. • Begin by stating the facts. • Avoid jargon and statistics. Rather, interpret any necessary statistics and portray a story or context for the creative team. • Make the brief as compelling as possible to inspire the artful creation of the concepts. • Keep it to 2 or 3 pages in length. AMP BCC workshop Bamako September 2010

7. What’s next? After writing the brief and submitting it to the creative team, you should typically expect to • tender with agencies to develop concepts. • review and evaluate the concepts. • choose your concept. • develop and sign contracts. • proceed with production. (dynamic process) • pretest. • launch the campaign. AMP BCC workshop Bamako September 2010

8. A hypothetical situation To help you better understand the process and tools to design and produce BCC materials, you will fill out a creative brief based on the following hypothetical situation: You are the BCC team leader in one of two fictional countries, Taifaja or Gowanda. Your director has informed you that a prominent donor has asked your national president to provide information about net use in the country. The president is concerned about the 40% gap between LLIN ownership and use in your country. He wants to be able to assure the donor that all citizens are sleeping under LLINs every night. As part of the campaign, your group will develop a radio ad or poster to increase net use in your country. Use the creative brief template as a guide.   AMP BCC workshop Bamako September 2010

9. Taifaja Gowanda • 60% of households own at least 1 net but government wants to add 2 nets per household to reach universal coverage targets • Use was 35% for children <5 and 28% for pregnant women with seasonal variation • 60% urban/40% rural • 45% literacy rate • Typical family size=7 • 1 national TV station, access is 85%, access to radio 98% • No real community social structures • 40% IPTp 2 • Both countries report a 40% usage gap. • 20% of households own at least 1 net but government wants to reach universal coverage targets using vouchers • Use was 5% for children <5 and 3% for pregnant women with seasonal variation • 30% urban/70% rural • 50% literacy rate • Typical family size=8 • Access to TV is 15%, access to radio 85% • Lots of NGOs/CBOs operating in community health • Health centers widely used • Low malaria education Use this data for your creative brief. AMP BCC workshop Bamako September 2010

10. Choose one of the three following research findings to further guide your creative brief. I. Focus group discussions are showing that while women have been responsible for obtaining nets for themselves while they are pregnant, and for their children under 5, men are the ones in the household who are important in making sure the family members sleep under nets. Men in the FGDs said that they didn’t like spending money and time to treat malaria and that it would be worth it to them make sure their families slept safe, to avoid those expenses. They said they looked up to men who were able to provide for their families, but didn’t like men who bragged about all of this. AMP BCC workshop Bamako September 2010

11. Choose one of the three following research findings to further guide your creative brief. II. Net use has leveled off in the country. FGD show that nets are seen as somewhat of a nuisance, but people recognize their utility. Mothers in particular were attracted by the message that their children would do better in school if they used their nets to prevent malaria, a disease that brings missed school days and potential brain damage and learning disabilities. They liked thinking that their kids could grow up strong and be successful if they slept under nets all the time. AMP BCC workshop Bamako September 2010

12. Choose one of the three following research findings to further guide your creative brief. III. The communities at the rural level are close-knit. Their sense of community is strong. FGDs within various communities show that the idea that community use of nets at a high level (>70%) protects everyone in the village, and that responsibility for others was strong. One participant said, “You mean if I sleep under a net, it helps my neighbor next door? And if I don’t sleep under my net, then he is more likely to get malaria? That is very important to me.” Good luck! AMP BCC workshop Bamako September 2010