Patrick Biddiscombe walks through the eight essential parts of a creative brief: project overview, objective, target audience, key message, deliverables, timeline, budget, and approval list. He uses a Sampleville branding example to show how each section works, then covers four practical tips: be concise, be specific, collaborate, and stay flexible.
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In this video, we're going to write a creative brief together using one of HubSpot's free templates. More on those in just a second. So you'll learn everything you need to know about the key components of a great brief, how you can make sure yours is successful, and all the pitfalls to avoid. Don't want you showing up to the grocery store without a shopping list. Now, if you're thinking what even is a creative brief? Well, it's basically your roadmap through a project from beginning to end, from ideation to final deliverables. It should be a clear, concise document that's easy to understand at a glance. It's a reference guide for every detail of a project to make sure expectations are agreed upon and delivered, no matter what stage the project is at or who jumps into it and when. The creative brief is the Rosetta stone that will keep the team aligned and on track for success. But the good news is you don't have to start it from scratch, my friend. HubSpot's got three free customizable creative brief templates and that'll help you get a head start on organizing your next project. Now, there are a few key components that any successful creative brief should have, so let's do a sample one together. And remember, these can be presented however you like, as long as the information is clear and easy to reference. All right, let's say you're working on a project in your hometown, Sampleville, where you've been hired by the city manager's office to refresh the branding of the town, including its website, social media, marketing pamphlets, and video content in order to attract a younger demographic to move there. Where do we start? First, there's the project overview. What is the project all about and how did it come to be? We can talk a little bit about Sampleville's aging demographic and the city's initiative to bring younger families into the mix. Next is the objective. What will define the project success and how does that benefit the client? This will be the guiding light throughout the project, with every decision made in service of achieving this objective. In our example, this means making Sampleville attractive to the target audience. This should narrow the focus to a segment of the market that the project is intended to benefit. This can include things like age, income, occupation, and geographical data. Next is the key message, which is critical but admittedly one of the most difficult elements to craft. This is a summary that should place the customer in the spotlight, explaining why that target audience simply needs to pay attention to this project. It should address the problem your project is aiming to fix and and how the customer's personal experience will benefit from the results. In our example, we might spotlight how Moving to Sampleville also provides access to great education and affordable housing. The next key component of a creative brief is outlining the deliverables or the tangible items that will be expected from the project upon completion. This could be anything from a single video asset to a wide reaching social media campaign. Timeline is another key element to include outlining the span of time you anticipate the project lasting. So let's go back in and add that. Along those same lines is the budget, showcasing what financial resources are required and where that money will be allocated within the project. In this case, I've copied over our deliverables and added the percentage of the budget each item will use. And finally, a successful brief should include an approval list for for easy reference. This usually means the name and information of key stakeholders who approve the different elements of the project across its life cycle. In our Sampleville example, it's primarily our hard working city manager, so there you have it. Not so bad. Including all those elements is crucial, but there are always ways to make a creative brief sing for anyone who reads it. Number one Be concise. Remember, brief is literally in the title. This document should be the project distilled down to its most essential information. Number two Be specific. Avoid vague language and point to precise details throughout. You want to show the client that you've really thought this through. Number three collaborate. Nobody is an expert in everything, so make sure to loop in key team members where appropriate to utilize their expertise. Number four Stay flexible. This goes hand in hand with being collaborative. Remember that everyone is just trying to create the best project possible, so be open to changes and adjustments to the brief as development progresses. Creative briefs can be overwhelming and there are a few places where your hard work could go awry. And personally, I'm not a fan of awry bread. You know what I'm saying? Having too many objectives, too broad a target audience, or using generic language can seriously impact the effectiveness of the brief. The good news is if you adhere to those four tips that we just talked about, be concise, be specific, collaborate and stay flexible and you'll never find yourself in a position of handing over a lackluster brief. Writing an effective creative brief doesn't have to be a challenge. All you've got to do is zero in on those key components and adhere to the four easy tips and you'll be on the right track. While perfecting your creative brief can take a lot of time and effort. It's an investment in making sure your project or campaign stays on target from the very beginning. In the end, a solid brief will save you time, money and definitely headaches if you your creative brief will be your guiding light through any road bumps or detours along the way. So now that you're a pro, it's time to kick off your next project with a thorough and engaging creative brief using everything you've learned today. And don't forget HubSpot's free creative brief templates make it super easy to get started. You can check them out in the description below. Let me know in the comments what you found to be the most effective in writing creative briefs or any challenges you faced in the past. And as always, be sure to like, share and subscribe to learn even more expert marketing tips and tricks. Now if you'll excuse me, the mayor of Sampleville has been blowing up my DMs. I think I gotta go reply to a couple messages. Until then, I'll see you next time. I can find this client info have.
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