Ensure you are pointing in the right direction
Briefing
I get the impression that this is a real problem these days. That somehow briefing has become an ‘ugly’ word.
It’s not just that people (clients and agencies alike) don’t really know how to approach a briefing process, but that they think the a briefing process is an unnecessary burden on their overtly outcome-orientated, 24-7, plate-spinning, stakeholder-subservient, billing-driven, ‘let’s just create content…’, working life.
Fast-and-loose beats measured-and-precise.
The client is ‘too busy’ to write a brief, but is more than happy to talk about the desired outcome, some vague milestones and never committing to writing down anything meaningful – and no-one seems too concerned that work is commissioned on such a thin remit. It seems that if the PO is generated correctly and the payment schedule is agreed the heat is off.
But the whole purpose of a brief is absolutely fundamental to the function of marketing.
I have always been a big fan of the brief, such that I would routinely preach that the concept that the brief was the most exciting thing account management ever does.
Interrogating, questioning and agreeing the content of a client brief takes skill, market knowledge, understanding the difference between strategic and tactical activity, and the trust/confidence of your client. If you can’t manaage that you shouldn’t be in account management.
And writing a creative brief for your internal teams is no less an important/thrilling exercise – sharing the problem to be fixed without being prescriptive, fueling lateral-thinking, setting rational parameters and keeping it brief [sic] is the reason you existing. Moreover it will be the tool the work will be measured by.
It’s a tough ask – so maybe that’s why so many people try to avoid all that hard work. Or maybe the business (client and/or agency side) is much happier ‘busking’ it. It spreads the blame. But I would argue that if you are not prepared to be married to a rigorous briefing process then you’re nothing more than a curator/apparatchik who will invariably oversee generic/vanilla creative output.
I stand by the notion that only a good brief will produce exceptional work.
Just think of the best ad you’ve seen in the last few months. Do you REALLY think that was created without a proper brief?