The perfect briefing

Get me to a house.

Suppose you want to have a house built. Then you don't tell the contractor: just give me a house. You provide guidelines and details about the number of square meters, the layout of the house and the future residents. ”And that's exactly why a briefing exists”, says Peter van Leeuwen. ”A good briefing is important to arrive at a thorough campaign or strategy. With a bad briefing, the expected result will never come true. Even though you still like each other so much.”

You decide the route

Okay, so that briefing must be there. Because even though you have a great creative team. Without a good briefing, 'shit in, shit' is always lurking. We agree on that. But who's going to make it? Traditionally, the client creates the briefing, but it can also be a co-creation of the client and agency. As a client, you remain ultimately responsible and determine the route. Be sure to also take the time to make the briefing. Put the first version away, look at it later, and also ask for feedback from a number of other people in your organization. It's really not something you can put together in a lost moment.

Dreams and dates

Briefly tell us about your company, your products or services and your position in the market. What are the USPs and what is your dot on the horizon? Share your dreams. ”That all seems obvious, but it is by no means always“, says Peter. ”Also, share as much as you can about your target group: how old are they, what do they want and what do they actually think of your company? Data helps with this. Once you have this in a row, you can continue with the content. Is it about a new product, recruiting new employees or a complete brand concept? And are we talking about a short campaign or a concept that should last for years? With this information, the assignment becomes clear. Also, don't be afraid to use examples of other content or campaigns to provide more insight into the ultimate goal. That also helps.”

‍Writing bad briefs is the most expensive way for advertising

John Hegarty
role

Big, bigger, biggest!

The creative team at the agency only wants to know one thing: how big or big can we think? Without an indication of the budget, it will be chaos. Then everyone shoots in all directions. The amount of the budget is really important for developing the concept, provides necessary frameworks and prevents people from thinking too big.

Gosh! Explore together

An important moment. You will discuss the briefing together. To do this, choose people with guts who also get the rest of the organization on board. The agency can help to push the boundaries, so that the safest route is not always chosen. ”Sometimes you have to take a step back in this phase” says Peter. ”For larger projects, the client's briefing is often followed by a debrief from the agency. This gives you everything good, clear and sharp.”

First judgment

The agency got to work and delivered an initial concept. You check whether the proposals meet the most important principles. You let your heart speak. Does the work get you moving? The best concepts are often not the ideas that have safely checked off the checklist, but that are just a bit chafing. ”Just let that happen, that will get you the best result”, concludes Peter.

Checklist

• Don't think in terms of resources, think in terms of challenges
• A briefing is more than filling out a list
• Think first then write
• Go for co-creation
• Really take your time

Which of the three?

Great if you reach the goal later. And then? We do want to see movement! Think carefully what you want to get moving. Choose one:

Knowledge - after seeing/reading the content, they know...

Behavior - after seeing/reading the content, they do...

Attitude - after seeing/reading the content, they think...

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