What is a creative brief & 7 examples to improve yours

Writing an effective creative brief is about more than just jotting down a couple of generic lines on an otherwise blank doc.

After all, if you’re investing time and money into (what you hope it to be) a well-executed marketing campaign, you want to make sure you’re taking the proper steps to ensure success. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

A creative brief creates team alignment on projects, reduces roadblocks and bottlenecks that can make a project go astray, and ensures the creative team or agency knows exactly what you want them to do.

But as anyone who's ever tried to write a creative brief from scratch can tell you, it isn't always straightforward.

Below, we'll look at how to write a creative brief and what elements to include (with examples) to nail your next campaign, from why creative briefs are important to how to use a creative brief template. But first, let's answer a very burning question:

• What is a creative brief?
• Why are creative briefs important?
• How do you write a creative brief?
• Creative brief template
• Creative brief FAQs
• Key takeaways: Write an effective creative brief

What is a creative brief?

Simply put, a creative brief is a one-page doc outlining the strategy for a creative project. The marketing team generally writes the brief for the creative team (or agency). The aim of the brief is to help creatives understand the project, the target audience, deliverables, tone of voice, timelines, and budget.

Always keep in mind that the people who’ll use the brief are your creative team. That's why you should write the brief in a way that's accessible to a designer or developer—this means no jargon, zero fluff, and no "marketer-speak".

The first rule to writing an effective creative brief is to write it in a language everyone involved can understand. The brief below—created by Beloved Brands to illustrate the elements of a good brief—provides an excellent example.

Why are creative briefs important?

Creative briefs serve as essential roadmaps for successful projects, whether it’s ad campaigns or content marketing. They play a critical role in aligning teams, clarifying goals, and streamlining the creative process. Let’s take a closer look at why creative briefs are so important for your asset workflow:

• Clarify objectives: Creative briefs are meant to clearly define the project’s objectives, outlining the specific goals that need to be achieved. By providing a detailed understanding of the project’s purpose, creative teams are able to align their efforts and resources more efficiently. Potential objectives could include increasing brand awareness, driving sales, or launching a new product.
• Ensure consistency in messaging: Well-structured creative briefs help maintain consistency in messaging across different platforms and channels. A creative brief should outline the key messages, tones, and brand style guide that need to be reflected in all creative outputs.
• Measure success: Include measurable goals and success metrics to benchmark project progress. Whether it’s tracking engagement metrics, conversion rates, or other key performance indicators (KPIs), predefined metrics help in assessing project effectiveness.
• Understand target audience: Clearly define the audience to provide insights into demographics, preferences, behaviors, and pain points. This helps creative teams tailor messages and creative elements to resonate with their audience.
• Minimize miscommunication: Misunderstandings waste time and resources. Creative briefs serve as a communication tool that bridges the gap between everyone involved, from designers to writers, marketers, and clients, creating a shared understanding of the project’s scope.

How do you write a creative brief?

The art of crafting an effective creative brief starts with a clear vision for the creative endeavor. As a crucial step in initiating any project, creative briefs set the tone for successful project execution. By following several key steps, you can ensure that all essential elements are included to provide clear direction for upcoming creative projects.

1. Include your company's background

Outlining your company's background is particularly important when briefing an external agency. You'll want to make sure they know the values that drive your business and your mission statement. But you also want them to get a good grasp of the products and services you offer—as well as why they are (or should be) important to your customers.

Be transparent and make sure you include links to your website and any other marketing collateral you have produced in the past to help the creatives understand your brand identity and recreate it effectively.​​​​​​​

Check out the background section Red Bull used in their creative brief to get an idea.

2. Summarize the project

Use this section to help creatives understand your expectations in terms of deliverables. You must explain in this section what assets will be necessary to fuel your campaign and how each of them will contribute to the final result.

You might request a 30-second commercial to help raise brand awareness of a new product launch, a batch of various banners to drive organic traffic, and a guide or two for email capture. Be specific and include details such as file formats you need (i.e., JPG, PNG, PSD) or size information (i.e., 300×250 pixels).

Don't forget to share with your creatives (or external agency) how your request fits into the broader landscape of your company's marketing strategy or a specific integrated marketing program.

In the brief developed by Beloved Brands (the sample one we saw above), check out how the request includes not just deliverables, but also ideas on how to repurpose the content on different channels, media, and touchpoints.

3. Identify your target audience

For the creative team to nail your request, it is essential that you share your deep understanding of your target audience with them. A generic description such as "housewives,” "busy people,” or "CMOs" may seem self-explanatory to you, but you then run the risk of misinterpretation. The clearer you are here, the more likely the finished product will meet your expectations.

Make sure your brief contains all the details from your market research about your target audience and personas' behaviors, desires, and pain points if you want your creatives to execute effectively. ​​​​​​​

Check out how footwear manufacturer Reebok went above and beyond trying to describe the target audience for their current campaign in their brief.

4. State your objectives

So you've already briefed your creatives about the assets you'll need to run your campaign. In this section, you can let them know about your campaign goals—whether you are hoping to reach new customers, paving the way for a rebranding, or appealing to a new demographic. By letting your creatives know your desired outcomes, you will empower them to iterate and plan the most effective execution. ​​​​​​​

Always include the campaign's mission statement and make it easy to spot within the brief. It will provide a concise and practical definition of your overall needs and wants—while safeguarding your brand image.​​​​​​​​​​​

And brand image was exactly what sportswear giant Nike was trying to safeguard when the brief below was created.

5. Define your competition

While this section is not strictly necessary, it can be a real game-changer. By including an overview of the competitive landscape you operate in and the trends impacting your industry, you'll enable your creatives to help position you effectively in the market.

If you have direct competitors, include what they're doing as a point of comparison. Define your competing companies, their products or campaigns, and identify the elements that make your company stand out.

6. Tone, message, and style

The style and tone of voice must always be consistent with your brand, but some elements are context- or campaign-specific.

If you're requesting a landing page as part of a contest marketing strategy, you’ll want the messaging and design to be lively enough to inspire people to take part. On the other hand, if you're developing a guide for CEOs and directors in the insurance industry, you'll probably instruct your creatives to use a formal and professional tone.

If your company uses brand guidelines, make sure you include them in your brief along with examples of past campaigns and any other factor or requirement that might affect the creative direction.

7. The final details

Sprinkle your brief with details such as deadlines (always anticipate the need for some leeway), budget (keep in mind that your expectations might not align realistically with your budget), and contact details of stakeholders who'll be involved in the review process.

When working together, marketing and creative teams both benefit from technology designed to improve communication and simplify workflows. At Bynder, we make your life easier with creative automation tools—which helps teams deliver high-quality content at scale—and digital asset management to make storing, managing, and distributing assets an easy, attainable task.

Click below and ask one of our experts to tell you more about how our products and modules can help your company deliver creative assets and campaigns that keep your consumers coming back for more.

Creative brief template

Now that you understand how to approach writing a creative brief, let’s cover the fundamental aspects of a creative brief to make sure you include all important information. This comprehensive creative brief template highlights all key sections that should be included.

Project overview

This section provides a concise description of the project, including its scope, purpose, and any relevant background information. Keep it short and to the point, ensuring all main aspects of the project are covered.

Objectives

Clearly define the project’s main goals and objectives. Use the SMART goal-setting framework to ensure all objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Target audience

Describe the intended audience, including demographic details, behaviors, preferences, and any other relevant insights to ensure the project resonates with those it’s created for.

Key message

Articulate the primary message that needs to be conveyed through the creative work. This section aims to define the core messaging and brand strategy.

Competitors

Identify and analyze competitors within the market to gain an understanding of how to position the project effectively.

Tone and voice

Define the target tone and voice that should be reflected in all creative outputs. This helps guide the overall style and manner of communication and ensures consistency with brand guidelines.

Deliverables

Specify the expected deliverables, such as specific designs, content pieces, campaign materials, etc. This is crucial for setting expectations and ensuring everyone involved understands the expected outcome of the project.

Deadline

Clearly state the project deadline and timeline for different stages if relevant. Understanding potential time constraints can help team members prioritize tasks and stay on track.

Budget

Specify the allocated budget or budget range for the project to outline financial limitations. This is key for project planning and execution.

Stakeholders

List the key stakeholders involved in the project, including their roles and responsibilities, to ensure everyone understands their involvement in the project.

Revision history

This section tracks changes made within the creative brief, providing a comprehensive record of edits and updates over time. This can be used for future reference in case of any questions and helps improve the content management process.

Creative brief FAQs

Who writes a creative brief?

The person responsible for writing a creative brief can vary depending on the structure of your organization, the nature of the project, and the specific workflows in place. Typically, team members in positions like account managers, project managers, marketing managers, or strategists are responsible for crafting creative briefs. This is due to their holistic view of project goals, client expectations, target audience, and overall project scope.

Regardless of the specific role, the individual responsible for writing the creative brief usually works closely with the client and various internal teams to create a brief that accounts for diverse perspectives. By collaborating with designers, copywriters, the marketing team, and the accounts team, the person in charge of drafting the brief can capture insights and input that reflect the needs of the creative team while still meeting the client’s objectives.

How long should a creative brief be?

Creative briefs can vary in length based on the complexity of the project, the depth of background information required, and the preferences of the team. There isn’t a strict rule regarding the exact length, but the main goal should be to create a document that is clear, concise, and comprehensive. A creative brief should effectively guide the creative team without overwhelming them with unnecessary details.

On average, concise, creative briefs range from one to three pages. Make sure it includes enough context, direction, and details to steer the creative process in the right direction. Focus on striking a balance between providing context without adding excessive details that might confuse or distract the creative team. A successful creative brief should enhance the content workflow while still allowing for creativity.

How often should creative briefs be revisited?

Revisiting creative briefs is essential for keeping projects on track. Whenever significant changes occur in project goals, objectives, or requirements, it’s essential to update or revise the creative brief. Regular check-ins and review sessions can also help maintain the relevance of the creative brief, ensuring that the brief remains aligned with evolving project needs.

You can also revisit briefs based on feedback from stakeholders, clients, or the creative team to make necessary adjustments and ensure that everyone remains aligned with the project’s expectations. Ultimately, the creative brief should be viewed as a dynamic document that can adapt to changes in the project as needed.

Key takeaways: Write an effective creative brief

Creating compelling creative briefs involves several key elements to ensure successful project execution. A creative brief should be concise yet comprehensive, relevant yet flexible, and entirely collaborative. By fostering communication and feedback between stakeholders, you can develop creative briefs with better clarity and direction.

Bynder’s collaborative platform offers the perfect solution for teams creating creative briefs. Bynder facilitates seamless communication, streamlines workflows, and enables easy access to project assets to improve the content experience. Unlock the potential to empower teams in creating, revising, and managing creative briefs for greater clarity and project alignment with Bynder.