We don’t always get creative briefs for our projects. If we’re contacted by an ad agency to make a video, we get a creative brief. If we’re dealing directly with a client, we may need to ask the questions a creative brief would typically answer. Either way, the information is essential when it comes to doing our job.
Game Plan, Road Map, Blueprint
Briefly, a creative brief is a roadmap for any marketing campaign. It contains the information a creative team (for example, a video vendor) will use to execute their project. A good creative brief is a guide. This collection of facts comes from research conducted by the marketing team in consultation with the client. This is typically a short (“brief”) one- or two-page document. It’s an effective means of making sure everyone involved is on the same page. This article has some good examples of creative briefs from major companies.
What’s the Goal?
A creative brief answers: What is the goal of this video? What do you hope to achieve with it? Another way of asking this is what’s your message? When your TM watches the video, what do you want them to do next? This part of the brief could include challenges the video aims to resolve and identify direct competitors.
Let’s talk language for a moment. Depending on your target market (see below), you may ask us to use lingo or jargon specific to your industry. That’s great and shows an insider’s understanding. But please use language we can understand in your creative brief. Before we can use the terminology of your business, we need to understand your business.
Target Market
The target market (TM) is your audience. They are the people you want to watch your video and act on your CTA. TM information can include age, location, gender, income, education, occupation, and other defining factors. The client has taken into account such specifics when they determined their target market.
A target market can be very broad or very specific. Identifying a TM doesn’t mean you’re excluding other potential customers. Rather, it allows you to focus marketing efforts on the people most likely to use your product or service. If you know your audience, you can find ways to speak to them directly.
Branding
It’s important for the client to include branding. As video partners, we want a high-resolution logo, we want to know the font you use, the colours tied to your brand, and any taglines or slogans you want included. The goal is to have the video we create mesh seamlessly with the rest of your marketing. Branding could also include your company’s values or mission statement since your brand is what differentiates you from your competitors.
Budget
Are you looking to do an extensive live shoot with actors and crew over multiple days that covers the history of your company? Or are you looking for a short animation to introduce a new product? These examples have very different budgets. Some people have a budget in mind when they come to us, while others have a project in mind and ask for a quote. Either way, we have a jumping off point and we can start talking about options.
Deadline
A workback schedule goes by many names. Workback plan, timeline, Gantt Chart. Ultimately, it all means the same thing: a visual representation of the working life of a project. It’s based on dates and milestones. These are often adjusted as the project progresses. By any handle, a workback schedule acts as a project guide and a way to keep track of what’s been done and what still needs to be accomplished.
Voice & Tone
We all have a voice. And depending on the situation, we have a certain tone to our voice. For every video, we need to define voice and tone. How will you deliver your message? Is your brand cheeky and young? Or are you trying to appeal to retirees? Your brand and TM will affect your tone and voice. This approach should be clarified in your brief. Think of this pair as your brand personality and your campaign delivery.
Channels
Where and how will this video be used? Will it live on a landing page or does it need to be broadcast compliant? Many clients ask us for a video that can be used on various channels. Sometimes this includes a longer version of the video for the website and shorter versions for social media.
That’s a Wrap!
The fastest route to a finished video is thorough pre-production. A creative brief is part of the work that’s done before any of the production begins. A complete brief means we can hit the ground running because we have a clear idea of what the client wants. But even if you don’t know exactly what you’re after in a video, we can help guide you. Call us today for a free quote.
