A creative brief your team can use.

Start with the decision you want to change

Describe the problem in plain language. “We need ten videos” is a production request. “People know our product but do not understand when to use it” gives the creative team a problem to solve. Explain what the audience currently thinks or does and what should change after seeing the campaign.

Separate facts from assumptions. Include customer questions, previous campaign observations, product information, or sales feedback that the team can check. If an insight is still a hypothesis, label it that way. A smaller amount of reliable context is more useful than a long list of unsupported claims.

Make the scope comparable

List the final uses of the work: channels, formats, durations, languages, versions, and publication dates. Identify what is essential for launch and what could be a later phase. A primary video with cutdowns is a different scope from several concepts with separate productions.

State the available budget range and the costs it needs to cover. Strategy, production, talent or creator fees, usage permissions, event operations, and media spend may be separate items. Ask each partner to describe inclusions and exclusions so proposals can be compared on the same basis.

Give feedback an owner and a deadline

Name one person who consolidates feedback and identifies the final approver. Schedule decisions for the brief, concept, production plan, first edit, and final assets. Agree how changes to an approved direction affect scope and timing before work begins.

Define what “approved” means. The checklist might cover brand accuracy, message clarity, factual support, product details, subtitles, usage permissions, and delivery formats. This keeps review focused on the brief instead of personal preferences introduced at the final stage.

Choose measurement before launch

Pick a primary measure that matches the business objective and record the starting point. For an enquiry campaign, distinguish a form submission from a qualified sales opportunity. For awareness, specify the intended audience and use reach or attention measures with the appropriate context.

Use consistent campaign links and connect enquiries to the customer follow-up process. Record the measurement period, spend, and any other activity that could influence the result. A campaign report should explain what happened and what to change next, rather than treating every movement as proof of causation.

A checklist for your first conversation

• Business problem and evidence
• Audience and desired action
• Single priority message and supporting facts
• Channels, formats, quantities, and languages
• Budget range and what it covers
• Launch date, milestones, and constraints
• Decision maker and review process
• Primary measure, starting point, and reporting period

CREATIVE CAMPAIGN BRIEF
Brand / project:
Business problem:
Evidence / customer insight:
Audience:
Desired action:
Priority message:
Supporting facts / approved claims:
Channels and deliverables:
Budget range and inclusions:
Launch date and milestones:
Brand / production constraints:
Feedback owner and final approver:
Primary measure and starting point:
Measurement period:
Open questions:

Download the brief template (.txt) ↓

Send the brief with the information you have. Mark unknowns as open questions so the first conversation can resolve them together.

Put the guide to work on your project

Explore the relevant Canting service · Read the next planning guide · Explore owned work