CLIENT BRIEFS
Types of briefs
Formal/Informal
Contractual
Negotiated
Cooperative brief
Tender
Competition
Commission
Formal brief
Type you will receive in the exam
- Written documents
- Technical and Specific language
- Focused/In depth (detail, budget, deadlines, requirements etc.)
- Majority of briefs are in this style
Informal brief
- Can be as straightforward as a chat over a drink
- None/limited documentation supporting
- No direct contractual agreement
- No specific requirements outlined initially
- These tend to be undertaken and then fleshed out at a later date
- Leaves more room for interpretation and confusion
Contractual brief (FORMAL)
- Tasks are accepted under legal obligation (signed document)
- The clients desires and deadlines outlined must be met
- Both the clients and the media producers must abide by the brief
- Means that payment is guaranteed and ensures clarity
Why these briefs are the most beneficial/popular:
- Legal protection for both parties required
- Client gets what they want, Producer gets clarity
- Producer gets right to be paid, Client gets right to get money back if not satisfied
Negotiated brief (FORMAL)
- Both the client and the media producer make decisions
- Through negotiations the brief may be altered
Discussions/things negotiated:
- Budget, time, creative input, additions and subtractions, bonuses, milestones (time-bound goals)
Co-operative brief (FORMAL)
- Two or more media producers/production companies working together to meet the brief
- e.g film producers and different post-production houses
Issues that might arise from this:
- budget (different budgets might create more of an issue for the companies)
- creates competition between the two companies
- different visions of the two companies
- creative differences
Tender brief (FORMAL)
- Where several prospective contractors provide an estimated cost and a description of how the product may be produced. The proposals are discussed by the commissioner and one of the tenders drawn.
- Often proposed through pitches that different companies offer and the best pitch is chosen by the client
The incentives:
- You can see the different prices available on the market
- You can see the different ideas the market can offer in terms of their skills and their qualities
- The client can make a more informed decision
Competition brief (FORMAL)
- The brief is advertised/given to multiple media producers
- The producers don't have to pitch
- All the different producers create their product
- The client then picks which one is the best
- The reward is often just the prospect of getting your project published/distributed (not usually paid)
Examples:
- School newspaper
- Logo design competition
- 500 word stories BBC
Commissioning brief (FORMAL)
- A middle man (commissioner) that operates in between them
- A media company employs an independent company to produce a product for them on their behalf
- The brief is not negotiated between the media producer and their employer/commissioner
- However the commissioner might negotiate the brief with the client
- The independent company is paid and may receive royalties
Example:
- Channel 4 > ENDEMOL > Charlie Brooker's Zeppotron > Black Mirror
- Client > Commissioner > Producer > Product
Factors that could impact the potential project management of a brief:
- explicit requirements (clearly written in brief)
- implicit requirements (something suggested)
- requirements that are open to interpretation (you have creative input)
- constraints (restrictions)
One way of approaching the initial project details would be to create a mood board exploring the ideas
WHY CLIENTS WRITE BRIEFS
Clients write briefs for better, more effective and measurable work. This is because the brief helps make everything else in the project flow. Many clients agree that its difficult to produce good creative work without a good brief as they often stimulate the most inventive of responses. Briefs are also considered to provide key business issues that gives strategic and creative thinkers the ability to apply their specialist skills.
Clients write briefs to save time and money. It is considered the biggest time water when agencies are put through the process of developing a solution without a concrete direction. It also wears on relationships and costly on wasted staff time. Most agencies and clients agree that sloppy briefing and moving goal posts wastes time and money. Not writing a brief to save is a false economy that often leads to re-working. Most agencies and clients agree that briefs are often changed once the product has started.
Clients write briefs for fairer remuneration. The main criticisms in marketing that people face is that in general they lack accountability for the sums of money that they spend. Superficial marketing will only be dispelled by a more professional approach which ensures that its essential for briefs to be written for every project from every agency. Most clients and agencies agree that payment by results is impossible without fully agreed business objectives. The increasing prevalence of a PBR component in so many remuneration agreement is a compelling reason to write a proper brief. Whatever the task, a written brief including objectives and success criteria is the foundations for the demonstration of effectiveness in advertising. Without the ability to demonstrate the effectiveness, no one would receive the remuneration that they deserve.
PRINCIPLES BEHIND A GOOD BRIEF
Written briefs. Most clients and agencies agree that a combination of written and verbal briefing is ideal. Both see enormous benefits in starting a written document produced by the client, then analysed and discussed by the two teams. The process of developing, discussing and agreeing adds value and if more that one agency is involved in the developing, it is advisable to brief the parties together. A written brief is vital in ensuring the ‘buy-in’ - essential in order to avoid waste of time and resources. Outside the marketing department challenges assumptions in the brief which can lead to changes in direction. Written briefs have the buy-in of all interested parties before announced to the agency. The key to working with multiple organisations is for shared contributions and discussions. Having varieties of people with varieties of skills in the same room at the start of the project will add enormous value and set a shared agenda for the work ahead.
Clarity of thinking. A good brief consists of clarity and focus. Briefs are literally called briefs to be brief. They are a gathering of thoughts thats attach all relevant information supporting your idea. Too much information can fog the process meaning relevance and context is key instead of lots of data. It should contain a concentration of your current thinking with key nuggets of information and focussing on the setting out of objectives. It is important to know that briefs shouldn’t attempt to reduce creativity. Briefing your agency is a joint, dynamic process that although this encourages a formal approach, it should never be at the expense of additional, inspiring, dynamic briefing methods.
Clearly defined objectives. Ensure that the objectives are crystal clear. Use concrete business objectives rather than vague terms. Almost all agencies and clients believe that client briefs should focus on making sure the business problem is properly defined. All briefs should have effectiveness criteria and evaluation methodology written into them. Since no remuneration agreement contains a performance related element without measures of performance, quantifiable objectives should always be set. The number one principle to writing a good brief should be defining the objectives to establish a projects success criteria.
WHAT A GOOD BRIEF SHOULD CONTAIN
Project management: ensuring basic facts of the project are provided varying according to internal systems.
Where are we now: describes the current position of the brand, its background and the key issues it faces, defining the start point of the journey which the next steps will take the brand
Where do we want to be: defining the desired destination of the journey which successful communications will have taken you. The goals should be set in the context in the business and marketing plan, as well as what will be achievable by this specific project on the proposed expenditure
What are we doing to get there: The marketing strategy ensures that agencies are involved in developing advertising and other communications to have a full understanding of the total marketing and communications strategy. The campaign strategy most likely involves more than one medium or communications discipline and hence more than one agency, all of which you need to know your overall campaign strategy.
Who do we need to talk to: designs all the communications to elicit forms of responses from a particular group of people, they should be defined and prioritised as accurate as possible via demographics. The insights that you and your agencies hold about the target groups can be leveraged to create the desired reaction.
How will we know we’ve arrived: knowledge between yourself and the agencies on knowing what success or failure should look like. This should involve measure that are put into place to establish whether the campaign delivers against its desired objectives.
Practical ties: responses to your brief and preparing yourself for the all the potential implementational consequences. Its important to note the three key practicalities to bear in mind: budgets, timings, other considerations (thought before agencies are put to work)
Approvals: when the authority finalises the brief by signing off the work that the agency produces by documenting the final piece of detail needed. This person should also be the one to sign off the brief before its given to agency and preferable to attend the resulting presentation.
