Easy Peasy Project Creative Brief

Ideas come from understanding how and why people use a product or service. A creative brief is your team's map of understanding your ad-creating mission.

This one was given to me by one of my mentors, Carol Worthington-Levy, an 8-time John Caples award winning creative director.

1. Project description (Special issue or mailing? Seasonal? What makes this newsworthy?)

2. Situation Analysis (what is the background -- state of the market, customer buying habits, product change, etc.)

3. Marketing Objective (How would you clearly define your reason for mailing...and for someone to respond this?)

4. Audience (who are they? Have they changed? Age, habits, hobbies, NEEDS)

5. What is the audience's current perceptions and beliefs relative to your product, to this category of products, AND to your most lively competitors?

6. What do we want to change in THE RECIPIENT'S (customer's or prospect's) thinking?

7. What can we do to differentiate this mailing from our other efforts, and from our competitors mailings? SHOULD it be differentiated? Why?

8. What offer can we make to customers, or what exciting promise? (Your product is NOT your offer. Your service is NOT your offer. It must be something that rewards them for responding.) What is the time limit on this offer?

9. What's the single-minded thought that you most want your audience to remember from this mailing's arrival?

10. What action do you want them to take?

11. When do we need to be in the mail (attach or create a schedule)?

12. Budgetary restrictions:
- What do you want to spend on creative and production costs? If you are reselling this creative, what do they typically want to spend?
- What is the UP SIDE of this mailing: how much does the ultimate mailer expect to make per sale?
- Is there a BACK END to the sale or lead generated?