Campaign briefs are the cornerstone of a healthy relationship with a marketing agency, but they are far too often neglected or considered a chore. Putting the effort in to get things right at the briefing stage can have a huge impact on the success of your campaign, saving you time, effort and lost sleep further down the line. In this SlideShare, we look at a few things marketers should keep in mind when writing an agency brief in order to get the most out of their campaigns, their agency, and their budgets.

1. HOW TO BRIEF A
MARKETING AGENCY AND
CREATE KICKASS
CAMPAIGNS

2. MEET
Wonder
Marketer

3. Wonder Marketer
knows just how
important briefs are
(that’s why he wears his outside
his trousers…)

4. Wonder Marketer knows that if you want
to get the campaign right, you have to get
the brief right first

5. Poor campaign briefs lead to all sorts of nasty situations...

6. Poor campaign briefs lead to all sorts of nasty situations...
Errors and mistakes!

7. Poor campaign briefs lead to all sorts of nasty situations...
Errors and mistakes!
Misalignment of expectations!

8. Poor campaign briefs lead to all sorts of nasty situations...
Errors and mistakes!
Misalignment of expectations!
Poor performance!

9. Poor campaign briefs lead to all sorts of nasty situations...
Errors and mistakes!
Misalignment of expectations!
Poor performance!
Inefficient communications!

10. Poor campaign briefs lead to all sorts of nasty situations...
Errors and mistakes!
Misalignment of expectations!
Poor performance!
Inefficient communications!
Strained relationships!

11. So why do so many marketers provide
poor briefs - or even no brief at all! -
when working with agencies?

12. VILLAIN NO. 1:
The Busy Bug
“I’m too busy - I don’t have
time to write a brief...”

13. We get it - there’s never enough hours in
the day, and good briefs take time

14. But Wonder Marketer knows that
getting the brief right will save you a
ton of time in the long run
Less back and forth on
campaign details
Clear definition of
what’s required and
expected
Fewer mistakes and
quicker turnaround
times

15. Vanquish the Busy Bug by
investing time up front to save
you time in the long run

16. VILLAIN NO. 2:
Miss Alignment
“I’m not sure what I need
to include in a brief...”

17. Wonder Marketer
knows that all good
briefs start with
strong objectives

18. As an agency, our goal is to help you achieve
your goals, but if you can’t tell us what they
are that becomes much more difficult!

19. Your campaign objectives should define three things:
Purpose of your
campaign - the why
Desired outcomes and
end results - the what
Target audience -
the who

20. Your agency’s role is to to work out what
channels, platforms and activities will achieve
your objectives - the how

21. Banish
Miss Alignment
by defining and agreeing
your campaign objectives

22. VILLAIN NO. 3:
The Shirker
“Isn’t it the agency’s job to
create the brief…?”

23. Leaving an agency to define the brief
on their own is like letting a 5 year old
dress themselves with no supervision…
they will probably come up with something
fabulous and interesting, but it might not be quite
what Mum or Dad had in mind

24. Equally, the brief shouldn’t be completed in a
fortress of solitude - it’s a collaborative effort
between marketer and agency to define the
scope and requirements

25. Wonder Marketer relies on input from both
sides of the table to create - and agree - the
best brief possible

26. Outlaw the Shirker by working with
your agency to define, review and
agree the brief

27. Wonder Marketer’s three simple steps to kick ass
campaign briefs:
Invest time in creating
a thorough brief
Make sure you define
your objectives
Collaborate with your
agency for the best
results

28. Want to save the world of
marketing one kick ass
campaign at a time?
READ THE CMO’S
DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO
HIGH-PERFORMING
PROMOTIONAL
CAMPAIGNS
DOWNLOAD NOW