Creative Brief Template

About the Creative Brief template

Marketing and advertising campaigns are often massive, complex projects. There are a variety of stakeholders and moving parts, a budget that is stretched to its limit, and a complicated review process. If you succeed, you can win new customers and expand your business. If you don’t, you risk burning precious resources and undoing hard-won progress.

With so much at stake, it’s essential to get it right on the first try. That’s where the creative brief comes in, providing the relevant information for any creative project, including the target audience, goals, timeline, budget, and guidelines or specifications of the project itself.

What is a creative brief?

A creative brief is the foundation of any marketing or advertising campaign. Whenever someone requests a creative project, it’s important to include a creative brief that establishes guidelines for the project.

A creative brief helps build websites, videos, ads, banners, and much more. This document aims to anticipate any questions the creator might have about the project and confirm that everyone agrees on the scope and purpose before the creative work begins.

Most creative briefs are a maximum of two pages long. They are designed to outline the project's objective, establish direction, define the audience, and nail down the message. It states the communication strategy for the project's duration, timeline, budget, and scope.

When do you use a creative brief?

Prepare a creative brief before kicking off a project to ensure that all stakeholders are aligned and the creative team (designer, writer, videographer, etc.) has all the information they need before working. By using this Creative Brief template you can capture all the information needed for your campaign in one place. The template can easily be edited and shared with all stakeholders, keeping everyone on the same page.

Who should use a creative brief?

Design and advertisement agencies often use creative briefs to kickoff projects, but marketing departments, executives, or others professionals may use them to request creative work. Freelancers may also ask their clients to prepare a creative brief to streamline their collaboration.

What are the benefits of a creative brief?

Creative briefs clarify your goal and objectives. The brief ensures that everyone is aligned on what you are trying to accomplish. It increases efficiency and reduces the need for redundant meetings.

They also articulate facts and assumptions. It builds a foundation for your project, so your design team is on the same page as your marketing team, allowing space for all stakeholders to provide input.

They also provide metrics for success and criteria for evaluation. Your marketing and design teams can refer to the brief throughout the project lifecycle to ensure they’re on track to achieve their goals increase ownership and accountability.

The creative brief also allows the design team to uncover insights about the brand. The brief is an excellent way for the design team to be better acquainted with your company, brand voice, marketing style, and aesthetic. It creates opportunities for key conversations early in the project, saving you time and money down the line helping avoid scope creep.

And finally, it keeps all members of the team informed. The brief should lay out the budget, timeline, and preferred communication style, so everyone stays aligned.