found this excellent read on Leo Burnett Tornonto's blog
Is there any subject in an agency that gets discussed more than creative briefs? I've heard some grumblings recently and it's all very familiar.
The cycle seems to go this way:
1) Briefs are the root of all problems, the lightning rod for frustrations and complaints, the dumping ground for weak strategies and useless information.
2) It must be the format! We need a new brief!
3) Here's a beautiful new format: the great white hope, the panacea for everything.
4) Then people actually start using it, and think how the heck do I fill this out? What does that box mean? Why is there nowhere to put [insert pet topic here]?
5) At least one client says "I hate it - I don't get why you're always changing briefs. Keep using the old one."
6) Still, people use it as best they can, but everybody ends up using it differently. Confusion reigns.
7) Which eventually leads back to 1)
I've seen this exact process repeat itself at least 5 times. I don't know an agency that hasn't gone through it (and you can see some more discussion over at Faris'). So here's some more fuel for the fire. Maybe the problem is trying to use any one format at all. Is consistency killing us?
Briefs : a small note from Leo Burnett Toronto
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Briefs : a small note from Leo Burnett Toronto
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