desicreative.com

would love to see what are the breifing formats in different agencies.

it would also be great to get some case studies, market research etc.

i think we should ask our NRI friends (Bose and Denesh), since they work with hot agencies that have no branches in india. All those network agencies have the same breifing format worldwide.

Most of them have the sameformat. Even within same network they have different formats. All depends on the planers. What matters is the message. Is it clear what the message is...

i rememer Clarion, during the times of Ram Ray and Kiran Khalap, had a wonderful brief called 'Vanhi'. It had ONE very important remark: 'What is the ONE thing to communicate'!

I will see if I can dig out an old brief for putting here...

Ogilvy has something called 360.

In the middle of the breif is 'what's the challenge' basically this is what is the task.

Then they have something called brand print which is the relation of the brand with the consumer and brand idea which is what we all know.

Quite complicated i must say.

one standard format that can be taken as a basic one to start with

Something I found online at ExcessiveVoice

Here are the five areas I think should be addressed in a good creative brief.

1. Description of task

This needs to be a complete description of the writing task involved.

2. Background on product/company

The copywriter will usually NOT be as “up-to-speed” as the account management group. It is easy to assume the writer has in-depth knowledge that he or she does not have.

So it’s important that the writer is given “too much” background information on the client and the product or service being written about.

3. Audience description

The fastest way to undermine the ability of a copywriter to do a good job is to deprive him or her of a crystal clear image of the target audience.

The writer needs to feel an intimate understanding of what the audience wants, needs and desires. That understanding needs to be of a depth that it allows the writer to picture clearly and accurately an individual within the target group.

The writer should be able to close her eyes, see the person, picture his home and yard, know how he likes to spend his free time and understand what most excites and scares him in life.

4. Principal purpose of the communication

Again, this is extremely important. Many a well-written piece of advertising has failed to deliver, simply because the writer was never given a clear view of what that “deliverable” really was.

What is the principal purpose of this email, web page, newsletter?

The more precisely this question can be answered, the better the copywriter will be able to write a clear, sharp communication that stays on purpose from the first word to the last.

5. Timeline

Great copy cannot be written in an hour. The assimilation of background information, a growing understanding of the audience at the individual level and the process of writing itself is a creative process when done well. It takes time.

The first draft is never the best draft. Nor the second. As a result, copywriters need to be given sufficient warning of an upcoming job and be provided with enough time to do the job well.

Concluding thoughts...

At the risk of being labeled an old fogy, I would say that the heydays of great brief-writers are long past. Or maybe it’s simply that online account groups haven’t had the same training as can be found in traditional, offline advertising agencies.

Regardless, the best possible copywriting and content writing is possible only with the support of the best possible creative briefs.

the leo burnett 7-point brief had this one helluva question - which was as good as cracking a "MAAFORU" idea by itself. pity none of the a/c guys/gals had the 'stamina' or liniency to win some accolades.

WHAT IS THE SINGLE MOST IMP. THING WE NEED THE CONSUMER TO GET OUT OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNICATION?

and leo burnett has many such wonderful griefs which have seen the creation of phenomenal ads. the legacy, as we know, is still up & running.

the mother of all answers to this question on the brief has been provided by the a/c guys working on "Vicks Vaporub" launch at the end of the 70s.
to the question, the guys wrote -
VICKS MOTHERS THE CHILD IN ALL OF US.
Nobody's worried when you get a cold attack. even you know it's just a matter of 3-4 days. but even then, the mind seeks comfort. That's when Vicks Vaporub comes across as mother - maybe mother teressa.
'neway, the crux is "Vicks Vaporub - your mom treatment during your cold period"

life, sorry about my previous comment, this one about leo is very insightful....

i wonder if agencies are still honouring the classic briefing process. only saying this because the work that sout there is quiet shallow.

i wonder if its legal to publish an agency briefs?

i mean, empty brief, of course. just to see the format.