The Creative Brief is a document that is often handed around the agency as part of a pitch, or used as a brief to develop an inbound strategy — yet it is rarely used to question the responsibilities of those involved in the creation of advertising campaigns. This article is an attempt to answer the question: who is the Creative Brief’s general responsibility?
What is the Creative Brief’s Purpose?
The Creative Brief’s purpose is to educate the stakeholders in the creation of an advertisement. Having a clear purpose means that everyone involved, from the copywriter to the agency itself, understands what the end goal of the process is. It is considered good practice to have two copies of the document; one for the stakeholders and one for the agency. Keep one copy in the agency and one in the writer’s hands so that everyone is on the same page at all times. If you work as part of a small team, this practice makes sure that everyone is on the same page and that there are no misunderstandings about what is going on. Having a double-sided version also means that everyone on the team can have a voice in shaping the final product. This way, everyone feels that their opinion — whether positive or negative — is heard, and the end product is what they intended. If you follow this practice, you will inevitably end up with a more solid and well-thought-out document, which will make your life as a copywriter easier.
What Does the Briefing Include?
The main responsibility of the Creative Brief is to clearly define the responsibilities of each individual in the creation of an advertisement. This is generally done by laying out what each person’s role is — from the director all the way down to the copywriter — and what is expected of them. The more detailed the information the better; having a clear-cut understanding of each person’s responsibilities at all times means that everyone involved in the project is clear about their own job. The document should also include a list of the required skills, as well as any special training that the individual might need. The latter includes things like specialized copywriting software, or a marketing degree — which can help the writer navigate the sometimes tricky world of marketing. A good creative brief should also include information on how the finished product will be evaluated, and by whom. A lot of thought goes into this part, as it is often very tricky to measure the effectiveness of an ad in terms of sales or clicks. This part of the brief lays out the criteria by which the advertisement will be graded and gives the writer plenty of room for creativity while also ensuring that the end product is measurable.
Who Updates the Brief?
As mentioned above, two copies of the brief are kept; one for the writer and one for the agency. The writer’s copy is generally seen as more of a draft, and it is regularly updated and improved upon as the project proceeds. The agency’s copy is often used as a guide to create a more cohesive narrative, and it is generally seen as the most authoritative version. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the Creative Brief’s owner to make sure that this version is kept up to date and that all changes made by the copywriter are clearly reflected in it. One pitfall to avoid is lock-in; make sure that you are not relying too much on a certain word or phraseology, as this can cause all kinds of problems when it comes down to actually producing the ad. Familiarize yourself with different approaches to the same problem, and make sure that you leave enough room for flexibility when needed. Lock-in can happen when an agency becomes too attached to concepts that have been laid out in the creative brief, especially if these are not properly tested or if the ad is a success. Lock-in is always a bad idea, as it leads to problems when it comes time to revise the ad, and it ultimately harms the client by limiting their options and creating wasted work. Make sure to challenge your assumptions and not be afraid to try something new; this keeps your brainstorming sessions interesting and ensures that you come up with the best option for the client.
Why Are Writers Generated?
One of the main criticisms that is often directed at the AD industry is that advertisements are created solely by copywriters, and that there is no training program or other types of role specialization in the industry. While it is true that there are no specializations in writing commercials, this does not mean that all copywriters are created equal. The truth is, there are many different types of roles that go into the making of an advertisement, and none of these roles are easily defined as “copywriter.”
If you are going to criticize the AD industry, it might be a good idea to know the most basic facts about what a copywriter does. While it is true that a lot of the heavy lifting in the creation of an ad happens below the surface, it is a common misconception that writing an ad is a simple task, and it mostly involves copying and pasting from other sources. This is often done by using specialized copywriting software, which is designed to help with the organization and streamlining of large blocks of text. While it is easy to think that all a copywriter does is type and format text, this is far from true. A good copywriter is essentially a storyteller who can transform a simple narrative into compelling copy.
A copywriter’s responsibility is to take a narrative that the director, art director, and copy layout engineer have created, and to turn this into compelling advertising. To do this, the copywriter needs to be familiar with a variety of tools, including headline and slogan generators, word-cloud tools, and mathematical formulas for the optimization of website content — all of which is discussed in more detail below.
What Tools Does a Copywriter Need?
A successful copywriter is one who is not only an excellent storyteller, but is also familiar with a variety of software tools that can help them turn this story into compelling ad copy. Some of the more popular tools that a copywriter might use include: