ABSTRACT
Marketing communications typically require a disciplined document or set of documents called briefs that specify what is to be communicated, to whom, why, and how. Briefs are crafted for advertising, media, promotions, marketing research, and other marketing initiatives. They are informed by an understanding of the marketplace, including competitive strategies and tactics, as well as target consumer culture, habits, practices, and emotions, along with the marketer’s objectives, corporate philosophy, experience, and budget. Briefs are essential documents that ensure that all team members are aware of the strategic direction and executional parameters as they move toward development and implementation of marketing initiatives. To illustrate how briefs are structured, we’ll focus here on the most well-known kind of brief, the advertising creative brief.
