NORTHERN PLANNER

I did an internal session on creative briefing on Friday. You know –  how how to think about the various bits, top tips for writing one. Only to realise I was benefiting as much from this as anyone else.

A fair chunk of the advice I was giving I don’t always follow myself. I should.

That’s the good thing about trying to pass on what you’ve learned, it forces you to look at yourself a little bit harder. Bad habits can start as little chinks, eventually they can becoming gaping chasms.

It”s not that easy describing what you do instinctively, not just creative briefing or thinking about brands.Try describing how walking works, or how to ride a bike. But trying to get to the heart of best practice usually exposes how much you’ve strayed from the path.

By the way, top practical tips for writing a brief in a rush:

• The quickest way to describe your audience well is to read what they read. Devour their world intensely and it soon comes.
• Don’t stare at a blank page, just start. Fill out the section you can, you’ll soon find you’re writing too much and the excess belongs somewhere else – you’re on your way. If you start with target audience, it usually spills over into objective for example.
• Talk to someone. Maybe the creatives you’ll be briefing, someone a bit like the target audience, but anyone really. Most ideas come out of conversation. Have a chat.