How to Write a Creative Brief That Doesn’t Set Your Agency (or Your Brand) Up to Fail

My old boss had a rule:

“Shit in, shit out.”

And it stuck with me.

We love to blame agencies when campaigns miss the mark.But more often than not, the real problem is upstream: a vague, tactical, or misaligned brief.

One that says “make it viral,” “we want something cool,” or worse — doesn’t clarify what success actually looks like.

Here’s the truth:

You can’t expect strategic work from an unstrategic input.

If you want smart, on-brand, effective creative work — it starts with a better brief.

What a Creative Brief Isn’t

It’s not:

• A to-do list

• A design wishlist

• A form you copy-paste from last year’s campaign

A creative brief is a strategic alignment tool. It translates business objectives into creative direction — and sets the agency up to deliver work that works.

The 5 Building Blocks of a Strong Creative Brief

1. Business Context

• What’s happening right now that led to this brief?

• What’s the broader challenge we’re solving?This section helps the agency connect the creative ask to the business reality.

2. The Objective

Be precise.

• Is the goal to build awareness?

• Shift perception?

• Drive leads or conversion?

“Make noise” is not a real objective. “Increase consideration among Gen Z by 20% in Q3” is.

3. Target Audience (Behavioral, not just Demographic)

• Who are we really talking to?

• What do they think/feel/believe today?

• What do we want them to believe after the campaign?

Framework tip: Use a mini "Jobs to Be Done" lens here. What's the real job this audience needs solved?

4. Core Message

• What’s the one thing that must land?

• If they forget everything else — what must they remember?

Strong briefs deliver one idea, clearly. Not a wishlist of talking points.

5. The No-Go Zone

• What should the agency avoid?

• What’s been tried and didn’t work?

• What doesn’t align with brand values, tone, or legal boundaries?

This is the most overlooked section — and one of the most valuable.

Define Success Criteria — Or Don’t Bother Briefing

No brief is complete without clearly defined success criteria.

Otherwise, feedback becomes subjective:

• “I don’t like it.”

• “It’s not punchy enough.”

• “It doesn’t feel right.”

When you define success upfront, feedback becomes strategic:

• “This doesn’t support the business goal we aligned on.”

• “This execution doesn’t resonate with the target insight.”

• “This message strays from the one key thing we agreed to land.”

What makes strong success criteria?

Tied to the business outcome

Measurable within the campaign’s scope

Aligned with the role of the campaign (awareness, conversion, etc.)

Used as the lens for ALL creative reviews — from first draft to final delivery

Pro tip: End every creative review with this question:“Does this deliver on the brief?”If not, the issue may not be the creative — it might be the brief.

Common Briefing Mistakes That Cost Time, Budget, and Trust

Asking for “creative magic” without clear goals

Briefing the agency before aligning internally

Giving conflicting feedback from different stakeholders

Saying “surprise me” when you don’t actually want surprises

Treating the agency like a vendor, not a strategic partner

Great Campaigns Start Before the First Presentation

Want great work from your agency?

Start with:

• Clarity

• Context

• Consistency

A good brief doesn’t limit creativity. It enables it by giving the team the insight, direction, and purpose to create work that moves people and the business.

Because creativity with no strategy is noise.And strategy with no creative spark? Just a PowerPoint.