Read on to discover how to write a high-quality creative brief and find 7 templates with examples to help you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n A creative brief is a document that summarizes all relevant information about a creative project and functions as a guide for creative teams.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n This doc should be, as the name suggests \u2014 brief. Ideally, it should fit on 1 to 2 A4 pages and contain just the gist of the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although a creative brief is useful whenever you have to manage a creative project<\/a>, it\u2019s absolutely necessary when you are working on a complex project that has a large number of stakeholders and requires smooth cross-team collaboration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on the type of project, it can be written by various people. If it\u2019s an in-house project, the creative brief will most likely be written by the creative team manager. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But, if a company is working with an agency, the creative brief can be written by someone from the company who is familiar with the project, like a marketing manager or a product manager<\/a>. Of course, the people in the agency can give their input, and the brief can be revised if necessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Manage your creative projects and tasks with ease. Try Plaky by CAKE.com!<\/p>\n Not all creative briefs have to look the same. There are many ways to organize a creative brief depending on the type of creative project it\u2019s made for \u2014 marketing, social media, brand definition, logo creation, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, the key elements to include are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, you aren\u2019t limited to just these elements. What\u2019s important is that the creative brief contains all the relevant information for your project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, when creating a website or a logo for a business, instead of using the term \u201ctone of voice\u201d, \u201cstyle\u201d might be more appropriate. And you could add another element like \u201ccolor scheme\u201d since that is an important part of creating a good design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Developing a creative brief doesn\u2019t have to be complicated \u2014 just focus on including all the relevant information and make it clear and concise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The easiest way to achieve this is to follow the 10 steps listed below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The name of the project should be short and reflect the essence of the creative brief. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, the name \u201cCreative brief for a TastyFood restaurant marketing campaign\u201d<\/em> clearly shows the purpose of the brief and the name of the client. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A short overview of the project should follow the title \u2014 just a sentence or 2 to summarize what the project is about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, you should outline the company\u2019s background. There is no need to go into too much detail \u2014 just mention the company’s core values and the information relevant to the project (e.g., problems the company is currently facing, and the image they want to portray). <\/p>\n\n\n\n What you write in this section depends on whether your company hired an external agency for the job or if the creative team works at the said company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If it\u2019s the latter, you can omit general information about the company since it\u2019s already known to all involved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Take the time to precisely state the objectives of the creative project, i.e., what you are trying to achieve. Some of the more general objectives can be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just try to make these general objectives more detailed and measurable if possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, a marketing strategy for an app may have an objective \u201cincrease the number of new signups by 10% in the next 3 months\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to make this step easier, learn more about objectives and key results in projects:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Manage project objectives in Plaky<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s essential to know who your marketing campaign or ad is aimed at \u2014 who your potential clients or buyers are. So, you must have a clear vision of them when creating the brief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on the aim of the campaign and the product, different information can be relevant. Most often, you can include the audience\u2019s:<\/p>\n\n\n\n After establishing your target audience, the next question is how to get through to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You should determine what emotions you are trying to evoke and what picture you are conveying to the minds of the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, a commercial for a bank should have a more serious tone that makes the bank look dependable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, a commercial for a soft drink company can have a more relaxed tone, attempting to connect the drink with the idea of having fun and being happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to conquer a market, you have to be aware of the competition. Or, in the words of Sun Tzu: \u201cKnow thy enemy\u201d<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So first, study the market and list all your competitors. Then, do thorough research on them. What are they offering? At what price? And, most importantly, how can you best them and offer something more appealing to the audience? <\/p>\n\n\n\n You should set the budget at the very beginning of the creative project \u2014 this enables the team to organize their work accordingly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Note that it isn\u2019t enough to define only the total budget. Instead, take your time to allocate your funds in as much detail as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, if you are making an advertising campaign for new sportswear, set aside enough money for social media ads, TV commercials, and hiring a sportsperson to be the face of your brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to learn about different budgeting methods, take a look at this article:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you have completed the brief, you should ask for feedback from project stakeholders<\/a>, such as your client or company executives, as well as your project team members<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can organize a project kickoff meeting<\/a> where people can express their opinions and ideas together or just send everyone a copy of the brief and have them send the feedback back to you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After you\u2019ve received the feedback, consider the suggestions and make changes if necessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can go back and forth between these 2 steps until both you and the stakeholders are satisfied with the brief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once the creative brief is finished, distribute it to everyone working on the project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Find all you need to manage your projects in one place \u2014 schedule and delegate work, track deadlines, prioritize tasks, and collaborate with your team. Try Plaky by CAKE.com today!<\/p>\n To help you create a top-notch creative brief, we asked professionals with experience in writing them to share some tips with us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s what they had to say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We spoke to James Parkinson<\/a>, copywriter and content strategist, who emphasizes the importance of understanding the goal of the project:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou need to understand what the end goal or aim for the project or task is before you try to create a brief. Many people get this wrong and end up producing a large document with contradicting information. When, in reality, if you fully understand the desired outcome, then the brief can be very to-the-point and efficient.\u201d<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to become better at setting goals, make sure to read our article on the topic:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When making creative briefs, entrepreneur Gene Caballero<\/a> says it\u2019s important to decide on the success metrics for your project:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDetermine in advance how you will measure the success of the campaign. We usually focus on metrics like sign-up rates, website traffic, and social media engagement.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t be tempted to just rush through the brief so that you can start the project as soon as possible. Dedicate enough time to in-depth research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Caballero emphasizes how important it is to dedicate sufficient time to the creation of the creative brief:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRemember, the creative brief is a guiding document that helps ensure everyone is on the same page. It\u2019s the <\/em>roadmap for your project<\/em><\/a>, so taking the time to do it well is critical.<\/em>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Collaborate with your team on creative tasks with ease. Try Plaky by CAKE.com today!<\/p>\n There are many types of creative briefs you can make for different creative endeavors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We have singled out some of the most popular ones here and created free editable templates<\/strong> that you can use for your projects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, in the pictures below, you can see examples of how a template can be used for a specific project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This basic creative brief is best suited for beginners \u2014 so if this is your first time writing one, start here.<\/p>\n\n\n Get our basic creative brief template<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The template has all the key elements necessary for a creative brief without any industry-specific details, so you can use it for any kind of creative project, both in-house and external.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s also completely customizable, which makes it easy to edit it to your preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This marketing creative brief template is designed to help anyone managing a marketing project<\/a> stay on top of all their tasks. <\/p>\n\n\n Get our marketing creative brief template<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The template presents all the elements in a table and lets you adjust the space dedicated to each element to fit your project\u2019s needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, you will probably want to describe the target audience and the tone of voice in more detail than the other elements since these 2 are crucial in organizing a good marketing campaign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Similar to previous templates, the advertising creative brief contains sections such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Get our advertising creative brief template<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n But the most important part is the distribution section \u2014 this is where you clearly state how you want your advertising campaign to reach your target audience. So be sure to dedicate a significant portion of the brief to this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our video creative brief enables video production companies and their clients to have all the necessary information in one place.<\/p>\n\n\n Get our video creative brief template<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The video production process itself can be divided into 3 different, but equally important phases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why, in this template, the timeline has a separate section for each of these phases, allowing you to go into as much detail as you need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Introduce clarity and structure into your video production projects. Try Plaky by CAKE.com today!<\/p>\n This logo creative brief differs slightly from the other briefs because its main focus is the visual element \u2014 since that is the most important aspect of the logo. <\/p>\n\n\n Get our logo creative brief template<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n So, the logo brief doesn\u2019t include \u201ctone of voice\u201d, but rather elements such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The social media creative brief template is designed to help you manage your social media campaigns with ease. <\/p>\n\n\n Get our social media creative brief template<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Aside from the basic categories, there\u2019s also a section where you specify which social media platforms you are focusing on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, if your target audience is teenagers and people in their early 20s, you will probably focus on TikTok and Instagram. But, if you are targeting business professionals, your main focus should be LinkedIn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Since designing a website often involves a web design company and an external client, a well-written creative brief is a necessary part of the project. <\/p>\n\n\n Get our website creative brief template<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n This brief helps companies and web designers be on the same page and work together without problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It consists of 8 distinct blocks for each element of the brief. The tone of voice is replaced with style since it\u2019s more suited for websites, which are primarily visual tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Composing a creative brief at the beginning of your project can make your overall project management much easier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some of the biggest benefits of a well-constructed creative brief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Caballero explains how creative briefs help his team be on the same page and save time:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe all know what it feels like to be lost in a swirl of emails and meetings. The brief keeps everyone aligned, cutting through the confusion. We’ve all got our copy, and it’s like we’re singing from the same hymn sheet. It’s a real time-saver.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Creating a brief with everything planned at the very beginning of the project will save you money in the long run. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Having a creative brief means that everyone will know the objectives and expectations right at the start of the project. So, there is a higher chance that the creative team will succeed in creating what the stakeholders want. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This way, the project resources<\/a> won\u2019t be wasted on the trial-and-error stage of the project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Caballero points out how having a creative brief actually helps boost creativity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA clear brief sets boundaries but also grants the freedom to explore within those boundaries. It’s like having a sandbox where our creatives can build the most magnificent castles, resulting in unique and effective solutions.\u201d<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Developing a creative brief is only the beginning of a long (and often hectic) process that is creative project management<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily, there are project management tools to help you through this \u2014 like Plaky<\/a> by CAKE.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n Plaky helps you organize all your tasks, delegate work, and track deadlines \u2014 all within a single space. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Manage creative projects with Plaky<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In Plaky, you can: <\/p>\n\n\n\n But, all this is just the beginning. Check out Plaky\u2019s pricing page<\/a> to see all the advanced features it has to offer and (finally) take your creative projects to a whole new level!<\/p>\n\n\n![\"Creative](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Creative-brief-cover-1024x512.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat is a creative brief? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \n\n\n\nElements of a creative brief <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How to write a creative brief <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
#1 Name your project and provide a short overview <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
#2 Summarize the company\u2019s background<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
#3 List the objectives<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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#4 Define your target audience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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#5 Choose the tone of voice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
#6 Research the competition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
#7 Set the budget<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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#8 Ask for feedback<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
#9 Review and edit <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
#10 Distribute the brief <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \n\n\n\nBest practices for writing a creative brief <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
#1 Define the aim of the project first<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/James-Parkinson-1024x1024-1.jpeg\")
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#2 Include success metrics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Gene](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Gene-Caballero.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n#3 Take your time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \n\n\n\nCreative brief templates (+ examples) <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Basic creative brief template<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Example](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Basic-creative-brief.png\")
Marketing creative brief template<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Example](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marketing-creative-brief.png\")
Advertising creative brief template<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Example](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Advertising-creative-brief.png\")
Video creative brief template<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Example](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Video-content-brief-template.png\")
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\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \n\n\n\nLogo creative brief template<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Example](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Logo-creative-brief.png\"){kind=logo}
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Social media creative brief template<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Example](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Social-media-creative-brief.png\")
Website creative brief template<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Example](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Website-creative-brief-1.png\")
Why do you need a creative brief?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
#1 Eliminates confusion and saves time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n#2 Saves money<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
#3 Encourages creative thinking <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nManage creative projects with Plaky by CAKE.com<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Video](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Manage-your-projects-with-ease-in-Plaky.png\")
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