The secret to better creative: the brief

Everyone wants great creative. But before a designer opens Figma or a copywriter starts exploring headlines, there’s one thing that has the biggest impact on the outcome: the brief.

Here’s the thing. We’ve never received a brief and thought, “Perfect. Nothing to discuss.” And that’s a good thing.

A brief isn’t meant to end the conversation. It’s meant to answer the important business questions, so we can start asking the creative ones.

That’s why one of the first things we do when a brief lands with us is read it. Then we read it again. Once we understand the business challenge, we can start asking the questions that strengthen the strategy, sharpen the creative, and ultimately lead to better work.

Over the years, we’ve noticed a few things that consistently make briefs more effective. If you’re looking to get the most out of your next agency partnership, here’s where we’d start.

1. Start with the “why.”

It’s easy to jump straight into the ask.

“We need an email.”
“We need a landing page.”
“We need a campaign.”

But those are deliverables. They don’t tell us what you’re trying to achieve. Instead, tell us what’s happening in the business. Why is this project needed now? What’s changed? What would success actually look like?

Sometimes those conversations confirm the original direction. Other times, they uncover a better one. Either way, understanding the “why” helps us think strategically instead of simply executing a request.
 

2. Tell us who we’re talking to.

It can be tempting to cast a wide net, but the strongest creative starts with a clearly defined audience. The reality is the more specific you can be the stronger the work becomes. 

Who is this for? What do they care about? What do you want them to think, feel or do after seeing your campaign?

It sounds simple, but this changes everything. Once we understand who we’re talking to, every creative decision becomes easier, leading to sharper messaging and more intentional visuals.
 

3. Pick one message to lead.

This is where things start to get interesting.

It’s not unusual for a project to start with one objective, then gradually pick up a few more along the way. 

Every campaign needs a hero. Decide on the one thing you want to say first, then let supporting messages do exactly that: support. The same goes for your call-to-action. If you’re asking people to do three different things, chances are they’ll do none of them.

One of the first things we do during the briefing process is help establish the messaging hierarchy. It’s a simple conversation, but it often has the biggest impact on the final work.

For example:

Instead of:

We need an email announcing our new product, highlighting three new features, reminding customers about our loyalty program and driving people to book a demo.

Try:

• Background: We’ve launched a new product, but customer adoption has been slow. 
• Success means: Increased demo bookings of our new product by 15%.
• Messaging:
  • Primary: Promote adoption of the product by highlighting the key feature (automation).
  • Secondary: Reinforce additional benefits (loyalty program and easy setup).
• CTA: Book a demo

The second example doesn’t just tell us what to make. It makes the hero message impossible to miss.
 

4. Don’t forget the practical details.

No one gets excited about timelines, logos, or file formats. But having those details upfront makes a huge difference once a project gets moving.

Tell us what needs to be delivered, when it’s needed, which assets are already approved, whether there are legal considerations, and what budget parameters we should be working within.

The more clarity we have from the beginning, the more time we can spend doing what you actually hired us to do: explore ideas, challenge thinking, and craft creative that delivers results.

5. Get everyone on the same page before the brief is shared.

If there’s one piece of advice we’d give every client, it’s this: Take a little extra time to align internally before the project reaches your agency—this will save you time and money down the road.

We’ve all seen it happen. Creative is underway, everyone’s feeling good, then a new stakeholder weighs in, or leadership shifts the direction. Often, those aren’t creative challenges. They’re alignment challenges. A solid brief reflects one shared direction, not five different opinions.

Those early conversations create a stronger foundation for everything that follows. That’s what a great brief is really for.

Taking the time to answer the right business questions upfront will almost always pay off. It leads to clearer decisions, more focused creative, and a smoother process for everyone involved. After all, the goal of a brief isn’t to answer every question. It’s to answer the right ones before creative begins.

Know someone who’d find this useful? 
Share away.