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Your Copy Is Only As Good As Your Brief

ByArshad Mahmud
on

A brief is like a blueprint for crafting copy that wins.

It’s also a document which can tell a copywriter a whole lot about a few things. Namely:

  • How experienced is the account manager
  • The purpose of the assignment
  • How should the ad look like
  • What is the ad for
  • Who is the ad for

To expand on these points, let’s talk about the account manager. Account managers(AM) don’t have it easy, and I don’t envy them. But they do get paid what they’re worth. And it’s hard not to roll your eyes, if a highly paid AM can’t string two relevant ideas together without using jargon. Using industry jargon, is a big sign of questionable competency.

It’s an AM’s job to make sure the communication from the client to the creative is coherent. They often take a strategic role, balancing tight deadlines, expectations, and helping creatives produce excellent work.

On the latter, an AM would only be able to do so competently, if they have a solid understanding of copywriting, design, marketing, and advertising.

If all the above checks out, it’s not difficult for a competent AM to produce a good brief.

A brief also underlines the purpose of the assignment. Giving creatives a fundamental understanding of the ‘why’ behind a project. An important thing since it heavily influences the direction of the creative.

Now we move on to the next point. Which is part of the other 2 points. How, what, and who. These 3 are as important as understanding ‘why’.

A good brief gives clear examples of how an ad should look like. Not exact descriptions of the visual, but more about achieving the intended reaction from the audience. For example, outlining how toothpaste buyers should feel a bit left out if they don’t buy this particular brand.

Then, a good brief outlines what the ad is for. Giving purpose and rationale for creatives to understand where this piece of advertising fits into the entire marketing strategy. This is super important. It’s the reality check for creatives to help them decide if they should go wild or go subtle.

And of course, a good brief describes who the ad is for. This informs the creative on the language, tone, structure, visual, and style they should use. Also guiding the ideation process and making sure it resonates deeply with the intended audience.

By this point, if the brief does its job well, then creatives can already see the ad in their minds. Allowing for creatives to have clarity. This is a very important word for creatives. And… I’d argue, important for the agency as a whole. Clarity helps speed up the ideation process, which also speeds up the crafting process.

A good brief brings clarity. And the purpose of clarity is to speed up the process of getting a desired result. Just like taking the time to sharpen an axe, so chopping down a tree becomes quicker.

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