How to write a good brief

What does a brief do?

Once you have introduced your brand, the system knows it: your services, your figures and your tone of voice are already on record. The brief tells the system what you need in this particular project: who you are speaking to, for what purpose, and on what occasion. From the same brand information, a brief for a tasting appointment with a hotel purchasing manager and a brief for a new-season campaign produce entirely different content. The brief makes that difference.

A brief is not a form to fill in. It is one or two plain sentences. Clarity improves the result more than length does.

1. Say who you are speaking to

When the audience is vague, the content speaks to everyone and persuades no one. Name a job title or a role, such as "restaurant owners", "purchasing managers at importing companies" or "couples buying their first home".

2. State the goal and the action you want

Will the presentation be shown in a meeting or sent by email? Will the video run on Instagram or on a screen at a trade fair? What should the viewer do next: book an appointment, request a sample, sign up, or call? Once the goal is stated, the closing call to action can be built around it.

• •"…so that they book a tasting appointment"
• •"…so that they request a sample on the website"
• •"…so that they visit our trade fair stand"

3. Occasion and tone

If there is an occasion, such as a new season, an anniversary, a holiday, a trade fair or a sale, include it. One word is enough for tone: corporate, friendly, energetic or prestigious. If you do not specify a tone, it is taken from your brand information. For corporate brands, the default is a formal form of address.

4. Provide your own figures and claims

The system uses only figures that appear on your website or in sourced research. If there is a figure you want to feature (for example "2.85% interest rate" or "delivery within 48 hours"), write it in the brief or in the "highlights" field of the poster. It is used exactly as you wrote it.

5. What to leave out

There is no need to list your product names and services again, because they are already in your brand profile. General adjectives such as "high-quality, reliable, customer-focused" add little as well. The system looks for concrete evidence instead, so specific details serve you better.

Short examples by product

• •Presentation: "For the procurement department of a regional public hospital, a medical supplies offer; suited to the tender process, with references."
• •Promo video: "60 seconds for LinkedIn; for logistics managers, explaining how we prevent customs delays; corporate tone."
• •Ad film: "15 seconds for Reels; for young couples, conveying the feel of a weekend getaway at our boutique hotel; warm tone."
• •Poster: "Complimentary first check-up throughout October; families; short headline, large phone number."