It’s a common refrain at parks-and-rec agencies everywhere. People get so busy with their own work that they lose sight of the big picture. Functions get siloed off from each other, often unintentionally, and one hand doesn’t know what the other is doing. While this sort of thing causes all kinds of organizational headaches, it makes it particularly hard to maintain a coherent marketing message. This is where a little something called a creative brief can help.
What is a Creative Brief?
In the simplest terms, a creative brief is a document that summarizes a specific marketing objective and how you plan to achieve it. One of its most important functions, though, is to give everyone in your organization a common reference point for determining what’s “on message”, and what’s not. Think of it as the North Star for any marketing effort.
How to Build a Brief
Building a good creative brief is all about asking the right questions. At Campfire Concepts, we use two sets of questions when helping a client build a creative brief for any marketing campaign or project.
The first set of questions is designed to get an agency thinking about its strategic position in the market place. Questions like:
- What is your desired brand experience? Describe the reaction you want residents to have when they encounter your agency’s brand.
- Who is your target market? Be specific. Focusing on a specific audience will help you create a more distinctive message. Even if some residents aren’t necessarily a part of that audience, your message will be more memorable than if you try to be all things to all people.
- Who are your competitors, and what sets you apart from them? These would be the competitors, public or private, who might be targeting the same people you’re trying to reach.
The next set of questions are more tactical in nature. Things like:
- What service or product do you want to offer? This would be a brief description of the event or program you are planning.
- What is the problem this service or product is solving for the community? Briefly describe the benefit(s) of whatever you’re planning.
- What story will you tell? Think of this as the 30-second elevator pitch for your event or program.
Finally, you want to add details like budget, required resources, your call-to-action, etc. Above all, though, when building a creative brief, keep it brief. The idea is to create a framework for action, not a blueprint. Be specific about the message you want to communicate and the outcomes you want to achieve, but give your people the latitude to innovate and bring novel ideas to the table.
Let Us Be Your Guide
At Campfire Concepts we love helping parks and rec agencies nail down their brand message so they can better connect with the residents they serve. We’d love to hear what your agency’s goals are and explore ways we can work together to meet them. To get that conversation started, click here. Talk to you soon!
