A brief should let a designer, writer or campaign manager start work without guessing what the client meant. Keep it short enough to complete together, but specific enough to make approvals possible.
Copy this creative brief
Project: [Name]
Client: [Organization and primary contact]
Agency owner: [Name]
Decision maker: [Name and role]
Target launch date: [Date and time zone]
The problem
What needs to change? [One or two sentences about the current situation.]
Desired outcome: [What should the audience do or understand?]
How will we measure it? [A practical indicator and its source, or "not measurable yet" with a reason.]
Audience and message
Primary audience: [Who they are and what they need.]
Secondary audience: [If relevant.]
Main message: [One sentence.]
Proof: [Facts, examples or testimonials the client has approved for use.]
Action: [The one action the audience should take.]
Deliverables
| Deliverable | Format and size | Owner | Due date | Approval owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Item] | [Specification] | [Name] | [Date] | [Name] |
Channels: [Website, email, social, print, etc.]
Brand resources: [Link to approved assets and guidelines.]
Accessibility and language needs: [Requirements.]
Constraints: [Legal, brand, platform or budget conditions supplied by the client.]
Review and decisions
Draft date: [Date]
Consolidated feedback due: [Date]
Included revision rounds: [As agreed in the contract.]
Final approval method: [Named person and channel.]
Late feedback process: [What happens if the deadline is missed.]
Ask five questions before production
What does success look like? Who makes the final call? Which claims can the team substantiate? Which assets are missing? What would make this project late? If the answers are unclear, resolve them in a short kickoff call and update the brief afterward.
Use the brief during approval
When feedback says "make it more premium," ask what concrete change the reviewer wants and why it serves the audience. Record the agreed decision in the brief or approval tracker. A changed goal may require a new scope and timeline; discuss it before producing another version.
Pair this template with the client intake form and approval tracker.
Editorial notes — remove before publication
This is a copyable template. Match revision and approval language to the actual contract. Verify internal links.