Shumsky Idea Box

Project

[Name the project: typically can be tied to an initiative and the vehicle being used. E.g., a direct marketing campaign that includes three elements for a new product launch might be called “NewProd Direct Campaign”]

Background

[What information does your creative team need in order to understand the environment into which the creative piece will be used? Include more rather than less, noting that in many cases, you’ll want to include attachments such as business cases, market research, and competitive intelligence. You can also include commentary on how the project came about, who the leadership team is responsible for success, and what past initiatives looked like and how they worked.]

Audience

[Who are the customers, prospects, or stakeholders being engaged with this project? The more detail the better so include size of the audience, industry information, and what they’re used to receiving in the way of creative marketing communications or branding initiatives.]

Objectives

[Typically there are no more than three objectives or desired outcomes of the project. Objectives can range from lead generation to brand awareness to specific customer engagement – in all cases, objectives should be SMART: Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound.] [Search Google for “SMART objectives” for more on this point.]

Key Criteria

[Continuing with the market research from your background section above, key criteria are the 3-5 items that have to be included in the project or campaign in order to be successful. Examples would include: 1) communicating your product or service differentiation, 2) ensuring that the campaign or project can be measured or tracked, 3) focusing on a particular product or service line.]

Messages

[Key messages can be recorded here as the 3-5 ideal points to be made in the campaign or project. These can also be imported from previously established communications guidelines or standards. Typically, creative teams will use this input to frame or guide brainstorming sessions.]

Due Date

[Due date. This may also include a project plan or time line attached.]

Budget

[Setting a budget for the creative team can focus on internal resources such as design time, as well as outsourced services such as printing and photography.]

Integrated with

[If this is for a campaign, it’s important to identify all of the elements or projects within the campaign – from websites to direct mail to trade show booth graphics.

It’s also important to note that if there are established brand guidelines or existing design standards, they should be attached to this brief.]

Project Deliverable

[What is the outcome of the work? One piece, several pieces? For print materials, this could include a statement of quantity. Include a description of what the expected outcome of the project is.]

Concept (1)

[Feel free to include more than 2 concepts in any given creative brief. This section can be the first stage of what will become brainstorming sessions for the creative team.]

Concept (2)

[For each concept, try to include theme, possible headlines, graphics or photo ideas – or anything to help the creative team better understand what you want.]