how to create a killer creative brief with wild alchemy

Killer Briefs OverviewMilwaukee AdWorkers

02 2017

Lynette XandersCEO | Chief Strategist, Wild Alchemy

Wild Alchemy is a momentum company: infusing companies and

individuals with insights and inspiration to create

something amazing ℠.

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Creative Research + Brand Strategies+ Cultural Recalibration + Creative Momentum

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clients | brands

agency clients

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80% of my clients’ problems

[culture, sales, brand fragmentation, etc.]

can be resolved with a killer brief.

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Why? Because it generates greater efficiency and effectiveness through

alignment, leads tobetter work through clarity and inspiration, and allows teams to

have more fun in the process by reducing drag.

Specifically:

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Saving creative resourcesReducing circular conversations

Establishing accountabilityIgniting strategic thought-

startersStreamlining decision making

Selling in work

WIIFM?

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YOU will always have a job.

Some agencies make 40% of their revenues on the thinking.

It’s All About HOW

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It’s a good idea that doesn’t tend to pan out in reality

because it’s a ‘throw away task’.

(Note: if clients were right, they wouldn’t need agencies).

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“We never seem to have enough time to

do it right, but we always seem to have

time to do it over.”~Global agency head

Briefs are NOT a:job order

set of instructionsclient wish list

record of how much you knowpacket of data

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Briefs ARE:

the first creative ideaareas of heat/places to playa springboard for ideation

inspirational > informationalboth creative + brief

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What do we want to have happen? How will we know when we get there?

Why will they care? What do we do for them? Say about them?

What do they need to believe to act and what are we asking them to do?

What are the tools at our disposal?

Whatisonoffer? Whatistheproductorcategory?Whatareour‘unitsofsale’?

Whatistheassignment? Whatarewebuilding?Whatistheoutput/deliverable?

Whyarewedoingit? Whatdowewanttohavehappen(that’smeasurable)?

Whoarewetalkingto? Whoareourcul@stsandlowhangingfruitintermsof theirsharedbehaviorsandaAtudes?Nodemos.

Whatdotheycurrentlythink Whatdotheybelieve(thatdrivestheirbehavior)?(thathelpsorhurtsus)?

Whatdotheyneedtothink? Whatdotheyneedtobelievetoact(aswewish)?

What�sistheONEthing In7words,whatisa(loaded)sloganfortheidea?weneedtotellthem? (Whatdowedoforthem?Sayaboutthem?Whatwillmo@vatethem?)

Whyshouldtheybelieveus? Factualoranecdotal,whatsupportdowehave?

Whatarewereallyselling? Whatisthemagne@cvirtue?

Whatisourpersonality? 3wordsthatdefineouraAtude+andaposterchild

Whatisonoffer?

Whatistheassignment?

Whyarewedoingit?

Whoarewetalkingto?

Whatdotheycurrentlythink (thathelpsorhurtsus)?

Whatdotheyneedtothink?

What�sistheONEthing weneedtotellthem?

Whyshouldtheybelieveus?

Whatarewereallyselling?

Whatisourpersonality?

DON’T

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Make the background more than 3 lines.

“This piece is aimed at a broad audience of both consumer and business users, as well as analysts, tech bloggers and

influencers.” or “Best Buy”

3 projects within one brief with 3 different targets

Main message: “n/a”

“Make it cool.” Proof: show product.

Back and forth Q&A with others still in the brief.

‘Make it stand out from the competition’ but no competitive review provided.

DO

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Simplify the complicated and make people fall in love.

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YOUR BRAND

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SAFETY

REBELLION

FREEDOM

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Create A Mother Brief

Music Mobile Phones Space TravelAirplanes

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Write longhand. Yes, really.

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Put words to it.

It’s in industry of taste. What’s your philosophy of what makes

work great?

Nice Place. Endearing.

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Remember the Creative Team is Your Audience.

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Seek to Inspire, not Just Inform.

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State of Being

Thinking Writing

Defrag

Revolutionisoftena10degreeshift.

Collaborating

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Think Like A Poet

Romance it. Tell me why people love/trust/count on it. Use juicy words that touch

hearts, not heads.

Be Clear about the Deliverable.

(Consider others but outline the output we’re on the hook to deliver.)

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Define the problem the output will solve.

The magic can be in the WHY we want it

(“We want a brand book to help educate the influx of new salespeople on what we

offer the day they start.”)

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Do NOT Include More Than 3 Lines of (Pertinent) Background.

Leave it for the briefing if needed. Focus your energy on places to

play/ways to solve.

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Avoid Client-Speak + Jargon.

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Define Success.

What can we measure that we care about and can affect with this piece? (Make sure it lines up with the ask).

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Don’t Lump Them in a Job or Lump Them Together.

“Best Buy” (Buyer? Name?)

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Paint a Picture (and make them likeable).

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80/20

Follow the Money and the Love.

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LIONS

HORSES

DOGS

FOCUS HERE

SEEK COMMON THREADS

Find the Point of Stain

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Definethemomentwhenyourproductorservicebecomesmoreimportantthanany

other.

Seek the common threads (mindset v demos).

“Making one ad.”

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Use Loaded Language.

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Think in Benefits.

It’s about them, not about us.(but we mirror each other in

terms of what we want, what we love, what we think is cool).

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“The difference between the right word and almost the right word is the same as the

difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

Mark Twain

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Go for goosebumps.

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Think in Benefits.

It’s about them, not about us.(but we mirror each other in

terms of what we want, what we love, what we think is cool).

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BELIEF BEHAVIOR

Psychology of Human Behavior

A belief will always precede (drive) a behavior.

Don’t skip over the voice.

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Use examples.

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MoreThis LessThat

Treat everything as if it’s vital.

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Make it hang together.

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Cut away everything that is not a lion.

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Make Sure it Passes My Tests:

ElevatorMom

Cringe

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The Briefing is Where the Magic Happens

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Do not expect music to play.

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There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it is going to be a butterfly.

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Angel | Devil | Judge

‘Plus it’ or shut it.

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FEEDBACK

Reduce Meetings

Increase Conversations

Talk About Creative That’s Not ‘Our’ Creative (Bowling)

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CULTURE OF BRIEFS

Inspire yourself.

Make time to think (create wiggle.)

Write juicy words down that deliver goosebumps.

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RECAP

WHAT I BELIEVEGuessing is expensive.

Guessing without a brief is lunacy.

If you follow the love, the money and the ideal, you won’t go far wrong.

Team cohesion is as critical as brand strategy. Brand strategy can create cohesion.

Our job is to make people fall in love.

It has to be about what’s in it for them.

Consumer insights, culture, brand and expressions are inextricably intertwined.

People will tell you exactly what you need to do to be successful.

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How to Write a Killer Brief

A practical guide to writing delicious, thoughtful briefs (and coming up with the insights and ideas to get

the party started).

$25.

Https://www.wildalchemy.com/goodies

Momentum Book

An exercise-filled workbook to Feng Shuiyour life – redesigning elements that drive or drain your energy (and

creativity).

$45.

(because it’s printed in the States, people).

https://www.wildalchemy.com/goodies

MOMENTUM LYNETTE XANDERS

wildalchemy.com20 67 55 68 00