What is a marketing brief and why do you need one?
A brief is a written assignment for a project. It tells the agency what you do, for whom, why, and what you expect from them. The more precise the brief, the more precise the result. Without a brief, you’re working on guesswork. And guesswork is expensive.
What does a good brief contain?
Basic information about the company and project
Who you are, what you do, and what you’re tackling right now. Don’t write the entire history of the company — just the essentials needed to understand the context.
Example: “We’re a developer of family homes in Brno, and this year we’re launching a new project with 40 residential units in Královo Pole.”
The project’s goal
What do you want to achieve? And how will we measure it? Be specific. “Raise brand awareness” isn’t a goal — it’s a wish. A goal is “generate 50 inquiries by the end of Q3” or “sell 20 units in pre-sale.”
Target audience
Who is your communication aimed at? The more specific the description, the better. Focus on age, lifestyle, what these people are dealing with, and what motivates them to buy. If you have data from previous campaigns or from your CRM, share it.
What should the message say?
One main idea. Just one. If you have five, pick the most important one — the audience will forget the others before the ad even reaches them.
Tone and visual style
How should the communication look and sound? Formal or friendly? Premium or accessible? If you have a brand manual, attach it. If you have examples of communication you like (even from other industries), share them.
Deliverables and formats
What exactly do you need? A website, banners, video, or social media? In what dimensions and formats? The more precisely you specify it, the more precise the quote will be.
Deadlines
When do you need the results? And are these deadlines fixed or approximate? A realistic deadline is essential — good work can’t be rushed.
Budget
This is the part most often left out. But without a budget, the agency doesn’t know whether it should be proposing a microsite for CZK 30,000 or a complex platform for CZK 500,000. If you don’t want to name an exact figure, at least give a range.
Marketing brief template
Copy it, fill it in, and send it:
- Company and project: (Who you are and what you’re tackling)
- Goal: (What you want to achieve and how we’ll measure it)
- Target audience: (Who your communication is aimed at: age, lifestyle, motivation)
- Core message: (One sentence the customer should understand or feel)
- Tone of communication: (Examples of communication you like or dislike)
- Deliverables: (What exactly you need and in what formats)
- Deadlines: (When you need the results)
- Budget: (A figure or a range)
How to submit the brief
A brief is the start of a dialogue. Send it to the agency in advance, then sit down over it together. A good agency will have questions — which is a great sign.
If you’re not sure how to write a brief or what to put in it, we’ll be glad to help. That’s exactly why, before every project, we hold a 90-minute Deep Dive meeting, where we go through everything essential together before the first concept is ever created.