Template

Creative brief meeting template

Before any creative work starts: agree who it is for, the one thing it must make them think or do, the evidence behind it, and what done looks like.

45 minutesFor The client or marketing lead, and the creative team who will do the workAgenda room
Change the agenda first

The agenda, with a time for each part

  1. The problem the work must solve7 min
    • Why are we making this, and why now?
  2. Who it is for8 min
    • Who exactly, and what do they believe today?
  3. The one thing10 min
    • After seeing it, what should they think, feel or do?
  4. Why they should believe it8 min
    • What proof do we have?
  5. Must-haves, limits and dates7 min
    • What has to be included, what is off limits, and when is it due?
  6. How we will judge it5 min
    • How will we know it worked?

How the notes read afterwards

A made-up example, so you can see the shape. In a real call each line carries the words that were said and who said them.

Problem. Small clinics think we are too complex for them.

Audience. Clinic managers running 3 to 10 staff on paper rotas.

One thing. You can be set up before lunch.

Proof. Average setup time 47 minutes across 400 clinics.

Judge. Trial sign-ups from small clinics, and clicks on the setup video.

Running it well

Ways to change it

Written firstThe client writes the brief; the meeting is for questions.
Quick jobFifteen minutes: audience, the one thing, deadline.

When to skip it. Never for a new campaign; for a small change to existing work, a short message will do.

Questions

What is a creative brief?

A short document that sets out what a piece of creative work must achieve: the problem, the audience, the single message, the proof, requirements and how success will be judged.

What should a creative brief include?

Background and objective, target audience, key message, supporting evidence, tone, must-haves, limits, budget, deadline and how results will be measured.

Who writes the creative brief?

Usually the client or marketing lead, often with a strategist, before the creative team starts.

What happens in the room

Everybody joins from the link, with no account. The agenda sits beside the call and each item fills in with what was said about it, under the name of the person who said it.

More templates

Campaign kickoffLaunch a marketing campaign with everyone on the same page: the goal and the number, who it is for, the channels and dates, who makes what, and how you will know it is working.Campaign retrospectiveAfter a campaign ends: what it achieved against the goal, what worked, what did not, and what to repeat or change next time — with the numbers in front of everyone.Scope change meetingThe client wants something beyond what was agreed: work out exactly what is new, what it costs in time and money, and decide — together, and in writing — whether to add it.Project closeout meetingAt the end of a project: confirm everything was delivered, hand over what the client needs to carry on, settle what is outstanding, and agree what both sides learned.Client offboarding meetingWhen a client leaves: hand back their data and access cleanly, understand honestly why they are leaving, and part on good terms — they may come back, and they will talk.Sales discovery callLearn how they work today, what they have tried, and what a good outcome is — before pitching anything.Client check-inWhat changed, how it is going against the goals you agreed, and what is next.Quarterly business review (QBR)Once a quarter with a customer: what they got for their money, what did not work, and what the next quarter is for.

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