Start with one business problem
A marketing brief should explain what needs to change. More enquiries, clearer positioning and a product launch are different problems. Choose the primary outcome before discussing colours or formats. If several teams are involved, record who owns the final decision and which result matters most.
Describe the audience and the offer
Write down who you want to reach, what they already know and what could stop them taking action. Avoid describing the audience as everyone. Explain the offer in plain language: what is included, who it suits and what conditions apply. Distinguish an established fact from an assumption that needs checking.
Give the creative work a clear job
Set one main message and one next action, such as requesting a quote or viewing a service page. List the evidence available to support the message: approved product information, genuine customer feedback or original photographs. Do not ask a headline to promise a result that your evidence cannot support.
Plan deliverables and approvals
Specify destinations, dimensions, languages, deadlines and required versions. A website banner and a printed brochure have different requirements. Agree who supplies copy, photography and brand files, who approves the work and how revisions are handled. Allow time for production as well as design.
Measure the right outcome
Choose a measure connected to the goal. Enquiries can be assessed by relevance and source; a launch can be assessed by qualified visits and customer questions. Keep the brief available during review. Feedback becomes more useful when it explains whether the work serves the audience and action, rather than simply whether someone likes it.
Your brief checklist
Before commissioning work, confirm the objective, audience, offer, evidence, message, action, formats, ownership, budget range and timeline. ANSTM can help turn these inputs into a connected marketing and creative brief.
