I’m talking about the instructions or guidance that you give to a supplier for a piece of creative work. For example:

• A photographer – for images for your website, brochure or your office space
• A graphic designer – for your corporate branding or marketing materials
• A software developer – for the creation of your website or mobile app
• A printer – for the printing of your marketing materials

A brief doesn’t need to be a formal or long piece of documentation, but it should include as much information relating to the project so that they can help you more effectively:

• Your Objective – what are you looking to achieve from this piece of work? Is it part of a larger campaign, for an exhibition, a one-off promotion, it is a sales tool or something else?
• Who is the Target Audience – the type of customer / prospective customer or stakeholder (B2B or B2C, the age, geographic, language)
• How will it be used – a leaflet produced for a mass direct marketing campaign will be created and printed differently than a brochure for a corporate business
• Timescales – this helps the supplier manage their schedules to ensure the project is completed on time – especially important if you have a launch, exhibition or event where the date is fixed

We haven’t even got to the content yet – you should consider:

• The basics – the key messages and of course the company details especially the contact information
• Product / Service – what are you promoting? What are the key benefits and why should they buy from you

It is always useful too to provide information of likes and dislikes including:

• Colours
• Style
• Marketing materials and websites

A detailed brief will help the supplier understand your needs and (hopefully) will produce results that you are looking for at the first draft. This will not only speed the process up but will also eliminate disappointment, lengthier schedules and potentially costly mistakes.