MarketingLokam resource
Creative brief working document
- Client
- Service or project
- Prepared by
- Date
Context
Explain the business situation, why the work is needed, and what has already happened.
- Business, product, service, or campaign background
- Problem or opportunity that triggered the request
- Relevant prior work, research, performance context, or client decisions
Objective
State the one job this creative work must do for the business or audience.
- Primary communication objective
- Desired audience response or next action
- Measure and evidence source the client plans to review
Audience
Describe the priority audience in terms the creative team can use.
- Primary audience and important secondary audience
- Current belief, need, barrier, or behaviour
- Relevant language, context, accessibility, or cultural considerations
Single-minded message
Write the one idea the audience should understand or remember after seeing the work.
- Single sentence message
- Supporting reasons, proof, or product facts supplied by the client
- Intended tone without relying on vague adjectives alone
Deliverables
List the actual outputs, quantities, sizes, languages, and file formats.
- Deliverable name and quantity
- Dimensions, duration, format, language, and accessibility needs
- Versioning, adaptation, source file, and handoff requirements
Channels
Name where each deliverable will appear and the conditions that affect it.
- Owned, paid, earned, retail, event, or internal channel
- Placement, device, platform, or production specification
- Landing destination and surrounding customer journey
Mandatory elements
Record what every relevant version must contain before review.
- Logo, product, offer, call to action, URL, or contact details
- Approved claims, disclaimers, legal copy, and compliance checks
- Brand, accessibility, platform, and production requirements
References
Attach examples and explain what the team should learn from each one.
- Relevant brand or campaign work and why it is useful
- Visual, writing, interaction, or production references
- Client-provided research, source material, and approved assets
Exclusions
Make out-of-scope directions visible before they become revision feedback.
- Messages, visual territories, claims, words, or formats to avoid
- Competitor conventions the client does not want to follow
- Deliverables, audiences, channels, and production work outside scope
Timeline
Map the real decision and production dates, not only the final launch date.
- Brief approval and production start
- Internal review, client review, revision, and final approval dates
- Production handoff, trafficking, publication, or launch date
Stakeholders
Name each contributor and reviewer with a specific role in the work.
- Client sponsor, subject expert, day-to-day reviewer, and compliance reviewer
- Agency account, strategy, creative, copy, design, and production owners
- External production, media, development, or channel partners
Decision owner
Identify the one person who resolves conflicting feedback and approves the direction.
- Decision owner's name, role, and contact details
- Authority delegated to reviewers and decisions reserved for the owner
- Backup owner and escalation path if the response date is missed
Approval criteria
Define the questions the decision owner will use to accept the work.
- Work addresses the stated objective and priority audience
- Single-minded message is clear and supported by approved facts
- Deliverables meet mandatory, brand, legal, accessibility, and channel requirements
- Final feedback is consolidated, actionable, and within the agreed scope
- Decision, approved version, owner, and date are recorded