In today's fast-moving marketing world, a clear and precise flow of communication between companies and agencies is crucial. An effective tool for ensuring this communication is the agency brief. But what exactly is an agency brief, who creates it, and why is it so important? In this blog post, we answer these and other questions about the topic of agency briefing.
What is an agency briefing?
An agency brief is a detailed document that summarizes all relevant information, requirements and objectives of a project or campaign. It serves as the basis for collaboration between a company and an agency and ensures that both parties have a common understanding of the goals to be achieved and the approach and background.
Who writes the briefing and for whom exactly?
An agency briefing is usually prepared by the client, i.e. a company employee, and sent to the commissioned agency. The company's marketing or communications team is often responsible for preparing the briefing. However, it is important that the briefing is created in close cooperation with all relevant departments and stakeholders to ensure that all perspectives and requirements are taken into account.
What are the reasons for agency briefings?
All occasions in which agencies are commissioned benefit from a thorough briefing. Agency briefings are required in various situations, for example:
New campaigns: When developing marketing or advertising campaigns.
Product launches: introduction of new products or services.
Rebranding: redesign of the brand identity.
Events: Planning and implementation of events.
Media strategies: development of media plans and strategies.
What is an agency briefing for?
An agency briefing usually serves several important purposes:
Create clarity for both sides: It ensures that the agency understands exactly what is expected of it. It usually also helps the company to work out what exactly is wanted or expected.
Increase efficiency: By providing all necessary information in advance, misunderstandings and unnecessary inquiries can be avoided.
Save and focus resources: Good preparation helps to save time and money by ensuring that the agency can work in a targeted manner. Extra correction loops are reduced.
Maximize success: A detailed brief increases the likelihood that the end result will meet the company's expectations and goals.
What should be included in an agency briefing?
A complete agency brief should include the following elements:
Project overview: A short summary description of the project or campaign.
Initial situation: A description of the current situation of the company and the background of the action or campaign.
Goals: Clear and measurable goals that are to be achieved. It is important to get feedback from the agency. Are the goals realistic and can they be achieved with the planned budget?
Target group: Detailed information about the target group. The best thing is to have concrete "personas" that help the agency to target the campaign.
Message: The central message that is to be conveyed, unless the development of the message is part of the assignment.
Budget: Information on the available or planned budget and its distribution.
Schedule: Important milestones and deadlines. What needs to be done by when and why?
Competitive analysis: Information about the competition. How is the competition positioned?
Brand guidelines: Guidelines for maintaining brand identity. There is often a corporate design guide, a document that specifies logos, colors, fonts and regulates their use.
Success indicators: Criteria for measuring the success of the campaign or action. When can we speak of a successful campaign? When is this checked, at the end (eg after the event) or during the campaign? Is there a need for follow-up control or adjustment?
Contact persons: Who are the responsible contact persons in the company and how can they be reached.
It is important that the agency carries out a re-briefing before the actual agency work begins. This means that the agency explains how it understood the briefing, the goals and the tasks based on the agency briefing. The client can then check whether he or she has understood the briefing correctly. Misunderstandings are thus uncovered and eliminated before the actual work begins.
What benefit does an agency briefing have for the client and for the agency?
Ultimately, the briefing always helps both sides, for the client it creates:
Transparency: The customer has the certainty that the agency has all relevant information.
Structure: The agency briefing structures and organizes a variety of information in one document.
Control: A detailed briefing allows the client to better monitor the agency's progress and results and identify deviations.
Effectiveness: The likelihood that the customer's goals and expectations will be met increases.
For the agency, the agency briefing offers:
Clear guidelines: The agency receives important background information and clear instructions and knows exactly what is expected.
Time savings: By having as much important information as possible, fewer queries are required, meaning the agency can work more efficiently and is ready to start more quickly.
Chances of success: A good briefing increases the chances of successful implementation and customer satisfaction.
Conclusion: Why should you take the time to do an agency briefing?
Creating an agency briefing may seem time-consuming at first, but it is a worthwhile investment. A well-prepared briefing lays the foundation for successful collaboration and can make a significant contribution to the success of a campaign. It helps to avoid misunderstandings, save resources and ensure that everyone involved is working towards the same goal. It also helps to avoid critical situations or even arguments in the collaboration between agency and client.
A carefully prepared agency brief is invaluable to the success of marketing campaigns and activities. It ensures that both the company and the agency are on the same page regarding the starting point, goals, expectations and requirements. By providing clear and comprehensive information, the brief can help to implement projects more efficiently and successfully, ultimately leading to better results and greater satisfaction for all involved. Invest the necessary time and effort into preparing an agency brief - it will pay off.
Author:
Dr. Frank Lampe, independent online marketing consultant, author, lecturer and long-time marketing executive for B2B technology companies and startups.
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