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James Ashe, Managing Partner
Getting a Brief Shouldn’t Be Mission Impossible!
We used to love watching repeats of Mission Impossible when we were younger. At the start of each show, the stars would be briefed on their mission before the message would self-destruct in a matter of seconds.
The Mighty team are big fans of a well-thought-out brief, especially the non self-destructing ones! There is nothing like starting a PR, marketing or design job with a clear understanding of our client’s needs, aspirations and expectations.
But recently, it seems that the brief is facing extinction. In the last few months, we’ve met quite a few companies that wanted to undertake some form of marketing but hadn’t taken the time to put a brief together.
Some people might think that only small companies with limited staff numbers or without a developed approach to marketing might operate without a brief. But when you consider one of the companies we met is turning over tens of millions of pounds and started the meeting with, "So, over to you", it really is a worrying trend.
To us, a brief isn’t just there to aid the agency; it’s also there to focus and assist the client on deciding what is needed and why. Equally, when the project is complete, a brief gives the client the opportunity to evaluate the service received and to make sure what has been produced is in-line with the initial request.
Looking back at Mission Impossible, the self-destructing message was the perfect brief. It immediately set the parameters for the job to be undertaken, was straight to the point, laid out the targets and expectations, and gave a timeframe for the mission to be completed in.
So if the humble brief is good enough to fight industrial espionage, dent the actions of shadowy terrorist organisations and end wars before they even start, wouldn’t it be worth investing in one next time you want your marketing efforts to take over the world?
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