Ideas to help you nail your comms brief

I’m usually on the receiving end of creative briefs which can range from non-existent to ‘can you make this go viral?’

So, when I was hiring a videographer recently for some video case studies, I knew I wanted to be as helpful as possible.

Here are a few things I included in the project brief to help things run as smoothly as possible:

1. The all-important context

I outlined key messages, tone of voice and the context behind our work, and the particular project being filmed, and (importantly) how I wanted the video to do that justice – including what I wanted the audience to think and feel.

→ You need the why to capture the right what. This gave our videographer the exact story angles to look out for, so she could work her magic and capture the best visuals and voices to showcase it. No mean feat when you’re talking about heat pumps 🙃

2. Get your facts straight

If you’re translating, provide glossaries, key terms, and previous translations. If you’re creating from scratch, include numbers, stats and facts that can serve as ‘hooks’.

→ The most time-consuming part of any project is the research behind it – the more relevant information we can have to hand, the quicker we can get to the juicy part (and the less time you spend answering our MANY questions!)

3. Be flexible

I am not a video expert, that’s why I was paying someone else to do the job 1000x better than I ever could. So, when it comes to the technical part, why would I try and tell them what to do? I see the brief as a talking point, not a set of instructions.

→ I provided some ideas to help gauge pricing, but ultimately I let the experts steer me in the right direction, coming up with ideas for vox pops, individual Reels and final video length – they know best!

4. Bonus for video: making sure everyone is on the same page

If you have ever been on camera, you’ll know even the coolest of characters can fall apart once you start rolling. I wrote individual guides for each specific person we planned to interview and sent them ahead of time. This included open-ended questions for them to think about.

→ Scripted answers make most people sound robotic – and you will almost ALWAYS get something ‘wrong’. Can you say: ‘take 157’. Providing a guide, rather than a script, helped steer the interviews naturally, capturing authentic quotes for stress-free filming.

The good news is, video or not, points 1, 2 and 3 can apply to most creative projects.

Whether you’re transcreating a headline or writing a blog post, context and flexibility can go a long way.

Is there anything you would add?

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Hi I'm Amy 👋 I help purpose-led organisations communicate clearly across languages and cultures.

I work best:

→ In the cultural, energy and charity sectors

→ Turning complex ideas into accessible content

→ Telling an impactful story

If you are starting a communications campaign or translation project, but you're not sure where to start, drop me a message and we can shape the brief together!