A long brief produces worse videos than a short one. The more lines you write, the more the creator performs and the less they sound like a person talking about a product.

The seven lines of a usable brief

Brief sectionWhat to write
1. The product and what it doesIn one sentence, the way a customer would say it.
2. Who buys itA real profile, not a thirty word fictional persona.
3. The problem it solvesIf there is none, there is no video either.
4. One or two points that must be saidNot eight.
5. What cannot be saidLegal constraints, banned claims, comparisons to avoid.
6. FormatLength, vertical, subtitles, with or without a face.
7. DeliveryDate, number of variants, revisions included.

The accent question almost nobody puts in writing

If the video will only run in Argentina, the local accent adds closeness. If it will run in Mexico, Colombia or Spain, ask for neutral Spanish and avoid local slang. It is the decision that most determines whether the material can be reused, and yet almost no brief mentions it, which means it surfaces only at delivery.

What to leave open

The words. If you write the script line by line, you get someone reading, which is exactly the video people skip. Give the argument, not the phrasing.

The instruction that ruins a video

"Make it feel natural but follow our brand tone." Those two do not coexist. Choose: either it is brand material, and it is advertising, or it is UGC, and it sounds like a person.

Keep reading

Find creators for your brief →

Frequently asked questions

How long should a brief be?

One page at most.

Should the accent be specified?

Yes, it decides whether the video works abroad.

Should I write the script?

No, only the key points.

How many revisions should I plan?

One or two, written into the brief.