A good brief fits on one page and answers five questions: what you are advertising, who it is for, what you want people to do, where the ad will appear and what must be in it. Give the designer those answers, your brand guidelines and the product images, and you will usually need fewer rounds of changes. This article is part of our Ecommerce branding: where to start guide.
Start with the goal
Say what the ad is for in one sentence. “Sell more” is too loose. “Get first-time visitors to look at the new autumn range” gives the designer something to design towards.
- Name one main action, such as shop now or sign up for an offer.
- If you have two goals, write two briefs. One ad rarely does both well.
- Say how you will judge it. Which number will you look at, and where?
Say who it is for
Describe the person the ad speaks to, using what you know from customer emails, reviews and questions. Include what they already know about you. An ad for someone who has never heard of your shop is different from one for a past customer.
Explain where the ad will run
The place decides the shape, the amount of text and the pace. Tell the designer which platforms and placements you plan to use, and whether the ad will be still, moving or generated from your product feed.
- Our static ad sizes and formats guide explains the common shapes.
- Mention any text limits you already know about. Each platform’s specifications change, so check them before you finalise the brief.
List what must be in the ad
- The product, offer or message, written exactly as you want it said.
- Any required wording, such as terms for an offer. Have any legal wording or claims checked by someone qualified.
- Your logo and the brand guidelines, including colours, fonts and image style.
- The call to action wording.
Say what to avoid
Designers waste time guessing at your taste. A short list helps.
- Competitor looks you do not want to resemble.
- Words, claims or images you never use.
- Anything you cannot back up. Do not ask for claims about results unless you can prove them.
Give them the right material
Send original product photos, not screenshots from your website. Include a few examples of ads you like, with a line on what you like about each. Be clear about what is open to change and what is fixed.
Agree how feedback will work
- Name one person who gives final feedback, so the designer is not pulled in different directions.
- Agree how many rounds are included, and what counts as a round.
- Give feedback as problems to solve (“the offer is hard to read on a phone”) rather than fixes (“make it bigger”).
A one-page brief template
- The goal, in one sentence.
- Who it is for.
- Where it will run, and in which sizes.
- The message, offer and call to action.
- Must-haves, and things to avoid.
- Supplied material and brand guidelines.
- Deadline, feedback contact and number of rounds.
From experience
Ads can look good and still say nothing. Strategy gives each one a clear intention: who it is for, what it should change and how we will know. In our experience, creative made with intention outperforms creative made to look impressive.
Where to get help
If you would like help working out what your ads should say and show before you brief anyone, our creative strategy service is the place to start.
Related services that often go with it:
- Static ad design, for the finished still adverts.
- Display ads, to plan where the ads will run.
- Google Ads, for the account the ads will run in.
