Inspiring Others

What is the role of a creative brief?  The answer to this question really depends on who you ask.  Clients will likely answer by describing a brief as direction to how the creative should be executed, a document that establishes contractual boundaries, a glimpse into what will be produced.  Account people may provide a similar answer, but with the knowledge that such a perspective doesn't really jive with the people who actually produce the work.  It's logical to the linear thinker and to those in charge of making sure work is completed that a brief would detail, in succinct snippets, the parameters of a project.  Without tangible direction, ideas may, wait for it, wait...for...it..., be all over the place.  And let's face it, projects have deadlines, and briefs facilitate timely project completion.

But creative briefs (emphasis on creative) do more than document project parameters; at least in an ideal world they do.  A good brief should also itself be creative.  It should inspire creative thought, catalyze smart thinking, set the appropriate tone and manner, provide an intimate look into the appropriate audiences, be more than a list of "to-dos." 

When writing a creative brief it is important to follow the old adage, "know thy audience."  In the case of briefs, the audience is ultimately the creative team.  It seems that part of the reason so many creatives complain about briefs is not necessarily because it reminds them there is work to do, but because they are not really written with the creative team in mind...or for that matter the "creative mind" itself.  Account service personnel often find it difficult to communicate, or at least relate to creatives.  This disconnect becomes evident in the briefs they write.

So how can we adequately inspire creatives so they find value in our efforts?  Here's a presentation that includes Tara Hunt's perspective. 

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What ideas presented by Tara Hunt do you find useful?  What would you add, if anything to her presentation?  How can her suggestions be applied to creative brief writing, if at all?

Comments

[Jill Hurst]

I think Tara Hunt’s presentation is very applicable to what we are learning in class right now. I would describe myself as an easily inspired person, and I know what it takes to get me motivated. My catalysts for inspiration are images, words, and colors. I try to keep these things around me in order to create good work. However, I think it is important to learn what inspires others as well, particularly the people I will work with. I want to work in account services, and therefore, it will be my responsibility to inspire the creatives in order to produce the best work. Tara’s presentation described ways to inspire and encourage, which is essential to me. Tara’s point about cultivating an environment conducive to creativity really struck a chord with me. Creativity cannot flourish in a severe, square environment.

The only thing I think was missing from Tara’s presentation is how to appeal to each individual innovator type. This is important for me, because I need to learn how to connect with each type of creativity.

The “Conditions for Creativity” section of the presentation is beneficial when writing a creative brief. Encouragement, different perspectives, and experimentation are all things we can keep in mind when writing a creative brief, ultimately helping us “sell” to the creatives. If a brief is flat and boring, how will the creatives be stimulated to create something significant?

[Chris Stadler]

I always knew how cool it was to be a creative, I just wondered why we got to do all the fun stuff while the other departments didn't. I remember going to offsites that had nothing to do with business (we'd go to a Mt. Hood lodge for the day and have lunch, never talking about business).

But it was really businessy, too. We'd get together for our quarterly creative meeting and the VP of marketing would just shoot everything down that didn't work in her eyes. Then she wondered why there were long periods of silence. She didn't realize that, often, really good ideas would come from the ones she shot down. Too bad. Plus, she should have commissioned a Starbucks run after lunch, right before people started to crash out.

Also, the part about focusing on solving the problem: excellent. I'm not sure if I'm a creative or a planner, now that I think about it. I love to solve client problems. That's how I write copy: I focus on the problem and get inspired by the solution. Then good copy just kind of writes itself. But if the planner isn't clear about what the problem is, the audience and all that other crapola, writing copy is an emotionally/mentally/physically exhausting waste of time.

The other thing is kinda of like the idea-killing attitude in meetings. I'd go with ideas, and I'd just be told they weren't realistic – no matter how low the barriers to execution were. This was discouraging because it told me that I'd have a ton of obstacles. And for what? To benefit the very person who'd eventually get all the credit for an idea that I pushed through? I don't think so.

To put these practices to work on a creative brief just means giving permission to the creatives to try new stuff. It's giving them credit for being creative and a key part of the solution. It's letting them know that you're trying to make them successful – maybe help them win awards. You know what motivates them. And I think that's key: knowing what motivates them makes it easier for them to give the client and audience what they need.

[Victoria Stephens]

Tara Hunt had a nice creative touch. A creative for creatives, by a creative?

I would delete the movies embedded in the slideshow because they never loaded on my machine and stopped the entire presentation.

I think her suggestions to consider your audience and be creative are givens for what to do to communicate with the team.

[Ashley Hildreth]

Tara Hunt’s presentation on “Un-Managing: Unleashing the Creative Beast in Your Team,” is a motivating guide for account planners. The concept she conveys is one that most creative teams would greatly appreciate. The concept of “un-managing” for an account planner is a bit shocking. Account planners are supposed to be the professional, sophisticated, level-headed, on-track mediators. Tara Hunt suggests to loosen up! Ultimately, the final product is produced by the creative team, so, if the account planner wants it to be good or great, he/she is going to have to relate to the creatives intimately. Account planners should put themselves in check, making sure they are on the same plane as the creatives.

The creative brief (crafted by the account planner) is the device that translates the client's wants and needs to the creatives. The creative brief should be crafted to unleash the beast inside the creatives, as Tara Hunt implies. Account planners should evoke curiosity, pose challenge, encourage openness, capture interest, present optimism and provoke thought through the creative brief.

Tara Hunt’s philosophy on account planning is very good. As far as her presentation… the organization of each key topic could have been a bit more congruent. And, the concept of “un-managing” is good, but I think the concept could use a more fitting title.