IPA - Best way for a client to brief an agency - How to write effective briefs

Sep 12, 2026

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A practical guide that helps clients write clear, strategic marketing briefs for agencies. It explains why briefs are the critical information bridge between marketer and agency, how poor briefs create confusion, shallow thinking and wasted budget, and why marketing strategy must be defined before any brief can be effective. The guide also outlines a shared understanding of what makes a “good brief” and how strategic clarity should come before tactics to improve creative outcomes and business results.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

The importance of briefs

Why briefs matter

Consequences of poor briefs

Marketing strategy shapes briefs

Strategy before tactics

Writing briefs

Purpose and structure

Briefing the brief

What a good brief enables

The best way for ac lıent to brief an agency Written by BetterBriefs and Mark Ritson in partnership with the IPA Contents The importance of briefs 4 Marketing strategy shapes briefs 8 Writing briefs 13 Briefing the brief 20 “A brief is not about writing, it’s about thinking” Dave Trott The purpose of this guide is to help clients write the best possible briefs for their agencies. It comes at a watershed moment. Marketers have more tools at their disposal than ever before to connect with people and to measure the effectiveness of what they do. Except none of this matters if the one thing that everything hinges on – the brief – isn’t clear, isn’t thought through and isn’t right. A brief is a roadmap for creative thinking. It is a critical juncture in the transfer of information from marketer to agency. It defines the desired outcome of a given activity and guides the task at hand. Briefs playa crucial role in steering the creative process, which is elusive and unpredictable by nature. Briefs written by marketers for their agencies should command attention and care. By its very definition, a brief is about giving an agency the right information so that it can come back with the best possible solution. Often however, what’s briefed lacks direction at best and is confusing at worst. So, the role of this guide is two-fold. Firstly, to provide a practical tool to help marketers write better briefs underpinned by rock-solid strategic thinking. And, secondly to create a shared understanding between marketers and agencies as to what constitutes a good brief (and briefing). Because ultimately, we all want the same thing: more impactful and effective work that delivers better business results. This guide is about putting the thinking back into the brief. 3 The importance of briefs There is a lot of pressure on marketers and agencies to create ideas that deliver a positive ROI. And briefs are one of the most important tools marketers have to create impactful and effective work1. However, the quality of the briefs brands sent to agencies leaves much to be desired; 4 in 5 agencies believe that marketers don’t understand what they need from briefs2. And with growing scrutiny on marketing budgets, poor quality briefs are putting brands in peril. 1 BetterBriefs Project global report 2021: 90% of marketers and 89% of creative agencies agree "It’s difficult to produce good creative work without a good marketing brief" 2 BetterBriefs Project global report 2021: 80% of creative agencies indicate their clients have a poor or limited understanding of what they need from a brief think they're good at writing briefs agree 5 Poor briefs don’t allow agencies to solve problems or seize opportunities identified by marketers. If briefs are unclear, then agencies can’t be sure what’s expected of them. At which point the second guessing begins. Good briefs guide creative thinking and act as a neutral reference point for assessing the work. Often, the root cause is marketers’ and agencies’inability to see eye-to-eye on what a good brief looks like. 80% of marketers think they’re good at writing briefs. Only 10% of agencies agree3. Unchallenged, poor briefs trigger a raft of negative consequences. They lead to confusion, shallow creative thinking and often mediocre ideas. Which in turn lead to unhappy clients, rounds and rounds of creative work, rebriefs, de-motivation and ultimately less effective work in-market. The BetterBriefs study found that one third of all marketing budgets4 are potentially wasted due to poor briefs and misdirected work. In its simplest form, a good client brief defines what a brand wantsan agency to do. It explains succinctly the need for a creative idea.. It summarises the need for advertising and the marketing strategy that’s in place. It clearly defines the boundaries for creative thinking, sets clear expectations and provides the essential information. A simple rule: if there isn’t a we

FAQs

Why is a marketing brief so important to client-agency collaboration?

A brief transfers essential information at a critical juncture, defining desired outcomes and guiding creative effort. It acts as a neutral reference point for assessing work.

What typically goes wrong with briefs, according to the guide?

Briefs are often unclear or confusing, leading agencies to second-guess expectations. This can cause shallow thinking, mediocre ideas, repeated rounds of work, and less effective results in-market.

How should clients approach marketing strategy when writing a brief?

Clients should ensure a well-defined marketing strategy is in place before drafting the brief. The guide emphasizes achieving strategic clarity first, rather than using the creative process to clarify strategy.

Sep 12, 2026

Upload by Rizky