Working in an agency has taught me the true value of a good brief. A good brief points you in the right direction, it makes it clear what is expected and it also highlights any limitations. In the best cases, it is also accompanied by a visual identity guide and approved content!
But how can this get the client a better price for their marketing communication materials?
First and foremost it drastically cuts down the amount of studio time required.If we know the direction we’re heading in, we’re going to get there quicker – and cutting studio time down is always going to be kind to your marketing budget!
As a good brief also clarifies what is required, we’re able to establish immediately what is required in terms of production. If you only want 500 copies of an eight page brochure, we won’t produce scary quotes for a huge tome of a brochure running into thousands of copies.
A well produced brief also lays out an expectation of the level of creativity. Unless we know otherwise, we’ll presume you want something with an element of creative design. If your brief makes it clear a document only needs typesetting, we won’t allocate our senior creative to the job… making sure you only pay for the experience the job requires.
And lastly. A good brief ensures that you know all your costs up front. If we only find out about the picture purchase, illustration or gloss lamination required after we’ve provided our quote, we’ve got no choice but to requote.
So as you can see, although it sounds strange… the better the brief, the better the price!
