Description
The purpose of the Before-the-Brief Framework is to help organize your early conversations and thoughts regarding a potential marketing initiative. The framework includes a set of fundamental questions that need to be answered before you can responsibly start a project. For this reason, I often refer to this framework with clients and stakeholders ‘before the brief’, to ensure that we have a shared understanding of the big picture before getting into the weeds. I mentally visualize this framework during these initial conversations, rather than printing or sharing the document. Establishing clear answers to these questions early – filling the frame – can help you move into the subsequent briefing phase with greater clarity and confidence.
Questions
The Before-the-Brief Framework helps to answer marketing questions like:
Why is an investment in marketing required in the first place?
What does success look like for this potential marketing initiative?
What factors do we need to keep in mind when developing a solution?
Steps
Start by trying to understand the underlying Mission, and the reason why marketing may be required. Do not assume that marketing is the best or only way to achieve this Mission and make change happen.
Try to get a clear sense of the gap that needs to be closed, between Start and Finish. Discuss the scope of what needs to happen to achieve the Mission, and what success ultimately looks like.
Explore the main factors that will act as Barriers or Boosters for your marketing initiative. These may be internal or external factors, some of which you may not be able to control. Best to know them now.
Discuss other Constraints that need to be considered when developing the marketing plan. For example, are there high-level budgets, dates, milestones, dependencies, or risks to consider?
Finally, allow space to discuss any other items that a team creating a plan should know about. For example, ask the client or stakeholder ‘what have we not talked about, but should?’ Empty the tank.
Considerations
The goal is to facilitate a conversation, don’t expect clients or stakeholders to have all of the answers now
This framework can be used for intake discussions, to triage marketing requests before work is started
Do not confuse this framework for a proper marketing brief, more details are required to start work.