Marketing Campaign Brief Template — Mohamad Charafeddine

Why write a brief?

A brief is a short document everyone agrees on before work starts: the decision-maker, the writer, the designer and whoever runs the ads. Without it, each person works from their own understanding, revisions pile up, deadlines slip, and the campaign ends with nobody sure whether it worked. A good brief is not long; it is clear enough to answer the team's questions before they ask them.

A simple test: if a designer or writer reads the brief without calling you, can they start work and know when their work is "good"? If not, the brief is incomplete.

How to fill it in: the ten fields

Business problem: what is happening in the business that calls for a campaign? Write it in business language, not marketing language: "morning bookings at the club are below capacity" is clearer than "we want more awareness".
Objective and success measure: what result is needed, what number tells us it happened, and by when? Name where the number comes from (booking system, orders, form).
Audience: who exactly are we talking to? What do they need, what stops them buying or signing up today, and what do they already know about us?
Offer: what are we offering in this campaign specifically: the product or service, price, terms and duration? If there is no special offer, write what makes the regular service worth trying now.
Channels: where will we appear and why? Owned channels (accounts, website, mailing list, WhatsApp), paid (social ads, search ads) and direct (partnerships, events, referrals).
Message: the single idea the audience should remember, with at most three supporting points and proof for each. Add what the messaging must avoid.
Creative needs: a list of every asset: type, size, language, number of versions, who produces it and when. This list prevents last-minute surprises.
Tracking: how will we measure? The measurement tool, tagged links, how to identify the source of phone or WhatsApp orders, and who collects the numbers and when.
Responsibilities: each task has one person responsible, one reviewer and one approver. "The team is responsible" means, in practice, nobody is.
Dates and approvals: the date of each stage, who approves what, and how many days approval takes. Build revision time into the schedule instead of assuming there will be none.

Finish with a constraints and budget box: the amount available and its initial split, what is off-limits (colours, phrases, claims), and any legal or platform requirements.

Blank template

Marketing campaign brief

Campaign name: [ ]
Decision-maker: [ ]          Brief author: [ ]          Date: [ ]

1) Business problem
[What is happening in the business that calls for this campaign? Two or three sentences]

2) Objective and success measure
- Result needed: [ ]
- Number that means success: [ ]          Within: [ ]
- Source of the number: [ ]
- Supporting indicators (not success on their own): [ ]

3) Audience
- Who they are: [ ]
- Their need: [ ]
- What stops them today: [ ]
- What they already know about us: [ ]

4) Offer
- What we offer: [ ]          Price and terms: [ ]          Duration: [ ]

5) Channels
- Owned: [ ]
- Paid: [ ]
- Direct / partnerships: [ ]
- Why each channel: [ ]

6) Message
- The single idea: [ ]
- Supporting points and proof: [1] [2] [3]
- Tone: [ ]
- What to avoid: [ ]

7) Creative needs
| Asset | Size/length | Language | Versions | Producer | Due |
| [ ]   | [ ]         | [ ]      | [ ]      | [ ]      | [ ] |

8) Tracking
- Measurement tool: [ ]
- Tagged links: [ ]
- Source of offline orders: [ ]
- Who collects numbers and when: [ ]

9) Responsibilities
| Task | Responsible | Reviewer | Approver |
| [ ]  | [ ]         | [ ]      | [ ]      |

10) Dates and approvals
- First drafts due: [ ]
- Revision round: [ ]
- Final approval: [ ]          Approved by: [ ]
- Launch: [ ]          First review: [ ]          Campaign end: [ ]

Constraints and budget
- Total budget and initial split: [ ]
- Off-limits: [ ]
- Legal or platform requirements: [ ]

Brief approved by: [name / date]

Complete example

Illustrative example

Campaign name: "Stronger Mornings" — "Al Mada Sports Club" in Tripoli (an invented club; all names and numbers are illustrative).

Decision-maker: the club manager. Brief author: the marketing lead.

1. Business problem: women's morning classes (9 to 11 a.m.) run at less than half capacity, while evening classes are full. The trainers are available in the mornings and the studio is empty.

2. Objective and success measure: 40 new morning-class memberships within six weeks of launch, according to the front-desk membership system. Supporting indicators: trial-class bookings, and the share of trial attendees who then join.

3. Audience: women in the neighbourhoods near the club who have time in the morning (mothers after the school run, women working evening shifts, retirees). Need: regular activity at a convenient time, close by. Barriers: thinking the classes are only for experienced members, and hesitating to commit before trying. What they know: many know the club by name but not that it runs women's morning classes.

4. Offer: a free trial class, then a monthly morning-class membership at the regular price, with the option to freeze it for a week during school holidays. Duration: six weeks.

5. Channels: owned: the club's Instagram account, and a WhatsApp message to current members asking them to invite a friend. Paid: social ads within three kilometres of the club, optimised for trial bookings. Direct: a poster at two nearby schools, with their administrations' permission. Why: the audience is very local, and a friend's invitation eases hesitation.

6. Message: the single idea: "An hour for you after the school run." Supporting points: (1) classes for every level, proven by a video of a trainer showing how exercises are adapted for beginners; (2) close by at a convenient time, shown with a map and a clear timetable; (3) try before you commit, backed by the free trial. Tone: warm and encouraging. Avoid: promises of weight loss or specific physical results, and before-and-after images.

7. Creative needs:

Asset	Size or length	Versions	Producer	Due
Trainer video	Vertical, 30 seconds	1 + a 15-second cut	Freelance videographer	Day 7
Ad designs	Square and vertical	3 angles	Designer	Day 8
Booking page	One page on the site	1	Website lead	Day 9
WhatsApp message to members	Short text	1	Marketing lead	Day 9
School poster	A3	1	Designer	Day 10

8. Tracking: the platform's measurement tool on the booking page, recording a "trial booked" event. Tagged links for each channel. A code on the poster ("school") mentioned when booking. The receptionist records at sign-up: did she attend a trial, and how did she hear about the club? The marketing lead compiles numbers every Monday.

9. Responsibilities: ads: marketing lead (responsible), manager (approver). Content: designer and videographer (responsible), marketing lead (reviewer). Trial classes: head trainer (responsible). Source logging: reception (responsible).

10. Dates and approvals: drafts on day 8, one revision round until day 10, manager's approval on day 11 (needs one day), launch on day 12, first review on day 19, campaign ends six weeks after launch.

Constraints and budget: $400 ad budget over six weeks, re-split after the first review. No photos of members without written consent. Follow platform policies on health and fitness advertising.

Common mistakes

Mistake: an objective like "more awareness" or "more sales" with no number or timeframe. Fix: write the number, the period and where the number comes from.
Mistake: describing the audience as "everyone". Fix: choose a specific group and write down its need and its barriers.
Mistake: a message carrying five ideas. Fix: one idea, at most three supporting points, each with proof.
Mistake: forgetting the asset list until the ads manager asks for it on launch day. Fix: an asset list with size, count, producer and due date.
Mistake: no named approver, so feedback arrives from five people after launch. Fix: one name for final approval, with a set turnaround.
Mistake: thinking about tracking after the campaign is live. Fix: tracking is part of the brief and is tested before launch.

Brief completion checklist

The business problem is written in business language, not marketing language.
The objective has a number, a timeframe and a source.
The audience is defined by need and barriers.
The offer is clear, with price, terms and duration.
Every channel has a written reason.
The message is one idea with supporting points, their proof, and what to avoid.
The asset list is complete with sizes, counts, producers and dates.
The tracking method is set and the person collecting numbers is named.
Each task has one responsible person, a reviewer and an approver.
The schedule includes revision time and a first-review date.
Budget and constraints are written down.
The decision-maker approved the brief in writing before production starts.