Name: Essentials for Briefing Effective Marketing
Start: 2026-06-09T9:00am - 4:00pm+12:00
Location: Marketing Association

How to write and deliver inspiring briefs for remarkable ideas that work

Briefing is a core skill for any marketing practitioner, yet how many of us feel confident to do it consistently well?

The Marketing Association recognises that empowering marketers at all levels to master the art of the brief is essential to our role in helping marketers be brilliant.

What to expect

Make it clear

“Creativity thrives on clarity”

Anchoring to clear, measurable outcomes for your organisation (setting business objectives)
Specifying the necessary audience behaviour to achieve those outcomes (setting behaviour objectives)
Defining the target audience and their core motivation
Defining intended message outtake - know the difference between an ask, a proposition, an RTB, USP, and UBR
Specifying and framing the budget
Specifying and framing mandatory inclusions

Make it concise

“Give me the freedom of a tight brief”

The role of the brief document, and why it’s a ‘brief’ not a ‘long’
Strategy is all about sacrifice - how to decide what’s in and out of scope

Make it compelling

“Good briefs make great work inevitable”

The role of insight for briefs and where to look for it
When and how to brief market research to feed into your brief
Recognising a good brief
The art of running an inspiring briefing session
How to use the brief when assessing creative concepts

You'll Learn How To

Define clear, measurable objectives

Anchor your brief in meaningful business outcomes and the specific behaviour change needed to achieve them.

Structure information into a clear, concise brief

Learn how to organise your thinking into a focused document that guides rather than overwhelms.

Identify what really matters (and what doesn't)

Make confident decisions about what to include, what to leave out, and how to prioritise effectively.

Develop more compelling and inspiring briefs

Use insight and focus to create briefs that inspire stronger ideas and better creative work.

Use a practical framework and template you can reuse

Apply a proven briefing structure that you can take back and use in your organisation.

Facilitator, Carl Sarney

Group Strategy Director, Publicis Groupe ANZ

Carl is a Group Strategy Director at Publicis working across media, brand and CX strategy. With over 20 years experience in the marketing and advertising industries, his work is recognised with a Grand Effie and several Best Strategic Thinking Effies.

Professionally Certified Core Skills Marketer

The core competencies needed for today's marketing professionals. This certification is aimed at developing practical marketing skills that help you in your day to day role and be industry ready for your marketing career.

Professionally Certified Digital Marketer

Digital is an essential part of the job for marketers – and it’s critical to keep up with the latest trends and technologies in the field. Ensure you're up to speed with a Professional Certification in Digital Marketing.

Professionally Certified Strategic Marketer

Strategic thinking underpins every effective marketing campaign. Without it, marketing is just guesswork. Build your understanding of strategy and long-term planning with workshops from the r programme.

Essentials for Briefing Effective Marketing

How to write and deliver inspiring briefs for remarkable ideas that work

Pricing