Marketing brief: template and checklist for faster, better campaigns

Why a strong marketing brief saves time and budget

Rushed or vague briefs lead to rework, slow approvals, and confused creative. A strong brief gives teams a shared target, clear constraints, and the context to make good decisions without constant check ins. It is the single most powerful lever to improve speed and results for founder led and mid market teams.

This guide gives you a one page template and a checklist you can run with internal teams and agencies. It pairs well with your quarterly roadmap and operating rhythm so work flows smoothly from prioritisation to delivery.

When to write a brief

• New campaigns or launches that require creative or media planning.
• Major creative refreshes or message shifts.
• Website or landing page projects that affect conversion.
• Always on channels when you change audience, message, or offer.

For upstream planning, see marketing roadmap: quarterly planning template and examples and priority selection in how to decide your marketing priorities.

Marketing brief template

1. Background and problem. One short paragraph that explains the business context and the problem to solve.


2. Objective and KPI. One primary objective for this work and the single KPI that will decide success.


3. Audience and insight. ICP or segments, the buying job to be done, and one human insight that shapes the message.


4. Single minded message and proof. The one thing we want people to take away and the evidence that makes it credible.


5. Offer and call to action. What we want people to do next and what they get.


6. Channels and formats. Where this will run and the required assets, sizes, and durations.


7. Budget and timeline. Working budget, constraints, milestones, and decision windows.


8. Deliverables and owners. Exactly what will be produced and who owns each item.


9. Measurement plan. Data sources, attribution approach, and how we will review outcomes.


10. Approvals and risks. Who signs off at each stage and known risks or dependencies.

For measurement principles and examples, explore Think with Google on measurement and practical reporting tips from HubSpot. Industry effectiveness discussion is covered by Marketing Week.

Checklist before you share the brief

• Objective is singular and tied to a business outcome.
• KPI definition is specific with target and timeframe.
• Audience is concrete with at least one insight or pain point.
• Message is one sentence with proof that we can show.
• Offer and CTA are clear and feasible for the team to deliver.
• Channels match the goal and audience, not habit.
• Budget covers media, production, and measurement needs.
• Timeline has realistic review windows and final ship dates.
• Deliverables list is complete and mapped to owners.
• Measurement plan states the data sources and attribution method.
• Approval path fits the risk level and named approvers are available.

How to get faster approvals

Share the brief 24 hours before a live review. Capture decisions in the document. Set decision windows, for example midweek reviews for creative and Friday sign offs for media. Keep comments inside the document to avoid context loss. If risk is low, empower channel owners to approve within the window.

For decision rules, see marketing governance for small teams and run the cadence from build a simple marketing operating rhythm.

Creative guidance that improves performance

• Lead with the problem and show the product in context. Proof beats promises.
• One message per asset. Remove anything that does not support it.
• Design for sound off and fast hooks in video.
• Use consistent brand cues so recall builds across formats.
• Match landing pages to the ad intent and headline.

For channel selection, use marketing channels: choose the right mix for your stage.

Post campaign review questions

• Did we hit the KPI and why.
• What drove performance across message, format, audience, and timing.
• What will we keep, change, or stop next time.
• What did we learn that affects the roadmap or budget split.

Feed these into your monthly review and scorecard. See build a marketing scorecard.

Common briefing mistakes to avoid

• Multiple objectives in one brief. Pick one and commit.
• Audience described as everyone. Be specific or creative will generalise.
• Vague message with no proof. Show what makes it true.
• Unclear approvers. Work stalls and timelines slip.
• No measurement plan. Hard to learn and hard to defend budget.

Final checklist

• One page brief completed and shared.
• Live review scheduled with the right people.
• Decision windows set for approvals.
• Creative and landing pages planned together.
• Measurement and post campaign review in the calendar.

Related guides

Anchor your brief in strategy with one page marketing strategy, slot it into your quarterly marketing roadmap, and keep the rhythm strong with build a simple marketing operating rhythm. External references include Think with Google on measurement, HubSpot’s campaign brief guidance, and coverage from Marketing Week.