Why Most Marketing Briefs Fail (And How to Fix Them)

How a clear strategy saves time, money, and frustration when working with agencies

If you’ve ever felt underwhelmed by the creative or media work your agency delivers, you’re not alone. The Better Briefs Project found that 80% of marketers believe they write clear briefs, but only 10% of agencies agree. That disconnect leads to wasted budgets, frustrating back-and-forth, and underperforming campaigns.

The Problem: Too Many (or Vague) Objectives

Many marketing briefs lack focus, listing too many objectives or failing to define a clear audience and business outcome. Without a clear strategic foundation, creative teams and media planners are left guessing at what success looks like.

The Fix: Strategy Before Execution

Before briefing an agency, define your core marketing strategy first:
✅ Who is your target audience? (Be specific, not "everyone.")
✅ What is your positioning? (Why should they choose you?)
✅ What is the single most important goal of this campaign?

A strong strategy means fewer revisions, better creative, and a campaign that actually moves the needle. If you can’t summarize your brief in a clear, actionable, sentence, you’re not ready to brief an agency.

👉 Takeaway: The most successful marketing starts with clarity. Define your strategy before briefing your agency, and you’ll get better work, faster.