Reading the brief

I often hear people from client servicing say what's the point in writing a brief when creative people don't read them? To which I say creative people don't read briefs because we people rarely writes briefs. Most of the time what Client Servicing does is compile briefs. Okay, let's assume for a moment that creative people don't have the decency to read a good brief and instead spend their time thinking up ideas that are way off-brief. Here's how you can use the creative instinct to serve the needs of the brand:

a. Don't, always, give written briefs.

b. Think of more interesting ways to communicate the brief.

c. Try experiential briefing.

d. Work with the creative team when you're trying to come up with the brief.

e. Ask the creative team to write the brief.

f. Think of other ways in which you can make the creative team part of the briefing process.

One more thing: Stop thinking of only 'creative' as creative and 'client servicing' as not creative. Gone are the days when you could get by in a career without being creative. We're in a time and age when everyone must to find a way to be creative. Just don't be 'creative' for the sake of being creative.