Thursday, March 19, 2020

The Best Way to Write a Creative Brief (Includes Templates)

The Best Way to Write a Creative Brief (Includes Templates) Marketing projects can sometimes be a challenge to get off the ground. Everyone has a different vision for what the campaign should be, what the creative will look like and what the objectives are. Not doing your prep work on the front-end can mean you might go too far down the wrong path, which means†¦ Wasted time†¦ Lost money†¦ And disgruntled clients. So what’s a marketer to do? Create a clear creative brief before the work begins, of course. If this leaves you scratching your head, have no fear. You’ll find everything you need in this post, including how to create an effective creative brief, nine examples to model after, and free templates to get your project off the ground. Three Creative Brief Templates + Your Projects = Success Start off by downloading our free creative brief templates. This kit includes three different templates you can use to write effective creative briefs the easy way (in Word, Excel, and Powerpoint format). Grab ’em free below. Then, keep reading to learn how to use them effectively.Why You Need a Creative Brief A creative brief helps clarify expectations between your team and the project’s stakeholders. Not having one increases the likelihood of missed deadlines and means a heck of a lot more time wasted on making sure everyone is on the right track. The creative brief serves as the documentation for the project’s objectives and how you’re going to achieve success- the â€Å"what† and â€Å"how†, essentially. Marketing teams need to focus carefully on ROI to prove our worth. Creativity is often overlooked in this equation. As evidenced by the thrown together creative briefs copied and pasted from old campaigns. Doesn’t it seem odd that you’re willing to spending a bunch of money on a project, but not spend more than 5 minutes making sure your project is set up for success? Reason 1: Define the Scope and Help Avoid Scope-creep The creative brief says a lot about what the project is, but it also provides insight into what the project isn’t. For example, let’s say your creative brief outlines a project to redesign your website’s blog.   The scope of this project is clear- you’re not setting out to re-design any other area of the site. This avoids what we call scope-creep. Scope-creep can be compared to the â€Å"might as-wells†. â€Å"If we’re redesigning the blog, we ‘might as-well’ redesign the about us pages, too.† This can be especially difficult if your project is on behalf of a client. You, as the Project Manager, need to make hard decisions about whether you need to adjust the cost and risk the client getting upset, or eat the cost and hurt your profitability. Your creative brief can help you avoid this conundrum. Collaborating with your client or team at the beginning helps prevent misunderstandings about deliverables and gives you a document to reference if scope-creep arises. Reason 2: Clarify the Project’s Timeline Most projects have a definitive delivery date, so it’s a good idea to include a timeline in your creative brief. Marketing teams juggle multiple projects at once, which means it can be a challenge for individuals to manage everything on their plate. It’s important for Marketing Managers to value their team member’s opinions regarding realistic timelines and workloads. Gain input while formulating the creative brief or use something like ’s Team Management Dashboard to make sure timelines are realistic. Use ’s Team Management Dashboard to Set Realistic Timelines There’s nothing more frustrating as a Marketing Manager than (unsuccessfully) trying to stay on top of what everyone on your team is working on. Our Team Management Dashboard replaces lengthy meetings and email chains required to chase down updates. Use the dashboard when outlining your creative brief to visualize realistic timelines based on everyone’s *actual* workload. Need to re-prioritize? No Sweat. Simply reshuffle workloads with the drag and drop functionality. Everyone will be able to see their updated tasks in real-time. Sayonara, spreadsheets. What Can the Team Management Dashboard Do For Your Team? What to see how the Team Management Dashboard can get your team organized and never miss a deadline? Schedule a demo with our team to find out more. Reason 3: Mitigate Confusion and Answer Questions Have you ever been pulled into a project and felt confused about the who, what, where, when, and why? Or maybe those questions have lingered in your mind throughout the duration of the project? (Let’s be honest, we’ve all been a part of a marketing project that has felt a little half-baked.) The process of writing the creative brief itself helps you work through strategic questions that may otherwise go unanswered. Likewise, everyone involved in the project will have a clear idea of what’s going on and can understand the project’s reason for existence. Which makes your job as the de facto Project Manager a lot easier. Questions about timeline? Check out the creative brief. Questions about target audience? Creative brief. Questions about process? You guessed it... creative brief. BOOM. You’ve just saved some time by not having to re-answer the same questions over and over again. Elements of a Great Creative Brief Creative briefs can vary slightly in what they actually contain. Some opt for more information; others are more condensed. Here’s a running list of items you may consider including in your brief. Project Summary Describe the project in one or two sentences. Boil it down to the basics. This gives everyone who might come into the project (at any point in time) a high-level understanding of what the project is. It also makes it easier to iterate on the project down the road. â€Å"E-commerce research project intended to attract small business owners wanting to launch their own e-shop.† Target audience Outline who you’re trying to reach with the campaign. This can be simply a certain user persona or it can be a demographic outline. This is important as it gives the project member an idea of who they’re talking to/ designing for. â€Å"Small business owners and ‘makers’ that are currently selling on Etsy, farmer’s markets, etc.† Problem What problem is the project trying to solve? Why do you need to do *this* project? This narrows down why the project exists and why the company needs to do this particular project. â€Å"{Insert company name} is finding it difficult to convince designers, makers, small business owners etc. of the benefits of creating their own webshops rather than selling via Etsy. This report will provide {the company} with original data to use throughout the year and will highlight the benefits of setting up an e-commerce site.† Goal   Why are we doing this project? Make sure your goals are measurable and avoid setting too many. Stick to your one metric that matters. â€Å"The primary goal is to increase interest in using {company platform} as the go-to e-commerce platform. This will help position {company name}   as the best solution for setting up an e-commerce website. We will create a comprehensive research report that aims to convert 5,000 new paid users by the end of 2019.† KPI How will success be measured? This sets the stage for how you will know if your project was successful or not. It also helps you understand if the project should be repeated. â€Å"This report will be measured based on the number of new accounts generated from gated downloads.† Process What are the general steps we must follow to finish the project? This is a good outline that can become a task template once the project kicks off. It also is a good way for each team member to visualize where they fit into the project. Write survey questions Distribute survey Analyze data Write content for the report Design PDF Prepare promotion strategy Measure Individuals/Teams Involved Who do you need to get this project done? This serves as a reminder to everyone that they need to be involved in order for the project to get off the ground. â€Å"PR, Graphic Design, Social Media, Analytics, Content Marketing, Email Marketing† Timeline What is the due date for this project? Every project needs to have a start and end date†¦ they can’t drag on in perpetuity. This makes it easier for people to plan their workloads and get things finished on time. â€Å"End of Q2 2019† Budget How much can you spend on this project? This can either be a client’s budget or internal resources that are dedicated. You can also think of this in terms of hours devoted to this project. $25,000 How to Write a Great Creative Brief Aside from including the right information, there are a couple things you should also think about when compiling a creative brief. Be Specific You want your creative brief to clear enough that anyone can understand the project. A vague creative brief will often produce results that fall far short of expectations. When a creative brief misses the necessary specifics, significant revisions often arise which makes for a frustrating process for all involved. Set S.M.A.R.T Goals Setting S.M.A.R.T goals help put your project on the fast track to success. An example of a S.M.A.R.T goal might be: â€Å"We will create a comprehensive research report that aims to convert 5,000 new paid users by the end of 2019.† The goal is specific by identifying that you want to help drive new paid users. It’s measurable because your team will be able to tell if you hit your 5,000 increase paid users or not. It’s attainable based on previous benchmarking for similar campaigns. The task is relevant because it’s contributing to the company’s bottom line. Finally, the task has a time limit to see if the project was successful or not. The Operative Word is Brief The creative brief is exactly what it says†¦ brief. It doesn’t need everything and the kitchen sink. Offer an abridged summary that can be easily digested. It shouldn’t be TL;DR. You don’t need to link to a dozen planning spreadsheets, email chains, and related documents.   Chances are those supporting documents won’t even be looked at, so don’t waste your time.

Monday, March 2, 2020

How to Manage Multiple Clients In ONE Place With CoSchedule [Live Demo] - CoSchedule Blog

How to Manage Multiple Clients In ONE Place With [Live Demo] Blog Managing multiple clients can sometimes be very strenuous.. we totally get it. Each client wants to use their own tools. Some are in Google Sheets others are using tools that you have never heard of before. That has all changed. Now you can easily use to manage all your clients  in one place and keep your agency workin like a well-oiled marketing machine! Watch This: Learn How To Manage Multiple Clients In ONE Place With With for Agencies, you can: Manage all your clients in ONE place.  Eliminate the need for spreadsheets, email threads, and multiple platforms! Get all your clients under one roof. Make it easy for you, your clients, AND your team to collaborate, manage projects, and get everything done. Simplify your team’s workflows and collaboration.  With custom integrations, team member approvals, and streamlined communication, you can easily facilitate real time collaboration with your clients, stay on track with project tasks, and execute on projects  faster. Customize to fit your needs.  is designed for flexibility. And as your clientele grows, so should your calendar. With three tiers of multi-calendar plans, makes it easy to scale your plan to fit your client’s unique needs! Improve client retention with data-driven results.  No more warm fuzzies. Prove the value of all your hard work with real data! Utilize ’s most advanced analytics to measure your success and improve client retention.

Saturday, February 15, 2020

The Passion of the Christ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Passion of the Christ - Essay Example There are various characters that make a huge impact on the development of the plot and the overall message of the film; first is Jesus who is introduced as a representation of righteousness, holiness and sacrifice throughout the film, second is Peter, a loyal disciple who fights for Jesus at Gethsemane but later betrays him due to the fear of death. Another character is Judas who is a representation of betrayal; he was a disciple of Jesus but he betrayed him to the Chief Priest and the Pharisees for thirty pieces of silver. Another prominent character is John, the disciple, Mary the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, both who stood by Jesus through the whole process of capture and crucifixion, a show of unconditional love. Pontius Pilate, Herod Caiaphas and the chief priests are represented as figures of authority with Pilate and Herod representing political authority and Caiaphas representing the Jewish religion, which is depicted as loathing Jesus for blasphemy (The Passion of th e Christ, 2004). Other characters who assist in developing the theme of the movie are Simon of Cyrene who carries Jesus’ cross, Veronica, the woman who wipes Jesus’ face with her cloth on the road to Calvary, the Roman soldiers that depict the system as being crude and violent towards criminals, and the veiled woman who represents Satan (death) – she appears every time death is imminent. Pilate’s wife is also a key character who influences Pilate’s decision, and she later offers Mary and Mary Magdalene a piece of cloth to wipe Jesus blood from the place where he is chastised. Throughout the film, we see betrayal, redemption, hatred, violence and absolute submission; however, some of the most evident aspects of eucharistic are those of love, hope, faith, and forgiveness.

Sunday, February 2, 2020

The Impact of Westward Expansion during Jefferson's Presidency on Essay

The Impact of Westward Expansion during Jefferson's Presidency on Native Americans, African Americans, and on American - Essay Example The greatest achievement of Jefferson in his first term as president was the purchase of the Louisiana Territory in 1803 from France. The Louisiana Purchase was one of the leading land deals in history. The United States paid approximately $ 15 million dollars in 1803 for over 828, 000 square miles of land2. This act served as the main achievement in the period of Jefferson’s presidency (The Jefferson Monticello 6). The westward expansion of the land had several impacts on the Native Americans, the African Americans and the Americans as a whole. The Louisiana Purchase Thomas Jefferson purchased a large piece land from France that was referred to as the Louisiana Purchase. The land consisted of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska, some parts of Minnesota to the south of Mississippi River, sections of Montana, Northern Texas, Kansas, Wyoming, and Louisiana on the either sides of River Mississippi as well as the city of New Orleans. There are several areas that are also in cluded in the land Purchase. Before Jefferson purchased the land, United States had only thirteen states. The purchase of this piece of land almost doubled the size of the United States. There are various reasons why President Jefferson purchased land. The main reason was because the New Orleans was the main port for trade. The port was mainly used to store the export items and was also used for importing the goods coming from the other countries. However, the nation was under a constant threat of having the port taken away for trading purposes. For that reason therefore, President Jefferson thought that it would be wise and best for the country if he purchased it3. The plans of President Jefferson depended on the western expansion and access to the markets for the American products, especially the farm products. Due to the expansion, the new American settlements on the west of the Appalachian Mountain mainly depended on river transport in order to get their goods to the market beca use the overland trade to the east was very costly and impractical (The Jefferson Monticello 4). The impacts of westward expansion Baldwin asserts that even though the westward expansion was of vital importance, it also affected the Native Americans, African Americans, and the entire American society differently (41). America did not have New Orleans in 1800 which acted as the major factor to the economy of Mississippi valley as a whole. Most parts of North America were controlled by the European powers, Spain, France, England and Russia4. Another reason why Jefferson agreed with the Napoleon’s offer of selling Louisiana was to ensure that the United States of America dominated power in the northern part of the continent. The expansion had several impacts on the people. For instance, it caused difficulties in transportation, lowered economic level, increased racism and in the process; wars took place leading to destruction of property and loss of life. All individuals includi ng the Native Americans, the African Americans and the American society as a whole experienced the impacts of the expansion. In general, all Americans were affected during the westward expansion. The effects of the westward expansion on Native Americans The Native Americans experienced various impacts due to westward expansion. For instance, social instability as most parents could not control their children because they thought they were big enough to be independent. They therefore left their families

Saturday, January 25, 2020

The Murder of Harvey Groves in A Jury Case :: Jury Case Essays

The murder of Harvey Groves in A Jury Case The idea, you understand, is that two men have crept up to the lonely little mountain house in the late afternoon, George Small creeping ahead with the heavily loaded shot-gun in his hands, really being driven forward by Cal Long, creeping at his heels, a man, Luther explains, simply too strong for him, and that, at the fatal moment, when they faced Harvey Groves, and I presume had to shoot or be shot, and George weakened, Cal Long just touched George on the shoulder. The touch, you see, according to Luther's notion, was a command It said, "Shoot!" and George's body stiffened, and he shot. (4) In this passage, the narrator reports--based on Luther's account--what he thinks happened the night George and Cal went to Harvey's house to get revenge on George in Sherwood Anderson's "A Jury Case." At first glance, the reader can easily believe this somewhat interesting, plausible scenario. However, if we analyze the details and "known" facts in the events surrounding the killing of Harvey Groves, we realize that this passage constitutes a "loose" interpretation grounded in a misconception of George. Put simply, there is evidence to suggest that Luther fabricates this scenario to showcase his storytelling abilities. First, let's examine the facts of this "case." But what, you might wonder, qualifies as a provable fact? For this story, we will assume that any claim made by the narrator that could be backed up by an eye-witness is true. Thus, we know that when Cal enters George's house the night of the murder, George's wife, also in the house, observes them as they drink whiskey. She sees George swell into anger and break two chairs. She also views George as he grabs his shotgun and heads off to Harvey's with Cal. Consequently, in the next few days, she, an eyewitness to the events in her home, goes around, "telling every one that her husband and Cal Long were going to kill someone" (5). Moreover, we know that Harvey Groves is in fact murdered--since his body is found by someone--however, we don't know much about the occurrence of his murder since no outside witness observes the murder--unless, of course, the observer is involved in the murder. The Murder of Harvey Groves in A Jury Case :: Jury Case Essays The murder of Harvey Groves in A Jury Case The idea, you understand, is that two men have crept up to the lonely little mountain house in the late afternoon, George Small creeping ahead with the heavily loaded shot-gun in his hands, really being driven forward by Cal Long, creeping at his heels, a man, Luther explains, simply too strong for him, and that, at the fatal moment, when they faced Harvey Groves, and I presume had to shoot or be shot, and George weakened, Cal Long just touched George on the shoulder. The touch, you see, according to Luther's notion, was a command It said, "Shoot!" and George's body stiffened, and he shot. (4) In this passage, the narrator reports--based on Luther's account--what he thinks happened the night George and Cal went to Harvey's house to get revenge on George in Sherwood Anderson's "A Jury Case." At first glance, the reader can easily believe this somewhat interesting, plausible scenario. However, if we analyze the details and "known" facts in the events surrounding the killing of Harvey Groves, we realize that this passage constitutes a "loose" interpretation grounded in a misconception of George. Put simply, there is evidence to suggest that Luther fabricates this scenario to showcase his storytelling abilities. First, let's examine the facts of this "case." But what, you might wonder, qualifies as a provable fact? For this story, we will assume that any claim made by the narrator that could be backed up by an eye-witness is true. Thus, we know that when Cal enters George's house the night of the murder, George's wife, also in the house, observes them as they drink whiskey. She sees George swell into anger and break two chairs. She also views George as he grabs his shotgun and heads off to Harvey's with Cal. Consequently, in the next few days, she, an eyewitness to the events in her home, goes around, "telling every one that her husband and Cal Long were going to kill someone" (5). Moreover, we know that Harvey Groves is in fact murdered--since his body is found by someone--however, we don't know much about the occurrence of his murder since no outside witness observes the murder--unless, of course, the observer is involved in the murder.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Forest Life Changes the Characters in As you like it, do you agree? Essay

In Shakespeare’s As you like it, we find the characters attempting to escape the court. What they specifically are escaping from are the ‘briars’ of the ‘working day world’. The imagery of briar bushes specifically enacts a form of entanglement; that the world of the court is entrapping and the people in it are reflected as such. What is ‘comely envenoms him that bears it’, highlighting a reverse polarisation of morality, that what is good is a hindrance in the world of the court. This is paralleled by what Touchstone (who represents the court as a jester, whom were always in the service of the court) says; ‘The sweetest nut hath the sourest rind’. Indeed, the usurper is viewed as the rightful ruler of the court whereas the rightful ruler is branded an outlaw. So the characters escape to the forest in order to cleanse themselves of ‘th’infected world’ (Playing upon the previous mention of ‘envenoms’ as a form of physical affliction that requires cathartic release). One can argue that the characters do respond to the forest, and their characters change as such. One particularly significant example is how Shakespeare constructs the forest as a place of alternative knowledge; Duke Senior finds that the ‘winds are his councillors’ and that the ‘trees shall be my (his) books’, that they find ‘sermons in stones’. This highlights the homiletic edification that occurs when one engages with nature, and indeed, this is paralleled by the discourse expressed between Rosalind and Celia in Act I, where they comment on how fortune (A product of the court) and nature (Of the forest) are at odds with one another; ‘Fortune reigns in gifts of the world/not in the lineaments of natu re’. The escapism of the forest is further expressed when the gentlemen become ‘merry men’ and ‘brothers in exile’ highlighting how they are able to ‘fleet time as they did in the golden age’, with the ‘merry men’ alluding exclusively to the notion of ‘Robin hood’, who represents an active rebellion against the court, suggesting an underlying romanticisation of what it is to be an outlaw. Indeed, defying social norms appears to be what the forest epitomises, and as such, Rosalind even changes all perception of her by becoming ‘Ganymede’, she essentially dresses up to become someone different. Finally, we find the two main ‘villains’ of the story; Duke Frederick and Oliver have a very quick change of heart from the forest, which in both cases turn out to be spectacular examples of Deus Ex Machina, both being equally contrived but portrayed as legitimately woven into the story. So in that sense, the forest is a healing force. However, there is an argument for the opposite; that the forest is exactly the same as the court and no significant change occurs. One of the biggest examples of this lies in the speech of Lord 1 regarding the murder of a deer. The deer are portrayed as ‘native burghers’ in their own ‘desert city’, who retreat ‘from the hunters aim’ into a ‘sequestered’ ‘languish’. Jaques remarks then about how the foresters are the ‘mere usurpers’ who ‘kill them up/in their assign’d and native dwelling place’. This is particularly significant because a parallel is drawn between the deer and the foresters, the deer is escaping usurpation in much the same way the foresters are, this is further enhanced by the fact that the deer has a ‘leathern coat’, a deliberate wording by Shakespeare to highlight the parallels it has with its human usurpers. This usurpation is shown elsewhere in the book, R osalind who buys the shepherds ‘passion’ (Livelihood) because it is ‘much upon her fashion’, suggesting a transitory or arbitrary desire, devoid of consideration for the fact that the shepherd derives his survival from his flock. Indeed, she wishes to ‘waste her time’ here, rather than use it for any meaningful purpose. Other aspects of the court are also filtered into the forest to enact a distinct lack of change. The notion of the ‘merry men’ and ‘brothers in exile’ is immediately undermined by the fact that the duke is referred to as ‘your grace’, implying that the hierarchy of society is still in place, despite their attempts to gloss over it. Indeed, the very nature of them dressing up as foresters when they are in fact ‘gentlemen’ enacts the nature of the ‘painted pomp’ that is alluded to when referring to the court. The word ‘pompous’ implies a level of self-importance and unnecessary grandiose, which is ever present in the forest; ‘to blow on whom I please’ (IE, to do as I wish). Conventionally in the pastoral, the return to ‘reality’ (In this instance, the court) is forced due to the ephemeral nature of Arcadia. However, at the end of the play here, we find that the characters easily cast off their ‘disguises’ as if they had never left, willingly returning to the court, signifying that there must have been little difference between the two worlds, and emphasising the fact that the court has been a constant throughout the play. One of the most famous quotes of the play, ‘All the world is a stage’ is particularly significant here also. Throughout the story, the ‘motley coat’ (Emblematic of the fool) has been alluded to, and it represents the ‘players’ and by extension, the audience as a whole. If we are all ‘players’ as in a play, with ‘their exists and entrances/and many parts’, then we are all fundamentally acting like the foresters all the time, we all are part of the same outcome. Indeed, at the very end, we all are ‘sans teeth, sans taste, sans everything’, emphasising the fact we all end up subjected to time and age, no better for our experiences in life. This is particularly ironic of course, because earlier on in the story, the forest is described as having ‘no clock’, but it is infact time that undoes all as expressed in this passage, enacting the futility of escape and the absence of any change in outcome fro m action. Finally, we have the ephemeral nature of the escape for the audience. As alluded to in the preceding paragraph, the audience are ‘players’ and actors in the play to, but do they change? At the very end, within the epilogue, Rosalind breaks the fourth wall, essentially undermining the experience of the play, returning the audience from the ‘forest’ (The imaginative space of the play) to the ‘court’ (Reality). She directly remarks upon the fact that it is a play, that it is a constructed narration and further commends it to be watched by the friends of the audience (Cementing the notion of ‘realism’ in the fact that the play is a commercial enterprise at heart, not a creative escape).

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights - 3323 Words

With the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the concept of human rights has gradually become one of the most commonly accepted universal norms, referred to in United Nations resolutions, national constitutions and regional and international treaties. Even so, human rights violations occur on an almost daily basis in countries around the world. The term seems to be at the forefront of contemporary political discourses, with its meaning at most times remaining unclear. In theory, human rights serve the sole purpose of protecting the inherent dignity of all representatives of the human family (UDHR 1948) However, there is much disagreement when it comes to theoretically justifying that each human being has rights by virtue†¦show more content†¦This will then serve as a basis for my main argument that human rights are socially constructed and do not exist outside of the realm of politics. This will then feed into the second part of the question where I shall discu ss the prioritisation of community values over an alleged universal foundation. Structure The first part of the essay will concern itself with a more genealogical approach by looking at early philosophical origins of human rights and how these evolved over the years. With this I seek to outline the fact that while efforts to institutionalise human rights were initially a reaction towards global injustice and oppression, in contemporary politics they are used to create power relations, and implicitly, inequality. This will provide a good basis for the second part in which I will look at the incompatibilities within the theory- religion versus Rawls consensus based theory. Analysing the multitude of frameworks with their different ways of approaching and grounding rights underlines and reinforces the fact that there can t be a universal foundation for human rights. The third part will deal with the fact that trying to ground rights into one universal foundation creates an exclusion of those who are different and how we can seek to move away from this problem. Natural Law and Natural Rights The origin of the modern rights discourse is that of natural law dating back to antiquity. Plato was one of the first advocates for a universal