Brief Errors

We recently collected materials in a situational analysis. First of all, we were interested in companies from ratings, branding agencies and the St. Petersburg market. The task of the analysis is simple - to make a general impression of the market, assess the level of service and pricing. Unexpectedly for ourselves, we groped for another weak link, it turned out to be a brief. Moreover, it is strange, it would seem, already treatises are written about this questionnaire, but no, people still stumble, consider it a trifle, do not pay attention. And not only young companies. This is found in 40%. But the ability to ask the right questions and not to ask the stupid is a litmus test, so many companies admit to incompetence from the threshold.

What questions to ask the client is definitely not worth it:

Conventionally, such questions can be reduced to one phrase: “What is your favorite color?”,

That is, you can not ask questions, calculated on the identity of the recipient. Even if you really want and the power dictator. It is necessary to accustom ourselves to develop and present a product for the client's market, and not for ego and vanity.

One brief or system:

We decided that the system. Moreover, the choice should be between the complete rejection of the brief and the system. Let me explain: the entire target audience of our market can be divided into three parts:





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The first guys send the brief either themselves and here it’s just worth clarifying a number of questions, or asking to send them your brief (the same litmus). They treat the filling of the longrid normally, so feel free to throw them a questionnaire, BUT do not overload it. The task is to collect primary information and understand with whom you are dealing, and not to write TK at the expense of others.



The second group is extremely busy, they have no time, so we send a simple brief introductory character and that's it. Next, we work with the recorder. Come, put the phone and start asking the right questions. Naturally, not about color.



Third, a separate story, rare for us. We do not work with them, there is no experience, nothing to say.



If you work with certain niches, then the questions in the brief must be relevant. For example, in HoReCa, the question about the number of seats is extremely important, while in B2B this question makes no sense to ask.

The result of the system implementation:

For group "A": the primary information has become better, the overall level of work has increased.



In group “B”: the number of failures at the stage has significantly decreased, the waiting time for filling, too, we stopped responding to “stupid” questions by ceasing to ask them.



Add. advantage: this system helps when meeting with a crazy customer category "B". Often, such people do not start to the end and rush from project to project. They worked here, they worked there. If you suspect, throw them "difficult" brief and see the reaction. There is a vision of the project - we are working, there is no vision and the person is lost - we smile, wave, and make a multi-interest prepayment.

What questions should be included in a simple brief:

Questions introductory and clarifying nature. You need to understand what a person needs and from which company he is. It's enough. Next, the meeting and personal communication under the recorder. After digitizing the data and writing your short TZ. It works very well on the client, he is sure that he has been understood and trusts you completely.

What questions should be included in a complex brief:

Definitely all questions relating to positioning, goals and objectives, mission, USP, slices of the target audience (if any), description of the situation of consumption and consumer culture, acquisition algorithms and other issues. An experienced marketer (marketer) usually has his own brief and his own TC. But there are a number of extremely useful questions that are rarely found:



1. Describe the company's strengths and weaknesses:



2. Describe the stereotypes:



3. Factors affecting the decision making process when contacting:

"-" is mainly dominated by rational factors

"+" Is mainly dominated by emotional factors.





4. Estimate the level of consumer culture of the target audience:





5. Describe the situation of consumption, use of TM:



6. What could be the motivation for the consumer to appeal to your TM?



7. What can be obstacles for the consumer to appeal to your TM?



8. Segmentation by price range:





9. Do TM exist in your market for narrow consumer groups?

Summarize:

1. Do not ask stupid questions;

2. We send the brief for a certain Central Asia or refuse them altogether;

3. If we leave a complicated brief, we insert useful questions into it.



It's simple. Successful developments!