Short answer
A good branding brief fits on one page: what the company does and for whom, why you're doing this now, what you need delivered, who the brand must convince, your competitors, your deadline, a budget range and who decides. Send the same brief to every agency you talk to, so the quotes describe the same job and can be compared.
At a glance
About us
- What to write:
- What you do and for whom, in two sentences
- Example:
- We build scheduling software for dental clinics in the UK.
Why now
- What to write:
- What changed: a raise, a launch, new customers, a new market
- Example:
- We raise in March and our site still looks like the beta.
What we need
- What to write:
- The deliverables, as a list
- Example:
- Identity, guidelines and a six-page website.
Audience
- What to write:
- Who the brand must convince first
- Example:
- Practice managers at clinics with 5 to 20 chairs.
Competitors
- What to write:
- Three to five names, and how you differ
- Example:
- Three named rivals; we're the only one built for small clinics.
Likes and dislikes
- What to write:
- Brands you admire and why, and what to avoid
- Example:
- Calm and clinical, not playful.
Deadline
- What to write:
- The date and what depends on it
- Example:
- Live by 1 March, before investor meetings.
Budget
- What to write:
- A range, not a single number
- Example:
- $6K to $10K.
Decision
- What to write:
- Who signs off, and who gives feedback
- Example:
- Two founders sign off; the CTO gives input.
Why A Brief Matters
The same brief gets you comparable quotes.
Without a brief, each agency fills the gaps with its own assumptions. One quotes a logo, another a full brand with a website, and the numbers can't be compared. A one-page brief makes every proposal answer the same question.
It also shortens the first call. Instead of spending it explaining the business, you spend it on the questions that decide who to hire, which we list in questions to ask a branding agency.
The Template
Copy this into an email and fill it in.
Keep each line to one or two sentences. If a part takes a paragraph, you probably haven't decided it yet, and that's worth knowing before you hire anyone.
- About us: we [do what] for [whom].
- Why now: [the change that triggered this].
- What we need: [the deliverables, as a list].
- Audience: the brand must convince [who] first.
- Competitors: [names], and we differ by [how].
- Likes and dislikes: we like [brands] because [why]; avoid [what].
- Deadline: live by [date], because [what depends on it].
- Budget: [low] to [high].
- Decision: [who] signs off; [who] gives feedback.
Common Mistakes
What makes a brief hard to work from.
Most weak briefs describe taste instead of the problem. "Modern and clean" fits almost every company; "practice managers think we're too small to trust" tells the agency what the brand has to fix.
- Asking for "a logo" when you need a system your team can use.
- Leaving out the budget, so every quote is a guess.
- No deadline, or a deadline without the reason behind it.
- Five people giving feedback and nobody deciding.
- Describing the look you want instead of the problem to solve.
What Happens Next
A good agency answers with questions, then a proposal.
Expect questions back about your customers, your competitors and what's driving the deadline. Then a proposal that turns your brief into a written scope, a timeline with dates and a price. If it's longer than a few pages, ask which parts actually change what you get.
We keep it short: a 20-minute first call, then a one-page proposal with the scope, the weeks and the fixed price. What that scope covers is in what a Berryn brand includes. Send us your brief, or book a call and bring it with you.
Our take
A one-page brief gets you comparable quotes and a faster start. Send us the same brief you send everyone else. If it describes work outside a brand, such as running your ads or a long marketing campaign, we'll tell you we're not the right studio for it.
FAQ
Questions people ask
How long should a branding brief be?
One page. If a part takes more than two sentences, it usually means that decision hasn't been made yet.
Should I include a budget in a branding brief?
Yes, as a range. Without it every quote is a guess, and you can't tell whether a proposal is scaled to what you can spend.
What if we don't know exactly what we need?
Describe the problem and the deadline, and say what you're unsure about. A good agency will scope the rest with you before quoting.
What is the difference between a brief and a proposal?
The brief comes from you: the business, the problem, the deadline and the budget. The proposal comes from the agency: the scope, the timeline and the price.
Do I need a brief before a call with Berryn?
No. The 20-minute first call covers the same ground. A brief just makes the call faster and the proposal more precise.
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