Client
Brief
A structured brief for agency strategy teams. Five titles, answered in order: Overview, Objective, Audience, Deliverables, and Timeline & Risks.
How to use this template
- Work through the five titles in order. Complete each one before moving on.
- Answer the core questions in full sentences. Write what you know, and flag what is still unknown.
- The prompts to pressure-test under each title are optional. Use them to add detail where it helps.
- Fill in the space provided, or copy the questions into your own document.
Brief details
What are you hoping to achieve?
In a sentence or two. The five titles below unpack it.
What the client is asking for, the situation behind it, and the problem it addresses.
Prompts to pressure-test
- Is there any recent change, trigger, or context we should be aware of?
- Is there anything about the category or competitive landscape that shapes this request?
What the work must achieve, the outcome the client wants, and the change it should drive.
Prompts to pressure-test
- If this work succeeds, what should be different for the business?
- Are there any success measures, KPIs, or expectations already defined?
Who the work must reach, what we know of their mindset, and how they behave in the category.
Prompts to pressure-test
- Are there specific segments, markets, or regions that matter most for this brief?
- Are there any sensitivities, cultural considerations, or exclusions to be aware of?
What outputs the client expects, how they are used, and the structures they must work within.
Prompts to pressure-test
- Are there any inclusions, exclusions, or boundaries we should be aware of?
- Are there any existing assets, templates, or references that should inform the work?
What it must align to, what it depends on, and what could stop it landing as intended.
Prompts to pressure-test
- What is the most significant risk to achieving the intent of this brief?
- If pressure is applied (time, context, dependencies), what could flex without compromising the core intent?
This template shapes the brief. It cannot score it.
A structure gets the right questions asked. It does not tell you whether the answers hold up. iQ reads the completed brief, scores its clarity, and flags what is still missing or unclear. Weak briefs are caught here, not three weeks into delivery.