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The Blame Game

When a campaign underperforms, the first instinct is to blame the creator. "They didn't deliver." "The content wasn't good enough." "Their audience didn't engage." In most cases, the real problem is the brief.

Too Controlling or Too Vague

Briefs are either too controlling or too vague. The controlling ones dictate every frame, every word, every hashtag -- turning a creator into a teleprompter reader. The vague ones say "create something fun" and then complain when the output doesn't match the unspoken vision in someone's head.

Too Controlling

Dictates every frame and word

Turns creators into teleprompter readers

Kills authenticity

Content feels like an ad

Too Vague

"Create something fun"

No strategic direction

Unspoken expectations

Disappointment guaranteed

What a Great Brief Actually Does

A great brief does three things.

  1. It defines the brand truth clearly -- what the brand stands for, not what the product specs are.
  2. It gives the creator a narrative territory, not a script. "Tell a story about travel durability" is a territory. "Say these five lines in this order" is a script.
  3. It trusts the creator's understanding of their audience. They know what works on their feed. You don't.

A TV ad brief and a creator brief are fundamentally different documents. One controls. The other empowers.

How We Handle Briefs at Exif Media

At Exif Media, we rewrite most brand briefs before they reach our creators. Not because the brands are wrong, but because the brief format is designed for traditional advertising, not creator-led storytelling. A TV ad brief and a creator brief are fundamentally different documents.

The truth is simple: The brands that give creators creative ownership within strategic guardrails consistently outperform brands that try to control every detail. The brief is not paperwork. It is the foundation of the entire campaign.

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