The BRAVE framework created for the 3rd edition of The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan has taken on a life of its own. The basic framework of Behaviors, Relationships, Attitudes, Values, Environment was initially designed as a quick and dirty way to assess an organization’s culture. Things got more interesting when we applied it to assessing personal preferences and then as a leadership framework.

Follow the links above to read what I’ve written about them, send an email to me at [email protected] to request a paper on the culture parts, or read The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan. This article is going to apply the framework to creative briefs.

Like any marketer that’s ever worked at Procter & Gamble or been trained by anyone that’s ever worked at Procter &Gamble, I’m a huge believer in the power of creative briefs. The basic components include:

  • Project description
  • Objective/desired response
  • Insights
  • Competitive context
  • Strategy
  • Mandatory executional elements
  • Decisions/input/output

Harry Kangis, my former boss, current partner, and ever-enduring mentor and friend points out the real value of a simple brief focused on Who (the target consumer), What (the persuasive benefit message), How (the execution of the message). Whatever form you’re currently using, you know how valuable it is.

My hypothesis is that regrouping these elements into a BRAVE framework may make them easier to remember, communicate, and implement. So, for the first time ever, new to the world, it gives me great pleasure to introduce BRAVE Creative Brief version 1.0 ready for your use and input into its evolution.

BRAVE Creative Brief 1.0

Use this tool to help get everyone aligned around a creative project – any project.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Opportunity, approach, output, timing, logistics and guidelines regarding decision making, resources including people, budget and operational tools, accountabilities including milestones and timing, and consequences including how to leverage the win.

What’s most important is to align expectations around five project questions:

  • What impact?
  • How connect?
  • How win?
  • What matters?
  • Where play?

BEHAVIORS – What impact?

  • Desired response

RELATIONSHIPS – How connect?

  • Mandatory elements

ATTITUDE – How win?

  • Strategy: Broad choices – how.
    • Overall organizational or commercial strategy including value proposition.
    • Positioning: Target, Frame of Reference, Benefit, Support/Attributes – permission to believe, Brand character/attitude/voice.
  • Posture goes hand in hand with strategy and adds richness to the strategy choices.

VALUES – What matters?

  • Objective including the organization’s overall prupose and objective as well as how this project fits within that and helps move things in that direction.

ENVIRONMENT – Where play?

  • Context: customers, collaborators, capabilities, competitors, and conditions.
  • Insights drawn from the contectural data (so what).

It may be valuable to start with the Environment and work your way up.