Most large marketing agencies expect you to walk in the door with a Marketing Brief already in hand, but we know that’s not realistic for most small businesses. At Fuzzy Duck, we’d rather roll up our sleeves and create this essential document together. That’s where the real magic happens.

The best part? Once you have a solid Marketing Brief, you’ll never again struggle to explain what your business does or who it benefits. It becomes your go-to reference for staying consistent and confident in all your communications.

What is a marketing brief and what is it not?

Think of your Marketing Brief as your business’s compass. It points everyone in the right direction. This document becomes the foundation for everything we do together, but it’s also incredibly valuable for your business beyond our work. You can use it when training new employees, talking to other vendors, or making sure your whole team is telling the same story about what makes your business special.

• It’s not a creative brief (that’s for specific campaigns with their own style and purpose).
• It’s not a marketing plan (that’s the tactical roadmap for achieving your goals).
• It’s not your messaging strategy (that’s what gets created from the brief).

Your Marketing Brief is essentially a comprehensive snapshot of your business, your customers, and your competitive landscape. It’s the document that answers: “What are the key facts I need to know to create effective marketing for this business?”

What goes into a marketing brief?

The beauty of a marketing brief is that it can look different for everyone. This is for your company as much as it is for an outside vendor. Structure it with information that is useful to you! However, here are some of the main categories that almost always appear in a brief. And if you choose to work with us, these are the things we will cover together.

1. Ideal Customer Profile

We’ve talked a lot about the importance of understanding your audience. This is the place to write down all those key attributes. It’s helpful to see everything in one place and you might even discover a hidden nugget of wisdom you didn’t see before.

Key questions to consider: 

• Who is your ideal customer (age, family status, education, values, interests)?
• What specific problems or pain points does this audience face daily?

2. Unique Selling Points (USPs)

These are what make your business shine! Sometimes it takes making a list to understand what you bring to the table versus your competitors. These USPs should serve as a guiding star to always remember when creating marketing materials. If you’re not setting yourself apart from the competition, then it’s all too easy for your customers to choose them over you.

Key Questions to Consider:

• What is the main problem your company solves for customers?
• What makes your company uniquely qualified to solve your customer’s problem?

3. Competitive Landscape Analysis

List out your competitors and a few of their strengths and weaknesses. By understanding your position in the market you can figure out how to take advantage of the gaps. Then you can take advantage of what your competitors overlooked.

Key Questions to Consider:

• Who are your top 3-5 direct competitors?
• How do you compare to competitors in terms of price, quality, service, and features?

4. Challenges and Opportunities

This is where it all comes together. Challenges and opportunities are two sides of the same coin. What might be a weakness today could be a strength tomorrow if given the right attention.

Key Questions to Consider:

• Where have you seen the most success in your marketing efforts?
• What’s something you’ve seen others do that you could try as well?

At the end of the day, a marketing brief isn’t just a tool to communicate with creative agencies, it’s an opportunity to take a hard look at where your marketing efforts are and where you want them to go. Use this as an exercise to map out where your company stands. Even if it takes time, it’s better to know where you’re starting from. You’ll thank yourself in the long run.

Pssst: Enjoyed this article? Download our handy one-page guide!

We get it! There’s a lot that goes into creating a solid Marketing Brief, and it can feel like just one more thing on your endless to-do list. But here’s the thing: you don’t have to tackle this alone. At Fuzzy Duck, we love rolling up our sleeves and working through this process with you.