Steal this Creative Brief !
Getting your internal comms video just right is all in the brief. Seriously. We’ve been around for a long time, and trust us, the difference between a good video and an amazing video can very much come down to the brief.
If you are unclear on what makes a good creative brief for internal comms videos, the task can be daunting.
Fear not! We’ve got you covered.
Here is the exact brief we use with clients to pull all the information we need to make their videos hit the spot.
We’ve provided guidance at each step to explain what you’re trying to capture along the way.
Once completed you will have a complete picture of your video needs that will make it easy to align your stakeholders with the objectives, and a snap to get your video production partner up and running quickly.
Creative Brief - Internal Video
How To Use This Template
There are three steps for filling out the brief template:
Make a copy and rename
Under each header, rewrite the placeholder copy
Share with stakeholders to get comments and revisions
Project Name
While your project name does not need to be anything fancy, it should be informative and succinct enough that people get what’s going on from reading it right away. What is your project looking to accomplish, and what departments or business areas are involved? That’s usually the best way to start with naming the project.
Example: New Product Sizzle Video for Sales & Marketing Offsite
Overview
The overview is a brief explanation that outlines the background of the video and what it wants to accomplish. Essentially, you need to distill the impetus for making the video - is there a specific event or something external triggering the need for the video? Or are there internal initiatives that necessitate this type of communication?
While the intention isn’t to make you write paragraphs on paragraphs, the overview establishes the need for the video (the ‘why’) and the type of content needed to meet that need (the ‘how’). You can also use the overview to signpost deadlines and the key business areas that will need to be involved in the creation process for the development of the internal communication video.
Example:
Our Sales and Marketing teams are headed to Cancun for a group huddle to get excited about the year ahead. A main point of focus will be on the new product rolling out and how it will help boost sales, drive new marketing opportunities, and advance the mission of the company. Another point of focus will be on creating greater unity between the sales team and the marketing team.
This sizzle video will play on day 1 of the presentation to help build anticipation for the event, the new product rollout, and the company's future.
Audience - Who are we sharing the video with?
The next step is to identify who the video is for. Who will be watching it, and under what occasion/circumstance? For example, is it being used with specific teams to communicate important information or a company-wide update? That helps shape the scope of the video and pinpoint the best strategies for putting together the content itself. The audience part of the brief is another area where it’s vital to signpost the purpose of the video and who will be most involved in the development and creation.
Example: Our Sales & Marketing Teams primarily, although portions of the video might be used for other purposes throughout the year.
The Sales team will be most interested in learning how the new product rollout will help them increase sales, while the Marketing team will be most inspired by all the latest marketing opportunities the new product will present.
While the Sales & Marketing teams often work independently of each other, this event, and this video, are a chance for both teams to see how much they can rely on and support each other to drive business results.
Distribution - How will they see the video?
Now that we have established what the video needs to communicate and who the intended audience is, the next step is to think about distribution.
Is the video a form of asynchronous internal video communication that employees will view on their own time? Or is this a video that will be premiered at a specific team day or event?
Distribution can also consider the primary type of distribution (e.g., premiering it at an event) and the secondary type of distribution, such as making it available on a private, employee-only channel or playing it in several different types of events.
Again, understanding distribution is a crucial part of shaping the scope of the video and is also helpful in establishing the type of length and content needed.
Example: The video will play on the big screen in the auditorium on the first day of the event.
We might also have it run on a loop on screens in the lobby afterward, throughout the event.
Messaging objective - What we want them to know
All the sections above naturally lead to the objective, i.e., the content that needs to go into the video. Now that we have established what the video is for, who will be watching it and how it will be distributed, we come on to the content.
The messaging objectives are used to build a roadmap for internal communication videos and what the narrative needs to look like. What kind of information needs to be included, and what kind of feeling needs to be conveyed? This is a space to really nail down in the brief, as it will be used to develop the content for the internal communications video itself.
Example: We are launching a great new medical product. It will help save lives, lift sales to record heights, and provide opportunities for fresh and exciting marketing initiatives.
To realize our ambitious goals, it is imperative that the Sales & Marketing teams work collaboratively to support and inform each other’s efforts.
Here are key highlights of the new product.
Key features:
Key benefits:
New sales opportunities:
New marketing opportunities:
Messaging objective - What we want them to feel
Building from the messaging objectives, now that we know what we want them to know…the next step is identifying how that information should make them feel. This might be a bit tricky, but identifying a few emotions helps shape the video's look, tone, and feel.
Is the internal communication video a serious, uplifting internal communication or something that conveys excitement, anticipation, or another feeling? Maybe somewhere in between? Having a mix of emotions can make it easier to shape what the video should look like, but it’s imperative that it has a single thread that connects them (e.g., positive, exciting, happy) to keep the video streamlined and simple for audiences.
Example:
Excitement. This new product is going to make my job easier and more rewarding.
Pride. This new product is going to help save lives. And I get to serve an essential role in that mission.
Messaging objective- What we want them to do
The last part of the video is the call to action - what should the video compel the audience to do? Having a clear call to action ensures that there is a measurable way to understand the success of the effort overall.
The call to action comes at the end of the video and should be what the video has been leading up to the entire time.
This is where you direct them to visit a website, use a QR code, fill out a survey, book a meeting with their manager. Whatever action you want them to take, state it clearly and concisely so there is no question about what you want them to do, or why they just watched the video.
If you don’t have a specific action you want them to take, you should still state directly what you want them to do, feel, or think in a general way. It could also be something more general around wanting employees to feel a sense of pride about the company or excitement at its future direction
Example:
Get engaged! With each other. With the new product. Ask questions. Formulate plans. Be active listeners and participants throughout the event and commit to taking full advantage of the new opportunities presented by the product throughout the year.
Thought Starters - any kernels of ideas for the video?
The thought starters piece is more of an abstract section but can also feature concrete ideas that internal teams may have. This section is used to identify any gut feelings or concepts that could help shape the content and direction of the video.
You might already have a vision of the exact elements you want, or you might have some bigger thoughts that need to be worked on to get to the right point. This is the space to communicate that and mold the discussion toward what the video should look and feel like.
Example:
Something to make this feel big. Earth-shaking. Can we have a hand literally grab the earth and shake it?
People from leadership each talking about how it will impact their department.
Build anticipation - everything we have done to date has prepared us for this moment - and then a big reveal of the product.
Assets - who and what can we use in the video?
The final step is establishing critical assets that can be used in the video. For example, are there specific people, such as leadership, that should be in the video? Are there brand imagery and visuals, such as photos or videos from the past, that should be incorporated? This is crucial from a logistical point of view to develop the scope and understand how much existing content is needed versus how much new content is required. It also establishes teams and people that will need to participate as an early flag so that scheduling and coordination can start to take place.
Example:
Talent: We can ask leadership, Sales & Marketing to participate in the video
Imagery - we have product photos but no video yet.
Branding - marketing is finalizing the logo and tagline this week.
References
Not crucial, but references can help understand how you want the final product to look like. This can include any previous initiatives or comms pieces you have seen that would be good to know as a reference point.
Example: Link to previous video that performed well with employees
The next few sections are purely functional but imperative for aligning on the final output and the amount of time to deliver.
Deliverables
When writing deliverables, be as specific as possible as that will be part of the scope and establish what you will expect back.
Example:
1 video approximately 3-5 minutes in length
Possible shorter versions for lobby screens
Can we get closed captioning?
Delivery Specs
If you know what the delivery specs are based on the distribution platform, it’s a good idea to list that here or include a link to the delivery specs document.
Example:
16:9 aspect ratio
2GB max file size
Stereo mix
Due Date
Being realistic about deadlines and thinking about internal timelines is very important when establishing a due date. Give time for internal approvals, barriers, and any other issues that might arise so that everyone has enough time to create, review and approve. Also, flag key events and occasions where the video will be screened so that it can be factored into timelines.
Example:
Dec 15th (ideally, but it may push a little)
Event date is Jan 16 - 20th
Budget
Lastly, you can only include a budget if you have one identified. Of course, you can also provide a range if there is some flexibility. But having a number means that expectations are aligned from the very start and that the project runs successfully within the parameters established.
Approx: $10,000 (TBD once scope is further defined)