Top Skill: The Struggle
If you’ve ever stared at a blank screen, drowning in research, wondering why writing a brief feels like solving every tax problem in the world—welcome to the club. Every strategist, planner, and creative has been there. You’ve got the insights, the deadlines, and the pressure to make something great. But somehow, nothing clicks.
Good news? Struggling with a brief isn’t a failure. It’s the process.
Bad news? There are good and bad ways to struggle.
Let’s break it down.
The Wrong Ways to Struggle
Let’s start with the dead ends:
Rewriting the same thing - but different.
Revisiting all your research in the hopes of magic.
Tweaking fonts, spacing, or formatting.
Revisiting past campaigns, again.
These won’t get you unstuck.
At best, they’ll keep you busy.
The Way to Struggle
1. Step Back—Literally
If you’re circling the same idea, take a physical step away.
Close the laptop.
Stand up.
Change your environment.
Then, reframe the problem. If you’re writing about a laundry appliance, don’t start with how it works. Start with why it works.
The clothes are dirty. Why?
Was it Monday or Sunday?
Work clothes or pajamas?
Is the laundry in the basement or upstairs?
Was it their turn to do laundry?
Follow the breadcrumbs backward.
Build a story in your head.
Then return and prioritize—chances are, you’ll see it differently.
2. Kill the Obvious, Ruthlessly
Not knowing where to start? The obvious is what everyone expects. It’s the easy answer. The default move. The thing competitors are already doing and consumers have stopped noticing.
A list of obvious things is also a list of non-priorities.
Read more about killing the obvious
3. Get Out of Your Head
You don’t have to figure it all out alone. Shake up your thinking by:
Asking teammates for help. Someone else’s perspective might unlock something.
Poking around ChatGPT. It’s not perfect, but it can nudge your thinking in a new direction.
Going for a walk. Movement clears the mind.
Eat.
Visit a store. Talk to a salesperson. See how they sell the product.
4. Avoid the Three Common Traps
Trap 1: The “Problem to Be Solved” Myth
Not every brand needs to fix something. Rolex doesn’t solve a problem. Neither does Pepsi. Some brands exist to elevate, entertain, or reaffirm. If your product isn’t “solving” anything, don’t force it—find what makes it resonate instead.
Trap 2: The “Unique Product” Illusion
Not every product is truly unique—and that’s fine. Two sodas can taste the same, but they feel different. Same with wireless carriers. Great briefs don’t twist themselves into knots trying to prove uniqueness. They define perceived differences.
Trap 3: The Overcomplicated Scientific Framework
If your brief sounds like a whitepaper, you’ve already lost. The more complexity you add, the harder it is for creatives to bring it to life. Keep it simple. If your idea needs a voiceover or a separate explainer just to make sense, it’s too complicated. Strip it back.
5. Make Up the Words
If you can’t find the right word, create one.
The best briefs introduce new ways to think.
Think drip in fashion. Think ghosting in relationships. Think cheesing in video games. A single unexpected word can make an abstract idea concrete—and shareable.
A Good Brief is Short. Direct. Self-Sufficient and a Struggle.
Struggling with a brief is part of the process.
But struggle in the right way.
Eliminate the obvious.
Define the focus.
Find the language.
Lean into the discomfort.
