Packaging Design: Successful Product Branding From Concept to Shelf, 2nd Edition

Predesign

THE MARKETING BRIEF

A marketing brief is a document that defines a product, service, or brand's strategic marketing strategy. Straightforward and comprehensive, this report summarizes the nature and scope of the creative team's work. The document should provide a focused direction but also be open-ended enough to allow for the exploration of a wide range of design concepts.

The marketing brief typically provides

• background information about the company and the brand;
• the brand strategy and objectives;
• the project scope;
• market research on trends and competition;
• an explanation of the target market, including demographics and any consumer insights about the product;
• a project timetable and budget;
• an enumeration of production issues and constraints;
• a summary of regulatory issues; and
• an enumeration of the client's environmental policies and sustainability goals.

Marketing briefs usually include both qualitative and quantitative product research. The quantitative research is a compilation of market assessments based on analysis of consumer data. Qualitative research provides information collected from interviews with individual consumers or from other in-depth consumer research. Research delves into consumers' values and their attitudes about and reactions to the product, the brand, the category, the retail opportunities, and the competition. Because the brief provides an understanding of consumers' lifestyles, shopping patterns, habits, and aesthetic sensibilities, ...