Free campaign brief template.
Sixteen sections, each with the question it must answer. Copy the headings into your own document and answer them in order.
The sixteen sections.
Write one short answer under each heading. If you cannot answer a question, write what is unknown. A gap you can see is better than a guess that looks finished.
- 01
Management summary
In five sentences, what is the campaign, who is it for, what must it achieve, what does it cost, and what decision do you need?
- 02
Business context
What is happening in the business and the market that makes this campaign necessary now?
- 03
Baseline
What would sales be without the campaign? State the figure, the period, and where it comes from.
- 04
Objectives
What commercial result must the campaign deliver? Give the metric, the target value, and the period.
- 05
Audience
Who must change their behaviour? Describe them, where they are, and what stops them buying today.
- 06
Proposition
What is the single reason this audience should choose the product, and what proof supports it?
- 07
Strategy
What is the main choice that makes the plan work, and what did you decide against?
- 08
Messaging
What should the audience hear first, and what should every asset repeat?
- 09
Channel roles
For each channel, what job does it do and how does it connect to the objective?
- 10
Activity plan
What will run, in what quantity, at what rate, and who delivers it?
- 11
Timing
When does each activity start and end, and what must be ready before it can begin?
- 12
Budget
What does each line cost, which costs are fixed, which are variable, and what is the tax basis?
- 13
Measurement
Which measures prove the objective was met, who owns each one, and when is each reported?
- 14
Risks
What could stop the plan from delivering, how likely is it, and what is the response?
- 15
Approval questions
What must the approver decide, and what happens if they decide no?
- 16
Evidence
Which facts, sources, and assumptions sit behind the brief, and which ones are unconfirmed?
Gather this first.
A brief is only as good as the facts under it. Collect these eight groups of information before you write.
- Business objective. Commercial problem, goal, target metric, target value, period, and context.
- Product and economics. Product or offer, proposition, price, discount, tax basis, and margin or variable costs.
- Audience. Description, geography, needs, behaviour, alternatives, barriers, and supporting evidence.
- Baseline and history. Previous sales, expected no-campaign performance, seasonality, and previous campaign results.
- Distribution and capacity. Channels, retail or marketplace availability, stock, fulfilment, and rollout limits.
- Budget and activity. Available or indicative budget, commitments, channel preferences, and assets.
- Measurement and constraints. KPI definitions, data sources, owners, reporting periods, approvals, and operating limits.
- Review and confirmation. Confirmed facts, unresolved information, source references, and conflicts to resolve.
What the template does not do.
A template gives you the structure. It does not check whether your sales target exceeds your stock, whether a discount gives away more margin than it earns, or whether your budget lines add up to the total.
The MetaModel campaign brief uses the same sixteen sections and adds those checks. The free diagnostic reads your campaign back and ranks what is missing or inconsistent. Read how the calculations work before you decide.
Written by Ravi R. Singh, Skill Pilot Advisory.