In this episode of The Sleeping Barber Podcast, Marc Binkley and Vassilis Douros sit down with Pieter-Paul and Matt Davies from BetterBriefs to talk about one of marketing’s most overlooked tools: the creative brief.
From common pitfalls to practical fixes, they explore why so many briefs miss the mark — and what marketers and agencies can do to write ones that actually drive great work. Expect candid insights, real-world challenges, and a few strong opinions on what it takes to brief better.
Enjoy the show!
Our Guests:
Pieter-Paul von Weiler https://www.linkedin.com/in/pieterpaulvonweiler/
Matt Davies https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-davies-a7570433/
Founders of Better Briefs
former creative agency strategists
Won a couple of Grand Effies and IPA Effectiveness Award
Now they help brands create better briefs that inspire more effective work
Follow our updates here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sleeping-barber/
Get in touch with our hosts:
Marc Binkley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbinkley/
Vassilis Douros: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vassilisdouros/
Chapters
00:00 The Importance of Creative Briefs
07:11 Understanding the Briefing Process
13:59 Challenges in Brief Writing
20:48 The Role of Strategy in Briefs
28:12 Evaluating Ideas and Creativity
34:56 The Cost of Poor Briefs
43:47 The Power of Partnership in Marketing
48:24 The Importance of Training and Communication
52:01 Navigating the Briefing Process
55:07 The Human Element in Creative Work
58:43 Optimizing Creative Processes
01:01:12 The Role of AI in Marketing
01:05:10 Post Pod with V & Marc
Background Research & Links:
Better Breifs https://www.betterbriefs.com/the-betterideas-project
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