# What do you put in a brief and what do you leave to the creator?

> In a creator brief, strictly define brand guidelines, required technical specs, key messaging, and do's & don'ts. Give up control on exact scripting, tone of voice, visual style, and execution details to allow for authentic, high-converting content.

- Canonical: https://www.influentials.com/knowledge/for-brands/what-to-put-in-a-brief-and-what-to-let-go
- Locale: en
- Hub: brands
- Published: 2026-08-18
- Updated: 2026-08-18

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Finding the sweet spot between clear brand boundaries and creative freedom is the key to a successful creator or UGC campaign. Over-briefing leads to stiff, overly commercial ads that audiences instantly scroll past. Under-briefing risks missing key brand guidelines and product details.

## What MUST Go Into Your Brief

### Non-Negotiable Deliverables & Specs

- Aspect ratios (e.g., 9:16 vertical), video length, and delivery formats.
- Specific hooks or Call-to-Actions (CTAs) to test.
- Mandatory product positioning (e.g., showing the product in action within the first 3 seconds).

### Clear Do's & Don'ts

- Unusable words or competitor mentions to avoid.
- Legal disclosure requirements (e.g., #ad or #sponsored tags).
- Brand visual guidelines (e.g., natural lighting, no heavy filters).

### Core Product Value Proposition

- The primary problem the product solves and key features to highlight.

## What You SHOULD Give Up Control On

- **Word-for-Word Scripts:** Forced scripts ruin authenticity. Give creators bulleted talking points instead and let them express the benefits in their own words.
- **Tone of Voice & Personal Delivery:** Creators know what resonates with their audience or matches native social feeds. Trust their natural cadence and style.
- **Exact Camera Angles & B-Roll Setup:** Allow creators to film in their authentic daily environment. Perfectly staged studio setups often perform worse than real-life settings.

Want to put this into practice? See how [Influentials helps brands](https://www.influentials.com/for-brands) run creator and UGC campaigns, or [book a demo](https://www.influentials.com/book-a-demo) to talk it through.