New channels, tactics and tech have changed the way marketing teams operate. Influenced by Silicon Valley’s dominance, modern marketers have adopted mantras like “bias to action,” “agile” and “test & learn.” And rightly so; in these fast-changing times, a nimble, data-informed mode of working makes perfect sense.

And yet, alongside these fresh tools and processes, a much older one endures: The brief. It’s been the cornerstone of brand-agency interaction for decades. A strategic baton passed from planners to creatives. Even as the world around it has changed, it has remained.

Most of us still pay lip service to the necessity of a brief. But the truth is, we often struggle with it. It can feel cumbersome.