Our magazine, titled NOUVELLES – Semaine (NEWS – Week), is a weekly publication of current affairs and local news which will be launched at the end of March 2010.
Our aim: to inform, cultivate and entertain our readers.
Our strengths:
∞ we endorse the historic standards of journalism: public interest, freedom of conscience, truth;
∞ our added value: UNPUBLISHED, ORIGINALITY. To attract a readership which is already highly informed by television, radio, daily press and internet, we give priority to investigative news (allowing us to stay ahead of the news, to reveal unseen and exclusive news), and analysis (which allows us to uncover a more complete truth);
∞ we publish local (as well as international) news covering the main public and private interests of our readers: politics, economics, arts and culture, history, technology, health, travel, amongst others.
WHAT IS IT ?
In this step you will find information about the Brand Builder, who is asking you to propose a Solution for the challenge. He introduces himself (as a Brand of course :) The more you understand about the Brand, the more chances you have to create what is wanted.
IMPORTANT: There is a possibility that the Brand Builder prefers not to disclose who he is, usually for confidentiality reasons. Such Briefs will be published in an anonymous way. In this case the Brand Builder will say as much as he feels comfortable saying.
Here are two EXAMPLES
In case there is no problem with disclosing the identity (VISIBLE):
“NMN -No More Nicotine- is a Brand that promises to counteract the damages to the skin that can be caused by smoking. NMN is distributed in pharmacies and drugstores and its price positioning is middle-high; it is mainly promoted through professional endorsement and is not massively advertised.”
In case the Brand doesn’t want to disclose his identity (ANONYMOUS):
“Brand counteracting the damages to skin caused by smoking. Its products are distributed in pharmacies and drugstores with a middle-high price positioning; they are mainly promoted through professional endorsement and are not massively advertised.”
In summary: Who is your client (in a visible or “anonymous” way :)
We are calling on designers to propose a brand signature. Our signature project "Freedom, where others dare not go" has been changed because we do not want to be compared to X or better than Y. Every week we suggest a unique product, we want a brand signature that states our mission, expresses our personality and portrays our values: freedom, tolerance, originality, excellence.
We are calling on designers to develop an advertising campaign concept for the launch of our new title (TV/cinema, radio, SMS) in order to develop our reputation, and to reach and encourage consumers to buy.
WHAT IS IT ?
This is the task the Brand Builder asks you to accomplish. If you don’t understand it, you are completely out of luck !
EXAMPLE
“We ask the Creators to develop a print advertising campaign in order to increase Brand’s visibility. It will be used in national magazines this spring.”
In summary: It’s the objective of the client, therefore your objective too !
With a high educational background, our readers are enterprising workers, involved consumers, curious, modern, open-minded and open to the world, the majority are in a relationship and/or parents of young children, teenagers or students.
Their consumption is based on quality and modernity.
They believe they live in a region with a good environment and potential but feel that too few inhabitants work towards its revitalization. Their slogan could be: we are building our life and the world we'll leave to our children.
They sense that the logic of journalism (without this it would be useless for society) leads it to work on the flaws, to shed light on human contradictions and weaknesses, to distrust communication to try and find the truth about a situation.
They love media that is mind-opening, helps to discover, reflect, and informs, questions and provokes. They read all the weekly national press (L'Express, Le Nouvel Observateur, Marianne, Le Point and Le Canard Enchaîné), and call it en masse "lacking objectivity", "lacking courage", "lacking independence" and "media harassment". They complain about the "poor quality" of the regional press but they are stuck with it "for want of anything better".
WHAT IS IT?
People that the Brand Builder wants you to entertain and persuade to think, feel or do something using your creation. Usually you will read about their age, sex, social level and behaviors. You should always keep that information in mind while creating, as the target audience is the final recipient of what you create.
EXAMPLE
“Smoking girls and women who would like to quit smoking but can’t. Usually health-conscious adults who care about their looks. They feel guilty about smoking because they know it is harmful. They read books about it. This is a real problem for them: it’s like “My brain wants something, but my body acts of its own accord”. They don’t relate to my brand, they are just waiting for a trustworthy “helping hand”.
In summary: Get under their skin !
The reader believes that by being well-informed he can organise his public life (work, citizenship) and his private life (cultural activities, teams, etc.) freely and knowingly. NOUVELLES – Semaine offers to accompany the reader in the quest for knowledge, in order to participate in the workings of the world.
WHAT IS IT?
The thing that the Brand Builder wants to make the target audience think/feel/do because of your creation.
Here are some very concrete examples:
∞ Some things people can think/feel:
- There is a new Brand (or product or idea or...) out there
- This Brand is better than the alternatives or than it used to be
- This Brand is worth paying more for
∞ Some things people can do:
- Start buying the Brand’s products
- Buy the Brand more often
- Stock more products of the Brand in their outlets
The above written examples are very concrete whilst often the proposition of the Brief is emotional. That’s even better as it can be more inspiring!
EXAMPLE
“We’d like to encourage smokers to use NMN in order to minimize the damage to their health while they are keeping giving up smoking (especially if they’ve already tried and failed before).”
In summary: Get inside their brain !
The reporters who create the magazine are:
∞ young: the average age of the editorial staff is 35
∞ known for being dynamic: the most experienced regularly write scoops
∞ are skillful with humor: editorials, caricatures and commentaries play an important role in the magazine
WHAT IS IT?
This is the key to achieving the objective. It is what supports the proposition and makes it believable. Usually it is a rational statement.
EXAMPLE
“Every cigarette you smoke is causing damage to your appearance. A recent study took several pairs of identical twins where one twin was a lifelong smoker and the other had never smoked. The smokers’ skin was a quarter thinner than that of non-smokers, and in some cases there were differences of up to 40%. NMN contains thinning-blocking anti-oxidants which counteract the effect of nicotine on the skin.”
In summary: You are looking for arguments? You’ll find them here!
NOUVELLES – Semaine is original, previously unpublished, intelligent, amusing, full, tolerant and open to everything, breeding excellence.
WHAT IS IT?
It’s who the Brand is. Yes... who!
Treat the Brand as a human being, as it has its own personality. To know the personality of the “client” is fundamental in order to provide a tailor-made job. So, read carefully the listed adjectives...
EXAMPLE
“Scientific, trustworthy, result-oriented, ‘a party’ to achieve your goals.”
In summary: Imagine the live person !
TV/movies, radio, text messages
WHAT IS IT?
A list of places (or media, or things) where the target audience will see the outcome of your creation. In this step sometimes the Brand will also acknowledge you how much he plans to invest into production. This information will give you an insight whether to create a BIG project or make it small... :)
EXAMPLE
“This campaign is going to appear in lifestyle- and health-focused women magazines of New Zealand, during the spring of 2009. We plan to invest 500,000 USD, which means approximately buying 100 single pages.”
In summary: Consider the medium !
The campaign must push the product out of ordinariness. We went to make our profession sacred again, reintroduce the honour to journalistic competence.
The launch of a “magazine for current affairs and local news” may seem outdated in this age of digital globalisation. We therefore have to be original in order to maximise the impact of our campaign. We don’t want to shock though.
If the Brand has preferences or technical requirements that your Solution has to match, you will find them here.
Here are some items that you may find in this section:
∞ Guidelines or mandatory inclusions (do’s and/or don’ts)
∞ Business objectives
∞ Market and competitors overview
∞ Good and bad samples
Depending on the Brief, you may also find some files attached with a logo, pictures of product(s), a template that you should use in order to submit your ideas, or any other file that the Brand wants to share with you. So, study the attachments before starting creating.
In summary: Anything else you need to know (not written in the 7 steps before) !
