The real meaning of a Client digital campaign brief

Today morning stumbled into an interesting post on Facebook by a friend, and saw an interesting conversation brewing from marcomm professionals on the idea of a Client's brief for a digital plan, and thought its worthy to open the discussion wider.

Following the fad, every Client today wants to have a digital campaign, and within that a social media strategy that typically ends up with a twitter handle and a facebook page, which the company owners and executives follow, and so do thier kids and spouses, all contributing feedback to 'digital experts' telling them what to do.

Digital is one area where traditional advertising agencies agree on its ability to engage with consumers and influencers, but are yet to crack the revenue model which today seems to be a bun fight between advertising, public relation, media, digital, and 'social' media agencies.

But the more important aspect i wanted to touch upon is the trend from Clients who put out a digital brief and what that really means. From my experience, and now validated today by my peers who engaged in the chat it is evident that we have a behavioral trend emerging. When a Client wants a digital campaign, that is really 'cool' and 'engaging' to reach out to the 'new' 'young' consumer, they expect the idea to go socially 'viral' and create a 'brand stir' and all this for no money, as typically, digital budgets are the left over change from the rest of the marcomm budgets.

So to do a digital viral campaign, does one put in as much effort on video content as we once did on television content, or is it a gopro-esque shoot? When we are asked to do social media engagement, and the brand has nothing much to say except perhaps a new offer, or an improved packaging, what are we expecting to go viral?

Digital campaign and guerrilla type marketing seems to be the new Client-ad-lingo to go do the impossible for no money! A code to be cracked for the fraternity's survival.