Don’t miss the woods for the trees
Article originally published in Reputation Today, on May 14th, 2024 #LeftBrainRightBrain

Don’t miss the woods for the trees

“Don’t miss the woods for the trees” is an oft-repeated phrase used to remind us that we should focus on the bigger picture and not get caught up with tunnel vision. While this is a good reminder and protecting the woods is a noble goal, it all often begins with one tree. I was recently invited to speak at an offsite where marketing and communication leaders from an?organisation?had gathered to sharpen the proverbial saw. The speaker before me talked about the importance of putting together a good creative brief ahead of a big campaign. Looking at trees on my morning walk, the “don’t miss the woods for the trees” thought connected with the framework of building a creative brief and this idea took root.

A brief could be of three kinds 1) A Narrow Brief 2) A Middle brief or 3) A Broad brief

A Narrow goal (is when you focus on one tree)

A Middle goal (is when you focus on one species of tree)

A Broad goal (is when you are focussed on the woods – the full forest)

It is not always one or the other. Most often it’s an ‘and’ approach. There can be no woods without trees. So, focusing on a narrow goal is helpful but there is the need to nurture a particular species and the forest as well. Finding the right objectives and goals in life or for a PR campaign requires us to be aware of the trees, the trees, and the woods. The ability to zoom in and double click when needed and zoom out at will is a super way to script sustainable success.?

To illustrate how this can be used, let’s take the case of a life insurance company. What could be an example of a narrow, middle and broad, brief, and goal?

Narrow: (The one tree wonder approach) – Focus on a specific ‘Retiral benefits Product’. How can PR help shine a spotlight on a particular policy? In doing this the benefit for people is they get to know about innovative and useful solutions as a way to plan for their retirement. The benefit to the company is that the product is well-received by customers.

Middle: (The species of trees approach)Focus on the silver economy and build awareness around the incredible value that timely investment in insurance can play when it comes to planning for the next innings. The benefit to the silver community is that they are well covered as they enter this phase of their life, and the benefit to the company is that this segment sees good growth.

Broad: (The entire forest approach) – The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has embarked on a visionary mission aimed at achieving “Insurance for all by 2047” and as a company, we must do our bit to help achieve this goal. ?Life Insurance is an underserved market (penetration is 3% of GDP as of 2022-23 according to IRDAI). We need to protect the entire population and nurture the ecosystem. When the country is better served, our business too will grow.

Once you define the target audience and how narrow or broad you want to go, there is no dearth of creative ideas that will flow. From this clarity often grows powerful insights that unlock the ability to create pathbreaking campaigns. A good brief is like fertilizer and water for a communications team. The onus of getting this right therefore must rest on the communications team, we cannot allow unclear briefs (lack of fertilizer and irrigation) to destroy our forests. We must make it our business to ensure we get the brief we need to protect and grow the trees, the woods, and the forest.

Don’t miss that critical step of helping craft a clear brief. With that clarity, great work will emerge. In the shade of these kinds of well-thought-through campaigns, profit, people and the planet will grow sustainably on the wings of powerful PR.

Rajesh Malhotra

Former Principal Director General, wherein I acted as Chief Spokesperson of the Government of India

9 个月

True !

Raja Ghoshal

Lead - Corporate Communication & Content Development, Apeejay Stya and Svran Group and Apeejay Education

10 个月

Well said. The importance of the brief is next to none.

Rafi Q Khan

Founder Compass Communications, Certified Crisis Manager and Trainer, Ex SVP and Head - Client Services & New Business FleishmanHillard, Ex EVP: Weber Shandwick, CEO: Cohn & Wolfe, Deputy Managing Consultant: Archetype.

10 个月

You are spot on. And one of the big things plaguing great work in PR is a good brief. And I fully agree with you that it’s the PR practitioners responsibility to get the right brief from the client. However, few know or are taught the technique to listen to a brief, to ask the questions the answers to which helps derive a much better and sharper brief, the structure of a good briefing, etc.

Munavar Attari

Corporate Reputation | Stakeholder Relations | Communications I Crisis Management I Advocacy

10 个月

Great insights! It reminds me of an attempt at gardening – I was so focused on growing the perfect tree, I didn't notice the forest of weeds taking over the yard! And yes, let's keep those briefs clear and weeds at bay, one campaign at a time!

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