Align Strategy and Creative in One Brief using Get Who To By
Most briefs are just 20 pages of fluff designed to make the account manager feel important while the creative team ignores everything but the logo size. If you want strategy and creative to actually hold hands and jump together instead of throwing rocks at each other, you need Get Who To By. It’s the shortest path from 'we have a budget' to 'we have a plan that doesn't suck.' It forces you to stop hiding behind vague goals and actually define what the hell you’re trying to do.
The TL;DR
Stop making messy briefs. Use GET (the target), WHO (the behavior insight), TO (the message), and BY (the mechanism) to align your strategy and creative before you waste everyone's time and the client's money.
Why Get Who To By is Your Brief's Only Hope
Because most campaigns spiral into a series of vague objectives and conflicting strategies - this framework cuts through the noise before the first mockup is even drawn.
The Four Steps
GET
Who exactly are you trying to reach?
Define the smallest, most winnable group. If you say 'Millennials,' go back to the start and try again. We need the people who actually have the problem we're solving.
WHO
What’s the critical behavior insight about them?
What are they doing right now instead of buying your stuff? Are they frustrated, lazy, or just unaware? Figure out the habit we're trying to break.
TO
What’s the message that makes action obvious?
This is the 'so what?' of your campaign. If you can't summarize the message in one punchy sentence, the creative team is going to make something pretty but useless.
BY
How are you going to make them actually do it?
This is the hook. The mechanism. The reason they stop scrolling. Is it a trial? A terrifying statistic? A discount? Pick a lever and pull it.
Ways to Trash Your Brief
(Try to avoid these, for everyone's sake)
- ×Targeting 'everyone' because you're afraid of missing out
- ×Confusing demographics with actual human behavior
- ×Writing a 'TO' that sounds like a corporate mission statement
- ×Picking a 'BY' that has nothing to do with where your audience hangs out
- ×Setting more than one goal per brief
- ×Using jargon to hide the fact that you don't have an insight
- ×Forgetting that people are inherently lazy and need a reason to act
- ×Letting the creative team ignore the 'WHO' because they liked a specific font
If you avoid these, your brief might actually result in a campaign that does something besides win a participation trophy.
Real Examples
B2B SaaS Alignment
Aligning a technical product team with a creative agency for a productivity tool.
GET
Overworked Project Managers in mid-sized agencies.
WHO
They spend 3 hours a day manually updating status reports because they don't trust their current software.
TO
Stop babysitting your software and start leading your team.
BY
A 'Sync-or-Sink' interactive demo that shows exactly how much time they're wasting on manual updates.
DTC E-commerce Launch
Getting a brand team and performance marketers on the same page for a new coffee brand.
GET
Remote workers who drink 3+ cups of mediocre grocery store coffee a day.
WHO
They know their coffee sucks but think 'premium' beans are too much work for a Tuesday morning.
TO
Get barista-level caffeine without the 20-minute ritual.
BY
A 'Lazy Snob' starter kit that simplifies the brewing process to under two minutes.
Fintech App Re-engagement
Aligning product strategy and social media creative to win back ghosted users.
GET
Lapsed users who signed up for a savings app but never linked their bank account.
WHO
They're anxious about security and feel guilty every time they see the app icon, so they just ignore it.
TO
Secure your future in 30 seconds without us ever seeing your password.
BY
A 'Security First' video series featuring real-world encryption analogies and a one-click setup link.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have two 'WHOs' if my product is really versatile?
No. Pick one. If you have two distinct audiences with different behaviors, write two briefs. Don't be lazy.
What if the creative team hates the 'TO' message?
If it's based on a real insight from the 'WHO,' they'll live. If it's boring, help them make it punchier without losing the intent.
Does the 'BY' have to be a discount?
God, no. It can be an emotional hook, a piece of content, or a unique feature. Just make sure it's the actual reason they move their thumb.
How long should this take to fill out?
If you know your business, 10 minutes. If you're guessing, you'll be staring at the screen for hours. Use that as a diagnostic tool.
Is this framework too simple for a complex campaign?
Complexity is usually just a mask for lack of clarity. If you can't fit it into GWTB, your campaign is probably too messy to work anyway.
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Use our framework generator to generate various Get Who To By, 4C, 4 Points Strategy, and other frameworks — all in one place and directly to editable Google SLIDES!
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