Create a Campaign Brief That People Actually Follow using Get Who To By
Most campaign briefs are just 40-page suicide notes for good ideas - bloated, vague, and destined to be ignored by everyone with a real job. If your brief requires a table of contents, you've already lost. The Get Who To By framework is the antidote to this corporate brain rot. It forces you to stop 'synergizing' and actually decide what you're doing, who you're bothering, and how you're going to make them move. It’s four lines. If you can’t fit your strategy on a post-it note, it’s not a strategy; it’s a cry for help.
The TL;DR
Stop writing novels and start making decisions. Use Get Who To By to nail your target (GET), identify the psychological friction (WHO), deliver a message that isn't a riddle (TO), and build a mechanism that actually triggers action (BY). One goal, one sheet, zero fluff.
Why Get Who To By is the Only Reason Your Brief Won't Die
Campaigns fail because they try to be everything to everyone. This framework is a filter for your team's worst impulses.
The Four Steps
GET
Who is the smallest group of people worth your time?
Stop saying 'Millennials.' It's lazy. Define the specific group that is most likely to give you money right now. If you can't describe them without using a stock photo, try again.
WHO
What is the inconvenient truth about their current behavior?
What are they doing instead of buying your stuff? Are they bored? Frustrated? Lazy? Find the insight that actually hurts a little.
TO
What is the one thing you need to tell them?
This isn't your brand manifesto. It's the message that makes the action stupidly obvious. If they have to think for more than two seconds, you've failed.
BY
The mechanism. Is it a limited drop? A terrifyingly relevant email? A giant billboard they can't ignore? This is where the strategy meets the pavement.
How to Trash Your Brief
(Don't do these things unless you love failing)
- ×Targeting 'everyone' because you're afraid of missing out
- ×Confusing an 'insight' with a 'fact' (e.g., 'People use phones')
- ×Writing a 'TO' message that sounds like a legal disclaimer
- ×Forgetting the 'BY' and just hoping people 'find' your website
- ×Using the word 'synergy' or 'omnichannel' anywhere in the document
- ×Making the 'BY' mechanism more complicated than a tax return
- ×Ignoring the audience's actual pain points for 'brand vibes'
- ×Letting the committee add 'just one more thing' to the message
If you avoid these, you're already doing better than 90% of the agencies out there pretending they know what they're doing.
Real Examples
B2B SaaS Growth
Getting burnt-out project managers to switch to a simpler tool.
GET
Project managers at mid-sized firms who spend 4 hours a day in spreadsheets.
WHO
They feel like they’re babysitting data instead of doing their actual jobs, but they’re too exhausted to learn a new complex system.
TO
Stop babysitting your spreadsheets and start finishing your work by 5 PM.
BY
A 'one-click import' tool that migrates their mess in 60 seconds, promoted via a LinkedIn ad that looks like a simplified Excel sheet.
D2C E-commerce
Selling high-end, ergonomic office chairs to remote workers.
GET
WFH professionals who are currently sitting on kitchen chairs or cheap plastic 'gaming' seats.
WHO
They know their back hurts, but they view a $1,000 chair as a luxury they don't 'need' yet.
TO
Your kitchen chair is literally destroying your spine, and your chiropractor is getting rich off it.
BY
A '30-day pain-free or your money back' trial pushed through retargeting ads that show a literal spine-alignment comparison.
Local Service / Gym
Boosting sign-ups for a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) gym.
GET
Former high school athletes who are now 'out of shape' 30-somethings.
WHO
They miss the feeling of being an athlete but are intimidated by 'fitness influencer' gyms and don't know where to start.
TO
Get your competitive edge back without the ego or the TikTok cameras.
BY
A 'Former Athlete's Assessment' session that focuses on performance metrics rather than just weight loss, offered via local Facebook groups.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have more than one 'TO' message?
No. If you have two messages, you have zero messages. Pick the one that actually moves the needle and save the other one for your diary.
What if my target audience is actually broad?
It's not. You're just being lazy. Even if 'everyone' can use your product, only a specific group will buy it *right now* for a specific reason. Find them.
Does the 'BY' have to be a discount?
God, no. Discounts are the last refuge of a brand with no ideas. The 'BY' is the mechanism - it could be an exclusive piece of content, a specific tool, or just a very well-timed email.
How do I know if my 'WHO' insight is good?
If it makes you feel a little bit like a stalker or if it exposes a truth people don't like to admit out loud, it's a good insight.
What if my boss demands a 20-page brief?
Give them the GWTB on the first page and put the other 19 pages of fluff in an appendix they'll never read. Everyone wins.
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