Turn Strategic Thinking into a Usable Brief using Get Who To By
Most briefs are just 40 pages of filler that nobody reads, designed to make people feel important while accomplishing exactly nothing. If your strategy is currently a pile of buzzwords and 'synergy,' you're doing it wrong. The Get Who To By framework is the antidote to your strategy-induced migraine. It’s built for the strategist who is tired of hearing themselves talk and actually wants to ship something that works. It forces you to be precise, which is painful for people who love being vague, but great for people who like results.
The TL;DR
Stop hiding behind complex decks. Use Get Who To By to nail down your high-impact target (GET), exploit their actual human behavior (WHO), deliver a message that isn't a riddle (TO), and use a mechanism that actually triggers action (BY). It’s the shortest path from 'we should do something' to 'we actually did something'.
Why Get Who To By is Your Campaign's Best Friend
Because most campaigns die in the gap between a 'vision' and a 'creative execution.' This framework bridges that gap without the fluff.
The Four Steps
GET
Who exactly are you trying to reach?
Identify the smallest, most winnable group of people. If you say 'Millennials,' go back to sleep. We want the specific group that has a problem you can actually solve right now.
WHO
What’s the critical behavior insight about them?
Forget their age or income. What are they doing right now instead of buying your product? What’s the habit or frustration that’s keeping them stuck? This is the 'why' behind the 'who'.
TO
What’s the message that makes action obvious?
This is your core message. It should be so simple a toddler could understand it, but so compelling an adult can't ignore it. No jargon, no corporate speak, just the point.
BY
How are you going to make them actually do it?
This is the mechanism. Is it a trial? A comparison tool? A limited-time bribe? This is the 'how' that turns a message into a conversion.
Common Briefing Blunders
(Yes, We’ve All Been There)
- ×Defining the GET as 'everyone with a smartphone'
- ×Treating the WHO like a demographic chart instead of a human habit
- ×Writing a TO message that sounds like a legal disclaimer
- ×Forgetting the BY - expecting people to act just because you asked nicely
- ×Making the message too 'award-baity' and not clear enough
- ×Confusing a channel (Instagram) with a mechanism (a limited-time discount)
- ×Trying to solve five problems in one four-line framework
- ×Ignoring the reality that most people don't care about your brand
If you avoid these, your brief might actually result in something people want to look at.
Real Examples
SaaS / Productivity Tool
Getting project managers to switch from spreadsheets to a dedicated tool.
GET
Overwhelmed project managers at mid-sized agencies.
WHO
They spend 4 hours a day manually updating spreadsheets because they're afraid of the 'learning curve' of new software.
TO
Stop being a spreadsheet janitor and start being a project leader.
BY
Offering a '10-minute setup' guarantee and a 30-day free trial that imports their current data automatically.
Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Coffee
Selling high-end beans to people who usually buy grocery store brands.
GET
Remote workers who drink 3+ cups of 'okay' coffee a day.
WHO
They view coffee as fuel rather than a ritual, but they're starting to miss the cafe experience they had before working from home.
TO
Your home office is depressing; your coffee shouldn't be.
BY
A 'Starter Kit' that includes a tasting flight and a free brewing guide to recreate the cafe vibe at their desk.
B2B Cybersecurity
Getting small business owners to care about data protection.
GET
Small business owners who think they're 'too small to be hacked.'
WHO
They ignore security updates because they're busy, assuming hackers only go after the big fish like Sony or Target.
TO
Small businesses are the easy targets hackers use for practice. Don't be the practice.
BY
A free 60-second 'vulnerability scan' that shows them exactly how many times their IP was pinged by bots last week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have two 'GETs' in one brief?
No. Pick one. If you have two targets, you have two campaigns. Don't be lazy; make a choice.
What's the difference between WHO and GET?
GET is the person. WHO is the insight - it's the psychological or behavioral reason they aren't already doing what you want.
Is the TO just a headline?
It can be, but it’s more of a 'north star' for the creative team. It’s the one thought you want to leave in the audience's brain.
What if my BY is just 'Buy Now'?
Then your campaign is going to suck. A mechanism should lower a barrier or create a specific reason to act *now*.
How long should each section be?
One sentence each. If you need a paragraph, you haven't thought about it hard enough yet.
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