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Episode 011 · Jun 2026 · 69 min

You Waste 33% of Your Money in the Briefing

BetterBriefs research found that poor briefing can waste 33% of a marketing budget. Sebastian Wolf’s framework covers the recipient, task, context, approach and deadline.

With Prof. Dr. Sebastian Wolf, Professor of Advertising and Strategic Brand Management · Stuttgart Media University

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Creative BriefingBriefing ProcessAgency Collaboration

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Artwork for The Evergreen Playbook episode "You Waste 33% of Your Money in the Briefing" featuring Prof. Dr. Sebastian Wolf.

Show notes

David Göz speaks with Prof. Dr. Sebastian Wolf about briefings in agencies and inside teams. BetterBriefs research found that poor briefing can waste 33% of a marketing budget.

They cover the five questions of a brief: who, what, why, how and when. The conversation also looks at thinking before using a template, choosing whether a brief should inspire or set boundaries, and using a rebrief to check what the other side understood.

Wolf is the creator of Meisterbriefing, a resource for marketers, strategists and agency teams.

In my opinion, the brief is the most important document in marketing. More important than analytics reports or your brand identity deck. Nothing is as important as the brief, and it's really easy to nail it if you understand the four steps I'm going to tell you about.

— Prof. Dr. Sebastian Wolf

The Playbook

The core principles from this conversation.

  1. 1 Recognise briefing: it happens more than you think
  2. 2 Answer five questions before you brief anyone
  3. 3 Treat the brief as thinking, not paperwork
  4. 4 Decide: should this brief inspire or set boundaries?
Read the full playbook

The Guest

Portrait of Prof. Dr. Sebastian Wolf

Prof. Dr. Sebastian Wolf

Professor of Advertising and Strategic Brand Management · Stuttgart Media University

Sebastian Wolf is a professor at Stuttgart Media University and the creator of Meisterbriefing. Before academia, he worked for more than ten years as a copywriter, creative director and strategist in agencies.

LinkedIn Website

Further reading