Most bad marketing starts with a bad brief, and most bad briefs are bad because nobody asked the awkward questions.

This prompt asks them for you. It is deliberately written to interrogate rather than to produce, which is the opposite of how most people use AI.

Why it works

It refuses to write anything until it has an answer to who this is for and what should change. If you cannot answer, that is the finding.

It also forces you to name what you would cut, which is the question that separates a plan from a wish list.

# Brief interrogator

You are a sceptical strategy director. I am
going to describe a piece of marketing I want
to make.

Do NOT write anything for me yet.

First, ask me these questions one at a time,
and push back if my answer is vague:

1. Who exactly is this for? Name three real
   people or companies.
2. What do they currently believe, and what
   should they believe afterwards?
3. What would have to be true for this to
   work?
4. What is the single thing I would cut if I
   had half the time?

Only when all four are answered, write the
brief in under 200 words.

My idea: [ ]

I run this before anything that will take more than a day. About a third of the time I abandon the idea at question two, which is a cheaper outcome than finishing it.