Campaign scope and production fit — quick check to make sure discovery will focus on the right deliverables

• Which channels must the campaign deliverables include? Options: Television/Broadcast, Digital video (streaming/YouTube), Social short-form (TikTok, Reels), Display and native, Audio/Podcast, Out-of-home, Print, Other (please specify below)
• Who should own production responsibilities for shoot logistics, post production, and channel adaptations? Options: The seller handles full production in-house, The seller leads creative; buyer supplies production partner, The buyer handles production in-house, Responsibilities will be split (please describe below)
• What are the primary success metrics you will use to evaluate this campaign? Options: Increase brand consideration, Lift purchase intent, Drive direct conversions or sales, Improve brand awareness, Increase trials or sign ups, Other (please specify below)

Budget — confirm whether scope aligns with available funding

• Is there an allocated budget range for this campaign including production and media? Options: Under $250,000, $250,000 to $750,000, $750,000 to $2,000,000, Above $2,000,000, Budget not yet allocated / needs approval
• If you have flexibility or hard constraints on budget that will affect scope, please summarize them briefly.

Decision authority and stakeholder readiness

• Who is the final approver for campaign budget and creative sign off? Options: Chief Marketing Officer, VP/Head of Brand Marketing, Head of Growth, Finance or CFO, Procurement, Cross functional committee, Other (please specify below)
• Which additional stakeholders need to be involved in discovery or approvals? Options: Legal, Compliance, Finance, Product or Category Lead, Agency procurement, No additional stakeholders, Other (please specify below)
• Does this campaign require regulatory or legal review for claims, financial messaging, healthcare, or data handling? Options: Yes, regulatory or legal review required, No, Unsure

Timeline and launch drivers

• What is your target date to be live in market? Options: Within 4 weeks, 4 to 8 weeks, 8 to 12 weeks, 12+ weeks, Date undecided
• What is the primary driver of that timeline? Options: Product launch date, Board or revenue target, Seasonal or market window, Competitive activity, Internal approval timing, Regulatory deadline, Other (please specify below)

Why we're meeting now

• Tell me, what event or metric prompted you to seek a campaign now?
• How urgent is the launch window, and is that date fixed or flexible? Options: Fixed on a specific date, Fixed within a two-week window, Flexible within a month, Flexible beyond a month, Unsure
• Who on your team will be the primary sponsor responsible for sign-off on creative and budget? Options: VP Marketing / CMO, Head of Brand, Head of Growth, Product Marketing Lead, Procurement, Other
• When you imagine this campaign succeeds, what is the single business outcome your leadership will celebrate?
• If the campaign does not improve the one metric you just named within the first six months, what is the decision likely to be? Options: Pause further spend, Scale back scope, Request a rework, Terminate the engagement, Continue with adjustments

Where growth must come from

• What market share or revenue miss would force you to change agencies or launch an emergency response campaign? Options: Drop of 5-10%, Drop of 10-20%, Board-level revenue miss, Any competitive launch eroding share, Other
• Describe the revenue or share targets you must hit in the next 6 and 12 months, with numbers where possible.
• Who are the priority audiences by revenue potential, and how do they differ in behavior or channel preference? Options: Existing customers, High-value prospects, New category buyers, Lapsed customers, Affinity audiences, Other
• How many buyer segments do you actively target today, and which one would you prioritize for this campaign? Options: 1, 2-3, 4-6, 7+, Unknown
• Which single segment, if it does not respond as projected, would make this campaign fail commercially? Options: Existing customers, High-value prospects, New category buyers, Lapsed customers, Affinity audiences, Other

Who you're trying to reach and persuade

• If your chosen creative idea only moves awareness but not consideration, would that still meet your near-term goals? Options: Yes, awareness is enough, No, must move consideration, Depends on segment, Unsure
• Walk me through the typical purchase path for your target customer from first ad exposure to conversion.
• In the last campaign that drove measurable lift, which channels produced the best conversion efficiency? Options: Paid social, Search, Connected TV, Linear TV, Out-of-home, Audio, Display/Programmatic, Retail media, Other
• Estimate the average cost to acquire a customer today in your prioritized segment, and the target you'd accept from this campaign.
• Name the audience you would remove from the target list immediately if budget or timeline forced cuts. Options: Existing customers, High-value prospects, New category buyers, Lapsed customers, Affinity audiences, Other

Where creative tends to break when scaled

• Which failure mode in creative adaptation makes a concept unusable when we scale it across channels? Options: Key message loses clarity, Tone mismatch across formats, Runtime constraints, Talent dependence, Production quality drop, Other
• Describe a past example where a concept that looked strong in a 60 second spot fell apart in 6 second or static formats.
• Where do production costs typically overrun for you, and by what margin have you seen it happen? Options: Casting and talent, Location and permits, Reshoots, Post-production, Format rework, Other
• Point to the approvals or internal reviews that have historically delayed delivery past the launch window. Options: Legal, Brand, Product, Finance, Local markets, Procurement, Other
• Could a single approval gate block the launch, and if so which one? Options: Legal, Compliance/Regulatory, Finance, Global Brand, Local Markets, Procurement, Other

How you will measure success and what will prove it worked

• What single metric would make the CFO sign off immediately if the pilot shows it works? Options: Sales lift, Consideration lift, Share growth, Reduced CAC, Brand tracking improvement, Other
• Tell me the measurement methods you currently trust, for example tracking studies, MMM, or pixel-based attribution. Options: Brand tracking study, Market mix modeling, Incrementality tests, Pixel/event attribution, Sales lift analysis, Other
• List the internal systems or dashboards we should be able to access for optimization.
• At what cadence do you expect performance reporting and what level of detail will your team require? Options: Daily high-level, Daily detailed, Weekly, Bi-weekly, Monthly
• When reporting shows no lift after the initial flight, what decision would your leadership require us to make? Options: Pivot creative, Change media mix, Pause campaign, Extend test period, Escalate to executive review

What could derail this before it starts

• Identify the single operational risk that would make you cancel the launch rather than delay it. Options: Missed shoot dates, Talent conflict, Regulatory hold, Budget cut, Platform technical failure, Other
• Typically, how long do your legal or compliance reviews take for campaign creative? Options: Less than 1 week, 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 4+ weeks, Varies widely
• Name the team that owns the data and consent management that feeds audience targeting. Options: Marketing operations, Data/Analytics, Privacy/Compliance, Agency integration team, Third-party vendor, Other
• Should a constraint block the go-live date, what is your fallback plan and who signs off on that change?
• Point to the constraint that, if unresolved, would force you to pause vendor work until it is fixed. Options: Data access, Consent/Privacy, Production schedule, Budget availability, Legal clearance, Other

The options you're weighing

• Under which conditions would you keep your incumbent or internal team instead of switching to an external campaign partner? Options: Proven recent performance, Lower total cost, Faster turnaround, Stronger creative fit, Board preference, Other
• List the vendors or internal options you are evaluating alongside this engagement.
• Compare the incumbent's price transparency to what you would expect from a single-campaign partner. Options: More transparent, About the same, Less transparent, Unknown
• Are any internal stakeholders advocating to solve this without an outside vendor, and if so what is their argument? Options: Yes, cost saving, Yes, speed and control, No, external partner preferred, Unsure
• Given a 20 percent cost advantage for the internal option but lower cross-channel creative quality, would you still consider switching to internal? Options: Yes, Maybe with safeguards, No, Require a pilot test

What we need to run smoothly

• Assuming your ad operations or analytics teams cannot grant access to raw campaign events, how confident are you that we can still measure impact? Options: Highly confident, Moderately confident, Low confidence, Not confident
• Identify the systems we must integrate with and who owns the API keys or credentials.
• Outline your internal headcount and whether a dedicated contact will be available for rapid approvals and data requests.
• Point out any regulatory or compliance steps that could materially change messaging or restrict channels for this campaign.
• Please name whether the person or role who must sign final legal and budget approvals will commit to a fixed review timeline. Options: Yes, committed to 1-2 week reviews, Yes, committed to 2-4 week reviews, No fixed timeline, Unsure
• Provide the individual or role who will be the single escalation point for schedule or budget conflicts.

The path to a yes

• Under what circumstances would you sign a mutual commitment within two weeks if an initial pilot proves the expected lift? Options: If CFO approves, If KPIs meet thresholds, If legal clears standard terms, If production budget confirmed, Other
• Explain your procurement and contracting constraints that would shape timelines or required clauses.
• By when would your leadership expect a campaign plan and budget in hand after a decision to proceed? Options: Within 1 week, 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, More than a month, Depends on scope
• Provide the terms that are non-negotiable for you in an engagement like this. Options: Fixed production budget cap, Change control clause, Clear approval gates, On-time delivery SLAs, IP ownership, Other
• Select the action that would move the contract to signature fastest if the pilot meets the agreed KPI thresholds. Options: CFO verbal OK, Simplified SOW, Pre-approved budget release, Executive sign-off meeting, Other

• Campaign Experience Session

• Confirm the current state and its cost
• You confirm the shown creative platform maps to your brief and addresses the 10 point consideration gap.
• Deliver two fully adapted creative treatments (e.g., 30s hero + social cuts + audio spec) with line item production budgets and estimated media CPM impact for the buyer's top two channels before the follow-up session.
• You confirm the channel adaptations preserve the core idea and meet the format and KPI needs for each channel.
• Agree the measurement frame and target audiences
• Provide a sensitivity model showing expected consideration lift versus media spend across the proposed channel mixes.
• Share the final approval calendar and list of stakeholders with decision authority and expected review SLAs.
• You confirm the proposed production budget, change-control rules, and approval gates are sufficient to protect the launch timeline and limit cost overruns.
• Show the creative platform and the mechanism for lift
• Proof by channel, with translated examples
• You and the seller agree the remaining evidence needed to finalize commercial terms and production sign off.
• Provide the latest tracking study and any competitive creative examples you want us to benchmark into the next iteration.
• Production scope, budget controls, and approval gates
• Validation checkpoint

• Campaign Experience Session
• Campaign Experience Deck
• Campaign Experience Solution Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Produce hero TV commercial (:30/:60)
• Execute production shoot (on-location or studio)
• Create channel-specific video cutdowns and formats
• Produce social-first video suite (15–30s)
• Produce audio and podcast spots
• Produce out-of-home and print assets
• Create digital display and rich-media ads
• Localize creative for regional markets and languages
• Manage casting, talent, and usage rights
• Deliver final masters and channel-ready files
• Execute paid media buying and placements
• Implement ad tags, trafficking, and tracking pixels
• Run creative A/B tests and iterative optimizations
• Deploy campaign measurement dashboard and reporting
• Deliver detailed production cost breakdown and invoices

Produce hero TV commercial (:30/:60)

• Which runtime(s) must we supply for the hero TV commercial (:30, :60, both)? Options: :30 only, :60 only, :30 and :60
• What broadcast delivery spec must final masters meet for linear placement (resolution, codec, frame rate, closed-caption standard)?
• Who on your team will be the final signatory for creative approvals and FCC or regulatory language for the TV spot?
• Provide the three audience-driven benefit claims the hero spot must communicate for the brand lift study.
• Confirm any mandatory legal disclaimers or product claim language that must be present in the :30 and :60 cuts. Options: No mandatory language, Standard product disclaimer (will provide text), Custom legal copy required (will provide)

Execute production shoot (on-location or studio)

• Do you want an on-location shoot, studio shoot, or a hybrid approach for principal photography? Options: On-location, Studio, Hybrid
• When are the preferred shoot dates or date ranges that align with your launch window and talent availability?
• Specify any union, insurance, permit, or location access requirements we must meet for the shoot. Options: Standard commercial insurance required, Union rules apply, Client will supply permits, No special requirements
• Name the internal stakeholders who must attend creative director previews and who will approve the final shot list.
• List any brand assets you will supply on shoot day (product samples, style guides, approved props, on-brand wardrobe).

Create channel-specific video cutdowns and formats

• How many cutdown variants do you need (examples: :30, :15, :6, 6s bumper) across channels? Options: 1-3, 4-6, 7+
• Enumerate required aspect ratios and resolution targets per channel (for example 16:9 1920x1080, 9:16 1080x1920, 1:1 1080x1080).
• Are there channel-specific music or voiceover rules we must follow (platform bans, mute-first guidance, or licensed track limits)? Options: Yes - platform restrictions apply, No special rules, We will supply alternative music
• Identify who will approve edits when a narrative needs tightening to meet a shorter format.
• Share examples of past creative or competitor spots we should match for pacing and messaging priorities.

Produce social-first video suite (15–30s)

• Select which social platform categories are in scope (short-form video platforms, social feed placements, stories/reels, in-stream social). Options: Short-form platforms, Feed placements, Stories/Reels, All of the above
• Estimate how many creative variants per platform you want available for rotation or testing. Options: 1-2 per platform, 3-5 per platform, 5+ per platform
• State the primary conversion action for social spots and any landing page parameters we must append for tracking.
• Outline on-screen text and logo usage rules for social creative to ensure legibility with auto-play muted environments.
• Attach or describe any existing social creative frames or thumbnail preferences you want preserved. Options: Will attach assets, No existing thumbnails

Produce audio and podcast spots

• Indicate whether you need produced audio spots only or produced spots plus host-read/podcast native scripts. Options: Produced spots only, Produced + host-read scripts, Either depending on placement
• Which durations and delivery formats are required (15s, 30s, 60s, WAV 48kHz 24-bit, MP3 128kbps, VAST wrappers)?
• Who will supply legal disclaimers and any mandatory audio copy for audio spots?
• List any preferred voice styles or cast directions (gender, accent, tone) for announcers and narrators.
• Explain how you will attribute audio performance (unique coupon, dedicated landing page, server-side click-through tracking).

Produce out-of-home and print assets

• Which out-of-home formats and sizes are required (large-format static, digital billboard, transit poster, bus shelter) and in which DMAs?
• What exact print or OOH vendor specs do we need to comply with (trim/bleed, DPI, color profile CMYK, file type)?
• Who will validate legibility and copy sizing for large-format placements prior to upload to vendors?
• Specify whether photography needs high-resolution retouching or variant crops for different panel aspect ratios. Options: Yes - retouching and crops, Minimal retouch only, No retouch required
• Provide the list of OOH locations or partner networks where assets must be delivered, if already procured.

Create digital display and rich-media ads

• Which creative unit types are required for programmatic and direct-sold placements (static banners, HTML5 rich media, expandable units, native creatives)? Options: Static banners, HTML5 rich media, Expandable units, Native
• What maximum file size, total load time, and allowed creative libraries must units meet for your ad server or DSP?
• Indicate whether third-party verification tags (viewability, fraud, brand safety) must be included and which vendors if known. Options: OM SDK/Open Measurement, Viewability vendor, Fraud vendor, None specified
• Who will provide click-through or landing page URLs with UTM parameters for trafficking?
• Describe the desired fallback behavior for rich-media units when a browser or device does not support interactive features.

Localize creative for regional markets and languages

• Which markets and languages need localization and which markets are highest priority for launch?
• How many levels of localization are required (direct translation, transcreation for tone, or full cultural adaptation)? Options: Translation only, Transcreation, Full regional adaptation
• Who will approve localized copy and legal translations, and what turnaround SLA can they commit to?
• Specify whether localized voiceover casting is required or if subtitles/transcripts are sufficient for each market. Options: Localized voiceover, Subtitles only, Both options
• Provide any market-specific regulatory text or product claim constraints we must incorporate into localized assets.

Manage casting, talent, and usage rights

• Do you have existing talent with active usage contracts we must honor or preferred agencies to source new casting from? Options: Existing talent to honor, Use preferred agencies, Open casting required
• Which rights and territories do you require for talent usage (duration in years, global vs. specified territories, exclusivity)?
• What budget range is allocated for casting fees and talent buyouts including digital and broadcast usage? Options: Under $10k, $10k-$50k, $50k-$150k, Over $150k
• Who in-house will sign talent releases and confirm usage windows for social, broadcast, and OOH?
• Are there any cultural, disability, or diversity requirements we must enforce for casting decisions? Options: Yes - specify requirements, No specific requirements

Deliver final masters and channel-ready files

• What acceptance criteria will confirm final masters meet broadcaster and platform delivery specs (file format, codec, closed captions, aspect ratios)?
• Which secure delivery method do you prefer for masters and channel files (secure FTP, cloud transfer link, direct ad server upload, physical drive)? Options: Secure FTP, Cloud transfer link, Ad server upload, Physical drive
• What naming convention and metadata fields must files include for your digital asset management system (title, campaign ID, cut type, language)?
• Do you require archive-quality masters with burn-in timecode and version control for legal retentions? Options: Yes, No
• Who is the recipient and asset owner responsible for ingesting delivered files into your DAM or media library?

Execute paid media buying and placements

• What acceptance criteria will validate media execution (verified impressions, minimum viewability threshold, geo delivery targets)?
• Which channel mix and provisional spend allocation do you plan across TV, programmatic display, social, audio, and OOH?
• Do you require insertion orders and IO approvals to follow a specific contractual or procurement workflow? Options: Yes - we have an IO workflow, No specific IO workflow
• How should pacing and reallocation be handled during flight (weekly manual replan, automated rules, performance-triggered reallocation)? Options: Weekly manual, Automated rules, Performance-triggered
• Who is authorized to approve final budgets and sign insertion orders for paid placements?

Implement ad tags, trafficking, and tracking pixels

• Which tracking technologies must be implemented (ad server tags, third-party pixels, server-to-server postbacks, mobile SDK events)? Options: Ad server tags, Third-party pixels, S2S postbacks, Mobile SDK events
• Do you require hashed identifiers or only aggregated, privacy-preserving measurement to comply with your privacy policy? Options: Hashed identifiers allowed, Aggregated measurement only
• Who is the technical owner for tag placement and QA and who will grant access to staging environments?
• What are the exact event names or data layer variables on your site/app we must map to impressions, clicks, and conversions?
• When do you need tag verification completed in staging relative to the live launch date? Options: 2 weeks before launch, 1 week before launch, 3 business days before launch

• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Commercial Terms & Payment Schedule
• Production Budget & Cost Authorization
• Change Order Agreement
• Approval Gates & Sign-off Matrix
• Production Timeline & Milestone Acceptance
• Production Approvals & Release Forms
• Intellectual Property & Usage License Agreement
• Warranty & Rework Policy
• Termination & Cancellation Terms
• Data Processing & Compliance Addendum (conditional)

• Go-live Health Check (weeks 1-4)
• First Measurement Review (weeks 4-10)
• Acceptance Gate Review (around day 90)
• Mid-flight Optimization Review (ongoing monthly or bi-weekly during remaining flight)
• Post-campaign Handover and Learnings (30 days after flight end)

• Create backlog entries for all enhancement requests and minor scope changes, include estimated effort and a recommended review date.
• Document pass or fail for each numeric acceptance criterion from the Campaign Scope stage with supporting evidence.
• Capture a formal acceptance decision with a named buyer signatory or record the agreed remediation path and timeline.
• Create a remediation or enhancement log for any unmet criteria with owners and resolution dates.
• Publish the acceptance record including pass/fail per criterion, evidence links, and the buyer signatory statement.
• If remediation required, produce a remediation tracker with discrete tasks, owners, and acceptance criteria for re-evaluation.
• Log any enhancement requests uncovered during evaluation into the project backlog with priority and estimated effort.
• Updated performance snapshot
• Agree a concrete set of optimizations to improve reach, creative completion, and cost per incremental conversion for the remaining flight.
• Ensure any requested changes are logged as enhancement requests or tickets with status tracking to prevent untracked scope creep.
• Confirm the next review date and the specific data slices required for that checkpoint.
• Publish the mid-flight optimization plan listing prioritized adjustments, expected impact, and deadlines.
• Re-confirm success criteria and owners
• Update the campaign delivery schedule to reflect any agreed flighting or budget reallocations.
• Final performance summary
• Deliver a clear record of final performance for brand consideration lift, purchase intent lift, and online conversion rate versus Campaign Scope targets.
• Transfer all final assets and measurement artifacts to the buyer with a documented handover checklist.
• Agree the disposition of any enhancement requests and confirm archive or decommission status for legacy assets if applicable.
• Publish the final campaign report including data exports, methodology notes, and creative performance summaries.
• Deliver a handover package containing master assets, compressed channel assets, and measurement exports to the agreed storage location.
• Update the enhancement backlog with final priorities and target dates for any follow-on work or deferred items.
• Tracking and measurement instrumentation confirmed as live and capturing events used for campaign KPIs.
• All final assets validated for channel specifications and any missing assets have a remediation plan with dates.
• Open operational blockers logged with owners and target resolution dates.
• Publish a short instrumentation checklist showing data points captured and their verification status.
• Deliver corrected/fallback assets into the shared asset folder for any failed format checks within 5 business days.
• Create a tickets list for any tracking or creative issues with target resolution dates and update cadence.
• Present first-window performance
• Determine whether brand consideration lift and purchase intent lift are moving toward their Campaign Scope targets and document the evidence.
• Agree a prioritized set of corrective actions with owners and dates to improve online conversion rate and channel performance.
• Confirm the timeline and necessary milestones to reach the acceptance gate at day 90.
• Deliver a channel optimization plan listing precise targeting, bid, or creative adjustments and expected impact within 3 business days.
• Publish updated measurement dashboard slices showing brand consideration, purchase intent, and online conversion attribution for the next review.
• Open remediation tickets for any tracking discrepancies discovered and target resolution before the acceptance gate.
• Restate acceptance criteria and numeric targets
• Creative and channel adaptation review
• Present final outcome data
• Channel-level diagnostic
• Deployment and tag verification
• Key learnings and creative performance
• Budget reallocation and flighting adjustments
• Asset delivery and format checks
• Pass/fail per criterion and evidence log
• Root-cause analysis for gaps
• Handover of assets and measurement artifacts
• Log issues and enhancement requests
• Enhancement request and issue log review
• Agree corrective actions and timeline
• Acceptance decision and signatory capture
• Early signal review
• Remediation plan for failed criteria
• Confirm path to acceptance gate
• Confirm next checkpoint
• Closeout checklist and archival confirmation
• Blockers and immediate remediation