In short
- The template has 24 fields in seven groups, from basics to measurement. Fill it in about 45 minutes with input from sales, data and legal.
- Write one brief for your agency and a shorter one-page version for creators. Creators need the one message, the allowed claims, the label, the deadline and an example.
- Replace vague lines with testable ones: a number, a date, a named claim, a duration for usage rights. The good-versus-bad table below shows eleven rewrites.
- Put a target in the brief. In a 2026 survey only 13.3 percent of brands tied influencer work to formal revenue targets.
A good influencer campaign brief states one goal with a number, the buyer and where they live, the one message, the claims creators may and may not make, the formats and counts, the disclosure label, the rights you need, the dates and approvals, the budget, and how you will measure results. Copy the template below, fill it in once, and then cut it down to a single page for creators. Everything else in this guide helps you fill it well.
Most weak influencer campaigns trace back to a weak brief. Brands write "increase awareness", give no budget, and are surprised when proposals come back generic. Others write three pages for the agency and forward the same three pages to creators, who read none of it. The fix is two documents: a campaign brief for your agency, and a one-page creator brief derived from it. In a 2025 Kantar-backed study covered by Campaign India, about 85 percent of brands said they were moving from follower counts to content quality as the measure of success. Quality starts with a brief that says what quality means for your product.
If you are new to the channel, start with our complete guide to influencer marketing in India.
The two briefs you need
| Campaign brief | Creator brief | |
|---|---|---|
| Written for | Your agency or marketing team | Each creator |
| Length | Two to three pages | One page |
| Contains | Goal, budget, KPIs, audience, rights, legal, measurement | Product truth, one message, allowed claims, label, mandatory elements, dates, an example |
| Written by | You | Your agency or strategist, from the campaign brief |
| Approved by | Marketing head and finance | You, before it reaches creators |
When you brief us, you get a creator plan within 48 hours, and our strategist drafts the creator brief for you to approve. The rest of this guide is the campaign brief.
The 24-field template
Copy each table, fill the "What to write" column and delete the example. The examples use a hypothetical D2C snack brand and invented numbers, so you can see the level of detail we mean.
A. Campaign basics
| # | Field | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brand and product | One sentence on what it is, the price point and where it is sold | A 40 g high-protein roasted snack, ₹149 a pack, sold on the brand site and quick-commerce apps |
| 2 | Campaign name and dates | Live window and any hard dates: launch, sale, festival | "Desk Snack Drop", 12 to 30 November, with a Diwali sale starting 18 November |
| 3 | The one-line objective | What should change, in a sentence with a number | 2,000 first orders from Delhi NCR and Bengaluru in 30 days |
| 4 | KPIs and targets | One primary metric, two secondary, and the target for each | Primary: cost per first order under ₹450. Secondary: link clicks, cost per click under ₹12 |
| 5 | Budget | Total creator budget, whether GST is extra, what it includes, a ceiling per creator | ₹6 lakh for creator fees, GST extra, includes 30 days of partnership-ad rights; no more than ₹40,000 per micro creator |
B. Audience
| # | Field | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | The buyer | Age, gender, job or life stage, what they scroll, what they believe about your category today | Women and men 22 to 32, first job, snack at their desk, think "healthy snacks taste like cardboard" |
| 7 | Language and geography | Cities, tiers and languages for captions and speech | Delhi NCR and Bengaluru; Hinglish and English |
| 8 | Where they buy | Site, marketplace, quick commerce, retail; pin codes you serve | Brand site, two quick-commerce apps; not available in smaller towns yet |
C. Creative
| # | Field | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | The one message | The single idea every creator must land, in one sentence | A snack with real protein that does not taste like diet food |
| 10 | Proof points and allowed claims | Facts creators may state, each one you can substantiate | "12 g protein a pack", "no added sugar" |
| 11 | Claims and topics to avoid | Banned claims, competitor mentions, sensitive topics | No "healthiest", no weight-loss or medical claims, no comparisons with named brands |
| 12 | Tone | How it should sound, and one thing it must not sound like | Like a friend recommending a snack; not like an advert read aloud |
| 13 | Formats and counts | Formats per creator, platforms, lengths | 1 Reel of 20 to 30 seconds plus a Story set of 3 frames per creator, on Instagram |
| 14 | Mandatory elements | Tag, hashtag, link, code, product on screen, pinned comment | Tag the brand handle, code CRUNCH10 in the Story link sticker, product visible in the first 3 seconds |
| 15 | References | Two or three posts that show what good looks like, and one that shows what to avoid | Links to two unrelated brands' Reels with a strong hook, and a stiff example |
D. Creators
| # | Field | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Creator mix | Tiers, niches, languages and cities, and how many of each | 20 micro creators (food, fitness, work-life), 10 nano creators; Hinglish-first |
| 17 | Must-haves and exclusions | Minimum audience share in your cities, competitor exclusions, content to avoid | At least 40 percent of audience in Delhi NCR or Bengaluru; no competitor posts in the last 30 days |
E. Rights and terms
| # | Field | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Usage rights and whitelisting | Where, how long and in which media you may use the content, including ads | Organic reposts on brand handles for 90 days; partnership ads for 30 days; any extension by separate written agreement |
| 19 | Exclusivity | Competitor list, dates, platforms | 30 days from go-live; five named competing snack brands; Instagram only |
| 20 | Approvals and timeline | Dates for concept, draft, feedback and go-live; who approves | Concept 3 November, draft 7 November, feedback within 48 hours, live 12 to 14 November; marketing head approves |
| 21 | Product logistics | What is shipped, to whom, by when, return policy | Pack of 6 flavours shipped by 1 November; the contract states whether the creator keeps it |
F. Compliance
| # | Field | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Disclosure and category rules | The exact label, where it goes, and any rules for your category | Platform paid-partnership tag plus "Ad" in the first line of the caption; on-screen label on video; no health claims |
G. Measurement
| # | Field | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Tracking and reporting | How you will attribute results and what you want reported, when | Unique code per creator, UTM links per creator, screenshots of views, reach, saves and clicks at day 7 and day 30 |
| 24 | What happens next | What you will do with winners | Run the top five posts as partnership ads for 30 days; rebook the best three creators for December |
How to fill it in 45 minutes
- Start with fields 3 and 4, the goal and the number. If you cannot write a number, you do not yet have a goal. In a 2026 survey covered by Campaign India, only 13.3 percent of brands tied influencer work to formal revenue targets and 46.4 percent judged performance campaign by campaign. A target is a competitive edge.
- Ask sales or customer support for field 6. They know who buys and what objections they hear. Your own reviews are better evidence than a persona deck.
- Ask legal or the founder for fields 10, 11 and 22. Claims need a source, and the label depends on your category.
- Ask finance for field 5. Know whether GST and agency fees sit inside the budget or on top. For ranges by tier, see the influencer rates guide.
- Decide fields 18 and 19 now, not in negotiation. Usage rights and exclusivity are priced add-ons. One rate guide puts brand reposts at +25 to 40 percent, perpetual usage at +80 to 150 percent and 30-day exclusivity at +30 to 50 percent. Know which you need before you ask.
- Leave field 16 open if you want us to propose the mix. The creator plan then comes back with named creators and Gully Scores.
Good lines and bad lines
Every vague line in a brief becomes a guess in a proposal. Here are eleven rewrites, using the same hypothetical snack brand.
| Field | Bad line | Why it fails | Better line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Objective | "Increase awareness and engagement" | No number; any result passes | "2,000 first orders from Delhi NCR and Bengaluru in 30 days" |
| Audience | "Young adults and millennials, pan-India" | Covers half the country and tells no one who to pick | "Women and men 22 to 32, first job, snacking at a desk, Hinglish speakers" |
| Message | "Talk about our amazing product" | Nothing to land | "A snack with real protein that does not taste like diet food" |
| Claims | "Say it is the healthiest snack" | Unsubstantiated superlative; ASCI risk | "You may say 12 g protein a pack and no added sugar; do not say healthiest, weight loss or any medical claim" |
| Format | "Make a fun Reel" | No length, structure or element | "One 20 to 30 second Reel, hook in 3 seconds, pack opening, taste reaction, code at the end" |
| Tone | "Be authentic" | Everyone says it; no guidance | "Say it in your own words; no scripted slogans, no 'guilt-free'" |
| Budget | "Budget is flexible" | Proposals come back at wildly different sizes | "₹6 lakh for creator fees, GST extra, up to ₹40,000 per micro Reel including 30 days of ad rights" |
| Rights | "We may use content anywhere" | No duration, media or fee | "Organic reposts for 90 days; partnership ads for 30 days; extension by written agreement and extra fee" |
| Timeline | "As soon as possible" | Creators cannot plan | "Concept 3 November, draft 7 November, feedback in 48 hours, live 12 to 14 November" |
| Disclosure | "Mention that it is an ad" | Where? How long? In what words? | "Platform paid-partnership tag plus 'Ad' in the first line; on screen for the required period" |
| Reporting | "Send us a report after" | No metrics or dates | "Screenshots of views, reach, saves and link clicks at day 7 and day 30; code and link tracked" |
The one-page creator brief
Creators receive many briefs. Write the one they will read. Derive it from the campaign brief and cut it to:
- Product truth. What it is, price, who it is for, in two sentences.
- The one message. The idea every creator lands.
- Say this. Allowed claims and proof points. Never say this. Banned claims and competitor mentions.
- Format. What to make, how long, platform and handle.
- Must include. Tag, link or code, product on screen, caption elements.
- Label. The exact disclosure label and where it sits.
- Dates. Concept, draft, feedback, go-live.
- A good example, and one line on what to avoid.
- Contact. One name, one WhatsApp number, a reply time.
Creators write better when the brief tells them what matters and trusts them with the rest. In our experience, tightly scripted posts tend to read like adverts. Give a script only where the wording is regulated, such as finance and health, or where the product has precise steps.
Compliance in the brief
The brief is where compliance starts. Three things belong in it.
The label. Under the ASCI influencer guidelines, a clear disclosure is needed when there is a material connection with the brand. That includes money, free or discounted products, gifts, trips and barter. Permitted labels include Advertisement, Ad, Sponsored, Collaboration, Partnership, Free gift and Affiliate, or a platform tool. The label must be upfront and prominent, not only in a bio or behind a "more" click. For a video of 15 seconds or less, it must be on screen for at least 3 seconds; for a video of more than 15 seconds and under 2 minutes, for one third of the video. Put the exact label and its placement in field 22.
The claims. ASCI says the advertiser must make sure a post conforms to the Code, and that influencers should satisfy themselves that the advertiser can substantiate its claims. List what you can prove in field 10 and what is off limits in field 11.
The category. For health, nutrition, banking, finance and insurance topics, creators giving technical advice need relevant qualifications and must state them upfront, a rule ASCI narrowed in April 2025 to technical advice only. Note it in field 22. Our ASCI explainer and influencer contract guide cover the details.
Timeline: from brief to live
| Step | Typical timing | Your part |
|---|---|---|
| Brief and call | Day 0 | Send the filled template; join a 20-minute call |
| Creator plan | Within 48 hours | Approve, edit or reject creators |
| Contracts and booking | Week 1 | Final sign-off on budget |
| Scripts, concepts and drafts | Week 2 | Approve concepts and drafts |
| Live and amplified | Week 3 | Approve ad budget if you amplify |
| Reporting | Weekly, then a closing report | Share sales or install data |
For a micro-influencer campaign this puts you live two to three weeks after approval. Celebrity deals often take four to six weeks because of negotiation and legal review. For a festive date, add a buffer. A paid-press survey says most brands plan Diwali two weeks to a month ahead, so brief four to six weeks before your key date if you want your first-choice creators.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Write one primary goal with a number.
- Describe the buyer as a person, with a city, a language and a problem.
- List allowed claims and banned claims separately.
- Say what you will do with winning posts, so creators price usage rights correctly.
- Name the label and where it goes.
- Give dates for every stage, including your own feedback time.
- Share a good example and a bad one.
- Appoint one person who answers within a day.
Don't
- Brief on follower count alone. Engagement, audience and fit matter more, as our engagement rate benchmarks show.
- Hide the budget. Proposals without one are guesses.
- Ask for perpetual rights or long exclusivity you will not use.
- Script every line unless the claim is regulated.
- Forward the agency brief to creators unchanged.
- Treat approval as an afterthought. Late feedback delays the go-live and the creator's other work.
Checklist before you send
- The objective has a number and a date
- One primary KPI is stated, with a target
- The buyer, city and language are specific
- The one message fits in a sentence
- Allowed and banned claims are listed and substantiated
- Formats, counts and lengths are stated
- The label and its placement are written down
- Usage rights, whitelisting and exclusivity have dates and media
- The budget states what it includes and whether GST is extra
- Dates exist for concept, draft, feedback and go-live
- Tracking codes and links are ready, and the report format is agreed
- A one-page creator version is attached for approval
What we do with your brief
At Influencer Gully, a strategist reads your brief, calls you for 20 minutes and returns a creator plan in 48 hours: a shortlist with Gully Scores, a content plan and a cost estimate. For the stages that follow, see how we work. To plan the mix of creators first, read our guide to building an influencer marketing strategy and to finding influencers in India. When your brief is ready, send it to us.
Sources
- Indian consumers and influencers: coverage of a 2025 Kantar-backed study of consumers and brands, Campaign India (12 Jun 2025)
- Coverage of a 2026 India creator-economy report: creator numbers, engagement and cost by city tier, Campaign India (21 May 2026)
- Influencer marketing research report, survey page, Influencer platform report page (vendor survey) (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- India's 3.5 to 4.5 million creator economy powers a ₹3,500 crore influencer marketing industry (paid press release), The Tribune (ANI feed) (8 Jul 2025)
- ASCI Guidelines for influencer advertising in digital media, ASCI (accessed 31 Oct 2026 (Addendum II dated 6 Mar 2025))
- ASCI update narrowing the qualification requirement for health and financial influencers, ASCI (28 Apr 2025)
- Influencer marketing pricing in India 2026: usage rights, exclusivity and whitelisting premiums, Indian digital agency guide (low confidence) (20 Apr 2026, updated 16 Sep 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What should be in an influencer campaign brief?
The goal and a target number, the buyer and where they live, the one message, the claims creators may and may not make, formats and counts, the disclosure label, usage rights and exclusivity, deadlines and approval steps, budget, and how you will measure results. The template in this guide gives all 24 fields with examples.
How long should an influencer brief be?
The brand-to-agency brief can run two to three pages because it carries budget, targets and legal detail. The creator-facing brief should fit on one page: product truth, the one message, allowed claims, label, mandatory elements, dates, one example and a contact. Creators skim, so every extra line costs you attention.
What is the difference between a campaign brief and a creative brief?
A campaign brief states goals, budget, audience, dates and measurement, and is written for your agency or marketing team. A creative brief, or creator brief, tells each creator what to make: the message, the format, the claims, the label and the dates. Write the campaign brief first and derive the creator brief from it.
Should an influencer brief include a script?
Usually no. Give the message, proof points and mandatory elements, and let the creator write in their own voice, because scripted posts often perform below a creator's normal content. Use a script only for regulated claims, such as finance or health, or for precise product steps. Ask to approve the concept before filming.
How far ahead should I send a brief for a festive campaign?
As early as you can. A creator plan takes about 48 hours and a micro-influencer campaign usually goes live two to three weeks after approval. A paid-press survey says most brands plan Diwali two weeks to a month ahead, which leaves little room for approvals, so brief about four to six weeks before your key date.
What claims can an influencer make about my product?
Only claims you can substantiate. ASCI says the advertiser must ensure a post conforms to its Code, and influencers should satisfy themselves that you can back your claims. List approved claims and banned claims in the brief. For health or finance topics, creators giving technical advice need relevant qualifications. See our ASCI guidelines explainer.
What should I put in the budget field of a brief?
Give the total for creator fees, whether GST is extra, whether it includes usage rights and ad amplification, and a ceiling per creator. If you are unsure of the range, check the influencer cost calculator and the rates guide before you write the number.