Replace adjectives with an instruction
“Make it clearer” leaves the editor to rediscover the problem. “Keep the product demonstration, but show the bundle contents before the final price card” tells them where to work. The second instruction can still be wrong, so attach the source evidence and the reason for the change.
A brief is a proposed intervention. It should not turn a simulated buyer answer into a fact about all customers or a model concern into a guaranteed performance cause.
Use six fields
| Field | Write this |
|---|---|
| Where | Asset version, scene and timestamp |
| Observation | What is visible or recorded, with source |
| Interpretation | Why this may matter for the objective |
| Change | One concrete editorial instruction |
| Preserve | The strength or constraint that must survive |
| Done when | A visible, reviewable acceptance criterion |
Keep observation and interpretation in separate rows. “The price card is visible for the final moment” describes the asset. “Viewers miss the price” needs evidence about viewers.
A filled example
This is a fictional teaching scenario for a refill product, not a customer study.
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Where | Final offer scene in version A |
| Observation | The image shows one refill while the copy offers a bundle |
| Interpretation | The quantity may be ambiguous |
| Change | Show the bundle contents beside the offer |
| Preserve | The product demonstration and existing price |
| Done when | A reviewer can read the quantity and price together during normal playback |
The proposed edit does not need invented ROI to be useful. The editor can execute it and the reviewer can confirm whether it meets the brief.
Use buyer answers without overstating them
When a real interview or synthetic answer prompts the edit, retain the exact answer, question and evidence label. Ask whether the answer points to something verifiable in the creative. If the interpretation is uncertain, the next action may be to investigate rather than recut.
Never rewrite a quote to make the brief more persuasive. Summarize separately and keep the original accessible. If the answer is generated, label it simulated wherever it travels.
Resolve competing instructions
An earlier product shot may shorten the story. More offer detail may crowd the frame. Name the trade-off so the editor can propose alternatives rather than satisfy conflicting demands.
Choose one priority for the revision and list secondary changes separately. Identify the person who resolves disagreements. Do not allow every stakeholder to add a new objective after the export is finished.
Review the new file against the brief
Check the actual delivered version, including subtitles, crop and sound. Record whether the requested change is present and whether anything important was lost. Only then compare diagnostics using consistent context and version information.
If the edit is complete but the score is unchanged, inspect the explanation; do not assume the editor failed. If the score rises but the offer is now misleading, the revision still fails the brief.
Close the loop
Save the original, the revised asset and the decision. Use the creative decision matrix to decide what to back after review or testing. Book a demo to discuss an evidence-linked review for your team.