It’s one of the simplest things in any brief — and yet, it’s often the hardest to pin down.

We’ve all been there:
“Why don’t you come back to us with some ideas and what they’d cost?”
Then, a few weeks later:
“We love the thinking — but we can’t afford that.”

And fair enough — budgets can be tricky. They shift. They’re sensitive. Sometimes, they’re still being finalised. But more often than not, they do exist. And when we know them upfront, we can do our best work within them.

“Open briefs without budgets can spark big thinking. But if the ideas don’t get made, what’s the point?”

Ideas are only valuable when they make it through to production. The best creative happens when there’s a clear framework to work within — including budget. It helps focus thinking, shape teams, and tailor delivery. And when everyone knows the parameters, things move faster and smoother all round.

Here’s the magic of being open from the start:
It builds trust. It sets expectations. And it often leads to better ideas, because we’re solving for the real world — not a hypothetical one.

So next time, if you know your number, share it.
We’ll be able to show you what’s truly possible — and spend our time making something great, not guessing.

SHA is a strategic advertising agency, creating brand strategy, advertising, design for print and content for web and social. If you want to know more, get in touch with nigelh@sha-agency.com or visit our contacts page.

“The opinions in this article are that of the author alone and in no way, reflect the opinions or viewpoint of the agency. Unless of course we happen to agree with those opinions completely, in which case they might, but otherwise they don’t”