The single highest-leverage document in a UGC production is the creator brief. A great brief gets you a great video on the first take. A vague brief gets you 3 rounds of revisions, missed deadlines, and a video that doesn't convert.
We've written 1,500+ creator briefs for Indian D2C brands in the last 24 months. Here's the exact template we use, plus 23 real examples organised by category.
The 10-section UGC creator brief template
Every brief we send to a creator includes these 10 sections, in order:
1. Brand Snapshot (3-5 sentences)
Who the brand is, what they sell, who their typical buyer is. Just enough context so the creator can hold the brand voice without over-researching.
2. Product to Feature (1 paragraph + image link)
Specific product, SKU, price point, where it's available. Include 2-3 product reference images.
3. Target Audience for This Ad (1 paragraph)
Who is going to see this ad and convert. Age range, gender, life stage, income bracket, city tier. Specific is better than broad.
4. Core Message (1 sentence)
The single most important thing the viewer should walk away knowing. If you can't fit it in one sentence, you don't have a single message yet.
5. Hook Variants (3 openers)
Three distinct first-3-second openings. Same product, same shoot, same creator — different opening line. This is non-negotiable in our briefs.
6. Script (60-90 second outline)
Beat-by-beat script. Not word-for-word (creators do better with paraphrasing), but the points to hit in order.
7. Visual Requirements
Specific shots needed: pack-shot moment, demonstration moment, end-frame logo, etc. Aspect ratios required (9:16, 4:5, 16:9).
8. Compliance Notes
Specific language to AVOID (ASCI-restricted claims), required disclaimers, required #ad / paid partnership tag.
9. Deliverables Format
What we want delivered: master file format, aspect ratios, file naming convention, where to upload.
10. Timeline + Payment
Shoot deadline, edit deadline, delivery deadline. Per-video rate, payment timeline (we standard 14 days post-approval).
23 real briefs (organised by category)
The examples below are sanitised templates — actual brand names and specifics have been redacted. Use these as starting points.
Beauty / Skincare (4 examples)
- Brief #1 — Retinol Serum Launch: Hook variants: (A) "I tried retinol for 30 days. My esthetician was wrong about this." (B) "₹X for retinol? I was skeptical. Day 14, here's the truth." (C) "If your skin is in your 30s, you need to hear this."
- Brief #2 — Vitamin C Cleanser: Hook variants: (A) "I broke up with my 12-step routine. Here's what stayed." (B) "Reading the label. Out loud. Brutal honesty." (C) "5 minutes. Indian skin. Routine that survived monsoon."
- Brief #3 — Sunscreen for Indian Skin: Hook variants: (A) "Sunscreens that DON'T leave a white cast. I tested 4." (B) "Day 90. SPF 50. Photos in description." (C) "Why my dermatologist switched me from international brands to this."
- Brief #4 — Ayurvedic Hair Oil: Hook variants: (A) "My grandmother's recipe vs this in a bottle." (B) "Bhringraj. Brahmi. Onion. Honest review." (C) "Hair fall stopped at month 2. Here's exactly what changed."
Fashion (3 examples)
- Brief #5 — Festive Ethnic Wear: Hook variants: (A) "Diwali fit, ₹X budget, no compromise. Let's go." (B) "Five ways I styled this one piece." (C) "Bandhej. Modern cut. Worth it? Honest opinion."
- Brief #6 — Office Wear Co-Ord Set: Hook variants: (A) "8 hours in this co-ord. Honest comfort review." (B) "Plus size. Tall. This fits. Specifics in comments." (C) "Officewear that doesn't feel like a costume."
- Brief #7 — Indo-Western Drop: Hook variants: (A) "Sangeet outfit, no shaadi-ki-aunty energy. This works." (B) "My friend wore this. I had to know where." (C) "If you're between sizes, here's exactly what fits."
Fintech / SaaS (4 examples)
- Brief #8 — SIP Investment App: Hook variants: (A) "I'm a CA. This is the SIP app I use. Honest review." (B) "₹X SIP. 12 months. Showing you the actual returns." (C) "If you're 25 and have no plan, watch this."
- Brief #9 — UPI Payment SaaS for SMBs: Hook variants: (A) "My business runs on this. Switched 6 months ago." (B) "Showing my actual dashboard. No edits." (C) "Why I broke up with [legacy competitor]."
- Brief #10 — Productivity SaaS: Hook variants: (A) "My team setup. Showing every tool. Honest." (B) "I tried 3 [category] tools. Here's the one we kept." (C) "Behind the scenes — how we ship 10x faster."
- Brief #11 — AI Tool for Indian Marketers: Hook variants: (A) "What's actually in the AI tool stack of Indian D2C founders." (B) "Saved me 12 hours/week. Showing you exactly how." (C) "Tested 5 tools. This is the one."
Food / Beverage / FMCG (4 examples)
- Brief #12 — Healthy Snack Brand: Hook variants: (A) "Reading the label out loud. Honest reaction." (B) "₹X / pack. Crunch test. Real review." (C) "What I'm packing for my kid's tiffin."
- Brief #13 — Coffee Beans D2C: Hook variants: (A) "My morning ritual. Showing you the actual cup." (B) "Comparing this with [premium competitor], blind taste." (C) "Beans from [origin]. Why it matters."
- Brief #14 — Protein Powder: Hook variants: (A) "Bro science vs reality. 30-day update." (B) "Reading the label. Comparing to 3 brands." (C) "Indian flavour profile. Without the chalky texture."
- Brief #15 — Cold-Pressed Juice: Hook variants: (A) "₹X for juice? Showing you why." (B) "Fresh-pressed vs bottled. Side by side." (C) "My morning. No ad. Real routine."
EdTech / Mobile Apps (3 examples)
- Brief #16 — JEE Test Prep App: Hook variants: (A) "Cracked JEE Mains. Here's what I actually used." (B) "I'm in IIT. Telling you what wasted my time, what didn't." (C) "₹X / month. Worth it? My honest take."
- Brief #17 — Spoken English App: Hook variants: (A) "My English in March vs September. 6 months of this." (B) "₹X / month. My pronunciation journey." (C) "Tier-2 city. English fluency. Here's how."
- Brief #18 — Mental Health App: Hook variants: (A) "Therapy at ₹X / session. Showing my actual experience." (B) "I was skeptical. Here's what changed in 3 months." (C) "My therapist. My session. Sharing what I'm allowed to."
Lifestyle / D2C (5 examples)
- Brief #19 — Sustainable Period Care: Hook variants: (A) "Period products that don't make you feel guilty." (B) "Sustainable, painless, and Indian. Honest review." (C) "Switched 6 months ago. Why I won't go back."
- Brief #20 — Smart Home Appliance: Hook variants: (A) "Indian kitchen. Testing this for 30 days." (B) "Mother-in-law approved. That's how you know." (C) "Setup in 5 mins. Showing the whole process."
- Brief #21 — Pet Care D2C: Hook variants: (A) "My dog hated his old food. Switched. Watch the difference." (B) "Reading the label. Comparing to vet-recommended." (C) "₹X / month for premium dog food. Worth it?"
- Brief #22 — Premium Eyewear: Hook variants: (A) "₹X for glasses. Why I'd buy them again." (B) "My third pair from [brand]. Why I keep coming back." (C) "Day in the life. Wearing them through everything."
- Brief #23 — Travel Backpack: Hook variants: (A) "21-day trip. One backpack. Showing the chaos." (B) "Mumbai-Delhi-Bangalore in 5 days. This is what I carried." (C) "₹X for a backpack? Day 90 honest update."
Common briefing mistakes to avoid
- Vague messaging. "Show our brand values" is unworkable. "Position us as the affordable, trustworthy choice for tier-2 mothers" is workable.
- Over-scripting. Word-for-word scripts make UGC look like ads. Beat-by-beat outlines preserve authenticity.
- Skipping the compliance section. Then you have to redo the video when ASCI prohibits a claim.
- Single hook only. You miss the algorithm-discovery benefit of 3 hooks.
- Unclear deliverables. Without aspect ratios specified, you get one aspect and have to pay for the others.
Download the template
[FOUNDER ADD: link to downloadable Notion / Google Doc / PDF version of this template — gated by email signup ideally]
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