Beyond the Primer

• How to connect the dots between the business objectives and strategies and the creative task at hand
• What goes into a Creative Brief and why; and what doesn’t go in a Creative Brief
• How to develop and write the most important parts of the Creative Brief
• How to conduct a useful and productive Creative Briefing meeting
• How to evaluate the resulting creative “product” and how to give and receive feedback
• How to apply the ‘soft skills’ you need to make the Creative Briefing process, the end product and the relationship between the issue and the receiver of the brief even better

• Applying a new creative brief template that’s easy to use and easy to combine with what you may already be using.
• Understanding the role of the creative brief and the relationship between the issuer of the brief (‘the client’) and the receiver of the brief within the context of the larger business challenge or opportunity to be addressed.
• Building skill in the use of better questions to give further context to the problem/opportunity, leading to better conversations about the brief and the business issue to be solved.
• Learning how to help clients get unstuck and recognize their opportunities within the outcomes they and their stakeholders are trying to achieve.
• Supporting your clients to seek better input from their internal stakeholders.

• Brand and marketing managers
• Client side and agency/marketing services organizations
• B2B and B2B
• Brand and marketing communications specialists
• Mid-senior level managers

We recommend enrolling and completing the Marketing Planning Primer: Developing Marketing Objectives, Strategies & Tactics training prior to this session. The content in this session builds on the theory, examples, and tactics discussed in the Marketing Planning Primer session.  

Joanne Pawlicki, CM
Pawlicki Marketing & Communications

Joanne Pawlicki is a global marketing and branding expert with over 20 years of experience driving growth across four countries, eight industries, and 30+ brands—including Kellogg’s, Nestle, Cineplex, and the CN Tower. Her expertise spans brand, product marketing, communications, digital, and loyalty, developed through leadership roles in top-tier CPG, retail, entertainment, and food organizations.

One of Joanne’s core strengths is strategic planning. She has developed and executed marketing strategies from the ground up for over 10 organizations, balancing consumer insight, creativity, and commercial discipline to drive clarity and results. At Cineplex Entertainment, she introduced a structured brand-building approach that defined brand identities across core businesses, shaped go-to-market roadmaps, and unlocked new revenue streams through cross-functional alignment and enterprise-wide strategic partnerships. Whether for start-ups, Fortune 500s, or billion-dollar enterprises, Joanne consistently builds marketing plans that align business objectives with bold brand ambition.

Currently, Joanne leads her consulting firm, Pawlicki Marketing & Communications, where she helps brands solve strategic challenges, transform perception, and accelerate growth. She also serves as the Finance Officer on the board of the Toronto chapter of NextUp, an organization dedicated to advancing women in business.

Cancellation or transfer of registration must be received by e-mail to learning@thecma.ca no later than ten (10) business days prior to the date of the training to receive a full refund. No refunds will be given for cancellations made less than ten (10) business days prior to the training date. If you registered for a training but are unable to attend, substitutions* are welcome any time prior to the original registration training date at no extra cost.

*Substitutions refer to the transfer of a registration from one individual to a colleague