Don’t blame the pitch process: Stick to the rules and everyone will benefit
Calls are growing in the industry to ‘ditch the pitch’. Yet according to Trinity P3 chief executive Darren Woolley, it’s not the process that’s at fault, but how advertisers and agencies play the game.
New business is a game. There are winners and losers. And the most competitive manifestation of this game is the agency pitch.
Like all good games it has a set of rules for both sides in the game – the agencies and the advertisers.
But the increasing industry call to ‘ditch the pitch’ is not because the game is wrong, but because people are not playing by the rules. Rather than tossing out the pitch process, what we should be doing is making sure the players stick to the rules of the game.
Great read. Same rules should apply for publishers and agencies too.
The average pitch can cost up to $200,000 in head hours for an agency.
Current pitch processes stop great indies even getting a look in because of this.
Any thoughts on that and how we solve it? Curious as to your answer.
Charge less per head?
Any dollar amount reached based on billable rates is anyway arbitrary
Of course the pitch consultant advocates for the pitch.
This is hilarious. A vested interest selling an outdated process.
Pitching is a total disgrace and the industry would be better off without it.
Why is this a story and not a sponsored ad?
Is that it, Darren, the cumulative learning from nearly two decades of meddling, sorry, pitch management. What about the number of agencies who should be invited to pitch? Should clienrs reveal the shortlist? How much time should agencies be given? Should agencies be paid to pitch? Etc, etc,…
As for agencies only taking on pitches “that are right for you”, you must be joking: it’s all about the money. What agency, most of whom are within one client of penury, is going to turn down the chance of pitching for substantial revenue, even if they’ve never worked in the category.
Your article is superficial and patronising and suggests to me that Trinity P3 is on the new business trail.
The issue is simple. There are too many agencies and not enough clients in Australia. Clients move for friends / connections / because the agency got their job. Agency consolidation needs to happen fast.
When I started in advertising in 1997 this conversation was happening.
It’s still happening.
Pitching is going nowhere.
Deal with it.