The Pitch: Adding up to dollars

By ANDREW CLARK*

Putting together a winning pitch takes time and talent. And time and talent equate to dollars.

Apart from devising a marketing/advertising strategy it is not unusual for a "pitching" agency to invest in outside research, pull in their A-team to come up with standout ideas, use top designers and technicians to enhance the communication and dedicate many hours to honing and rehearsing the presentation.

It all adds up to dollars - often many thousands of dollars.

So who picks up the tab? Who else but the client.

The successful agency can and, traditionally will, amortise the cost of the presentation over future invoices to the new client.

But who pays for the unsuccessful agency's pitch?

Payment must come from the agency's only avenue of income - their profit margin generated from existing clients.

Clients like to believe that competitive submissions will produce the best possible result from their marketing investment. The agencies rationalise and present their ideas and the client selects the one he likes best.

Simple. Yes, but not necessarily logical. In fact, very often naive.

For many agencies the pitching process is all about winning the account. It's not about providing the best ideas, the best strategy or the best resources. It's about winning at any cost. It's about "reading" the client. It's about being one step ahead of the competition.



Perhaps the solution should start with the client.

They could start by considering a system that clearly defines what outputs are wanted, how they can be achieved, understand the real costs, allocate appropriate budgets and acknowledge financial, people and process impacts.

A few marketing communications agencies have already taken an alternative path no creative pitch. They sell their credentials and rely on excellence, reputation and value to win.

In the end, choosing an agency is very much a leap of faith, often based on intuition and personal rapport.

* Andrew Clark is managing director of Blue Hat Communication Group.

* Email Andrew Clark

* The Pitch is a forum for those working in advertising, marketing, public relations and communications. We welcome lively and topical 500-word contributions.
Email The Pitch.