While some of our clients boast decades’ experience, some are new to the industry and unsure of the traditional agency pitch process, or what level of bespoke effort is appropriate to ask of agencies in responding to their brief.
The traditional formal pitch process may look something like this:
- Request for Information (RFI) to Longlist Agencies: We recommend limiting RFI’s to include clients’ 5 most pressing questions,. Limiting the number of questions will increase the chances that agencies will respond personally rather than providing templated responses.
- Credentials (creds) meeting: Ideally a discussion of the client’s needs; agencies should avoid the temptation to speak too much about themselves and instead ask good questions, which demonstrate their ability to listen and truly understand their clients.
- Chemistry check: Whether purely social, or a working session to explore an element of the brief together, this portion of the pitch is to test personality fit. As such, the people who will actually work together on the business (not execs and new biz folks) must attend.
- Briefing: By this point, the number of agencies is trimmed to 3 (+ the incumbent in some cases). At a minimum, client briefs should include a clear statement of the business problem, measurable objectives, a clear budget and timeline. The best briefings will be done in person and allow adequate time for questions.
- Tissue meeting: This is mid-way review of agencies’ progress in responding to the client brief. Ideas are rough, unpolished and are shared only to gain early feedback from the client
- The pitch: Competing agencies present their final responses to the client brief face to face, allowing time for discussion thereafter.
However, while the process of selecting a firm for representation of a client with -for example- £10 million may include all the steps noted above, most smaller briefs will warrant only a couple steps, possibly three.
What do you think? Should a clients with £30,000 and £100,000 to spend follow the full formal process outlined here?
