Promo and experiential agencies stand up against poor pitching practices: launch pitch guidelines

The Communications Council’s APMA community, representing promotional and experiential marketing agencies, has launched a set of pitch guidelines in an attempt to address the increasing challenges faced by these agencies in pitching for business.

With the largest contingent of APMA agencies supporting the project, the guide aims to recommend best practice processes, and offers guidance to clients beyond the pitch.  

With pitching putting increasing demands on resources to secure projects, APMA aims to ensure that its agencies can continue to deliver the high quality creative work clients seek.

Feedback received from APMA members shows that 75% of respondents has had an experience with pitching for business to get on a roster with no immediate campaign work resulting from it. In addition, it highlights the top three issues these agencies face in pitching as, firstly, a lack of reimbursement for reasonable costs made when unsuccessful in pitching; no clear pitch evaluation criteria and thirdly, too little time to pull together a pitch agency side and excessive delays in decision making client side, with examples cited of brands appointing agencies post the pitch without having to apply, brands not communicating decisions and brands appointing agencies without offering work, effectively barring them from working on competitors’ brands without any campaign opportunities to make up for it.  

Says Committee Chair David Lo (left), CEO of The Marketing Zoo, Sydney: “We all know the horror stories of where pitching has put excessive pressure on agencies, especially newer entrants to the market, but this guide focuses on what a good relationship can deliver. Fundamentally, we believe best practice involves transparency, not too many agencies on the roster, a clear delineation of roles and responsibilities and the opportunity for all agency stakeholders to collaborate to produce more powerful ideas.”

“It has been hugely encouraging to see all APMA members get behind this project and we hope it proves a helpful tool.”

Matt Bruhn, Marketing Director, Diageo, a company whose pitch process is recognised as best practice by the APMA, comments: “Don’t pitch for work, pitch for an ongoing partnership. Great work comes after both businesses understand each other’s needs and can create together. Pitches are functionally and emotionally tough and you’ll often find they are unnecessary if you are investing in building great long term partnerships.”

The guide covers the key stages of the pitch process including recommendations on when and how to pitch, brief requirements, IP and copyright, pitch reimbursements, assessment criteria and tips on managing the new relationship, all with a marketing activation dimension.

Says Margaret Zabel (top), CEO of The Communications Council and well acquainted with the pitch process through her former role as Marketing Director for Lion Nathan: “Outstanding results come from inspired ideas that are developed and executed by highly engaged teams. This guideline, if implemented, safeguards the process towards a committed and highly engaged client-agency team.

We are asking agencies to consider ahead whether the remuneration model they are pitching is financially viable and based on their model if they are sufficiently resourced to deliver great work over the long term. Conversely, we are asking clients to refrain from pitch practices that put unnecessary pressure on agencies.”

The guideline will be freely available to agencies and the wider industry on the APMA website from July 28.

The Communications Council also has a set of digital pitch guidelines and healthcare pitching guidelines, which focus on specific pitch issues in the digital and pharmaceutical space.

The Communications Council’s mission is to champion commercial creativity. It aims to build the reputation of the marketing communications industry by continuously raising professional standards and practices. Its APMA pitch project is one of such best practice initiatives.