Making brands more distinctive

The pitch process is still a great way to find a new agency. Getting the right balance between great ideas and sound creative strategy will ensure that both client and agency come out on top.

We’re all well aware of the economic climate, meaning that securing new business and having the right agency to drive sales has never been more important. However for the creative services industry, the pitch process is becoming ever more contentious, as agencies choose whether or not to rely on their credentials to win work. At Front, our opinion is clear – clients should ideally always look at a combination of the creative output and results that have already been achieved, rather than relying on a 30-minute showcase of what might be delivered.

Agencies of all disciplines need to get under the skin of a potential new client before they can truly begin to understand them and make informed suggestions about their brand. The problem is that this kind of scoping takes time and money so some agencies might be reluctant to put in time when a win isn’t guaranteed. It’s therefore essential to pick which pitches you go for carefully.

The issue with creative pitching is that a client can often be swayed by what effectively is just a beauty pageant. And there lies the danger that some might look to take a short cut in the briefing process to get to the creative as quickly as possible. In my view, this doesn’t allow either party to do their job properly.

By the time an agency is selected it has technically had its creative agreed as the pitch has been won on it. With this kind of approach and subsequent lack of preparation you then run the risk of trying to retro-fit the overall idea into a new and informed brief which can be very much hit and miss – a bit like the agency selection process.

Good initial ideas are fundamental but proven track record of growing sales, stimulating creative equity and building brands might just make all the difference to a prospective client as the recession continues to (hopefully) loosen its grip.