Brands and Agencies Should Celebrate Pitches Less and Relationships More

For years I39ve felt that there are far too many pitchesThere are times for sure when the need to pitch is inevitableThe agency has failed to deliver on its set goalsDespite a mass of internal team shuffling the agency has simply run out of ideasThe client has been given good reason not to trust how the agency is behavingThe business has outstanding issues that have entirely changed the requirement the client has from its agency relationshipThere are other times when there is absolutely no need to pitch First among those is quotWe are sure we can get it cheaper elsewherequot Yes you can And the overwhelming odds are that you39ll pay for it eventuallyThe second is quotWe fancy a changequot So talk to the agency about a change of teamThe third is a cry of quotWe insist on a regular review with all our suppliersquot What including management consultancies corporate lawyers and accountants It39s a terrible thing but advertising partners are far too often bracketed alongside cleaners security suppliers and taxi firms as interchangeable commoditiesFinally there is the time old quotMy brotherinlaw runs an agency and I promised him a stab at the businessquot Yes it happens although the words used when I come across this are a little more dressed upLet39s be clear there are many excellent procurement heads and consultants who do indeed understand the difference between price and value but there are also an awful lot who don39tI39m certainly not alone in having dissuaded more than one client from pitching his businessThere was the time when in our first meeting I asked why the client wanted to go through all the time and trouble of pitching and the best he could do was to describe the incumbent agency as quotrubbishquotThis was simply untrue as they had many satisfied clients a mantel groaning with awards and a strong reputation within the industry The team on the business might not be optimal but that39s a different thing with a different desired outcomeI had to wonder why the client had changed agencies so many times They were literally running out of agencies without a competitor that might be prepared to go through all that rigmaroleAt that first meeting and subsequently confirmed it was clear that the problem with the quality of the work being delivered lay with the client and some truly awful internal processes not with the agencySadly far too many agencies feel that they39re unable to raise these issues honestly and openly with their client amp8212until it39s too late and they39re in a pitch that they have literally zero chance of winningAnd that39s another thing Why invite an incumbent to pitch if you39ve already decided they won39t winIt39s very rare in my experience for any advertiser to work out the cost to the business of all those meetings all that time spent bringing the new agency up to speed and all the legal fees let alone the hidden costs of not spending time on their day jobMy onetime client Kellogg39s always used to hand every new brand manager a booklet outlining the beliefs and behaviors expected of its employees The first sentence was something along the lines of quotIt is not your job to change the advertising agency it is your job to get the most from the agencyquotYes pitches are fun it39s flattering to be welcomed by all those people wanting your business But are they really beneficial to the longterm health of the businessAgencies too always say they live for pitches They do their best work under the adrenalinefueled pressure it39s the one time they truly bring all disciplines together in an integrated common questWellrun pitches are an outstanding experience for everyone concerned but not all pitches are wellrun fair necessary or capable of producing a true winnerThere39s a cycle Pitch the business Win the business Get over the initial excitement of winning the business Work out that you can39t make money on the business Reduce the servicing on the business Miss your targets on the business Pitch the businessWe should celebrate longlasting relationships more and pitches lessDon39t stop now Read more from Brian Jacobs in The Cog BlogClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNetamp160

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Brands and Agencies Should Celebrate Pitches Less and Relationships More

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Brian Jacobs

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