News

So, some of the losing agencies on the British Gas pitch thought it wasn’t terribly well run (PM April 20). I have no idea if it was or wasn’t, and I have no intention of fuelling that particular debate. That said, many of us agency-side have experienced the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to pitching. The problem is, you don’t know which one it’s going to be until you are thoroughly committed.

This is a strange set of affairs. There are lots of sets of pitch guidelines out there from various trade bodies, so what keeps going awry?

Answering on behalf of the DMA’s Agencies Council, we think it comes down to a couple of things. Firstly, many clients probably aren’t using these guidelines at all. Either they do not value them or they don’t know they exist. Secondly, most guidelines were not written for the purposes of running a direct marketing pitch specifically; the majority are skewed to advertising pitches where creativity can be 120 per cent of the decision. And direct marketing pitches tend to require a more balanced scorecard when it comes to agency selection.

That’s why the DMA is currently undertaking a thorough review of its own pitch guidelines in order to publish an up-to-date and usable guide for clients. The review has already started with an independent research project among clients and agencies who have pitched in the last year; so it’s not just agencies caping on about how they would like the process improved.

If you would like to air your views you can. Please get involved. You never know, it might save you a £100,000 in pitch fees.

Ben Stephens, Managing Partner
Stephens Francis Whitson

On behalf of the DMA Agencies Council