A new IPA survey into the practice of pitching has revealed that a fifth of agencies have experienced a negative pitch process. It also highlights where the pitch process could have failed.
The survey shows that during the period of Q1 to Q3, 20% of respondents indicated that the overall management of the pitch process was poor or very poor. 63%, however, described the management of the pitch process as excellent (10%), very good (23%), or good (30%), and a further 12% of respondents reported that it was fair. An additional 5% described it as neither good nor poor.
The survey, which will be produced quarterly, also reveals that there are sharp differences between good pitches and poor pitches and highlights the issues that clearly differentiate one from the other.
The study shows that, across a range of pitch attributes, in six cases the difference in positive perception between a good pitch and a poor pitch was in excess of 50 percentage points, revealing which areas clients could improve on.
Of those who reported a negative pitch experience, only 9% said the client brief was well articulated, 60 percentage points lower than those reporting a positive pitch experience. And of those who reported a negative pitch experience, only 16% agreed that any interim meetings were handled well, 59 percentage points lower than those reporting a positive pitch experience.
Similarly, of those who reported a negative pitch experience, only 15% agreed that the client’s requirement of the pitch was clear, 53 percentage points lower than those reporting a positive pitch experience.
“While I am of course delighted that two-thirds of respondents have enjoyed positive pitching activity, with a fifth of agencies still reporting poor experiences, there is more work to be done in order to ensure best practice and to stop the needless waste created,” said Cormac Loughran, CMO at Aegis Media UK and co-chair of the IPA New Business and Marketing Group.
“This survey therefore provides an invaluable snapshot as to which areas clients and agencies should focus on in order to create the ideal pitch process.”
Earlier this month, Ian Priest, the president of the IPA, called for a rethink of the pitching process. “I’m not saying no to pitching,” he said, “but I am saying we should pitch less and learn how to do it better.”
Current research states that the cost of pitching remains high, around £178,000 for a large agency, £90,000 for a medium sized outfit and £65,000 for a small agency. It also takes around six to nine months for any agency to fully understand a client’s business.
With less pitching and instead a much stronger focus on building and maintaining quality relationships, the benefits for both agencies and clients would be huge, Priest said.
The IPA and ISBA will examine pitch practice further as part of the Good Pitch Week starting on 4th November.
