By Samuel Guess – Partnerships Director, LIGHTBLUE

How often do brilliant creative ideas fizzle out amidst client red-tape, leaving agencies to count the hours of creativity that never sees the light of day? 

In my role of Partnerships Director of a brand-experience focused creative agency, I have seen firsthand the evolution of client-agency relationships and how this is changing in recent years. While the traditional pitching process has been the standard approach for creative agencies to win new business, its flaws have become increasingly evident, and its time to explore more effective methods of building trust and transparency in these vital partnerships. 

The Allure of the Pitch  

As authentically portrayed in TV dramas like Mad Men, for decades, the traditional pitching model has been the gold standard for agencies to win new business. The ‘creative competition’, where agencies invest significant time, resources and energy pulling creative proposal decks together to impress prospective clients. The promise of a lucrative partnership or exciting project serves as the fuel that drives agencies to participate in these high-stake, competitions. 

Now more than ever, this traditional process has a lengthy list of drawbacks for agencies, particularly those entering the party without pre-existing client relationships or ties. The client-agency landscape certainly doesn’t feel a level playing field at present, and that’s before we’ve even touched on procurement teams so often taking the reins of pitch evaluations. 

We’re starting to see more and more pitches being led and evaluated from contracts and procurement teams, who’s primary focus is on optimising costs and minimising risk for their business, not understanding or appreciating the intricacies of creative work that the team have spent the last two-weeks perfecting. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to create and nuture relationships in a creative environment with a new client when the procurement teams are steering the conversations. The requirement for maximum financial value often conflicts with the need for innovative ideas and collaborative ways of working.

Additionally, as agencies, we burn countless hours into responses with no guarantee of success, which everyone acknowledges, however, what we’re seeing more and more of lately, particularly in this region, is client ‘ghosting’, no acknowledgement of the response, no feedback, complete silence. Which results in diminished morale and declining enthusiasm for future pitch responses. To try and combat this as much as possible, we rarely agree to submitting a proposal without the opportunity to present in person. 

For us as a business it’s about ‘Knowing Our Worth’ and carefully assess whether responding to a pitch is worth the risk. We undertake extensive qualification with all Department Heads to ascertain whether a pitch is worth pursuing. Often, bureaucratic obstacles like senior team changes and global HQ feedback can hinder our creative efforts. By analysing the risks upfront, we ensure smooth relationships internally and externally. For instance, we recently secured a 3-year contract with an existing corporate client by investing upfront hours in the pitch process, knowing it would pay off in subsequent years. 

A new paradigm for building relationships 

Personal connection in our world is everything. I am a strong believer in the old adage, ‘people buy into people’ – putting the right people in front of the right type of client goes a long way in establishing a great first impression, but also gives an insight into what working together will look like further down the line. Yes, agencies should always put their best presenters forward for big pitches, but if I am the Marketing Manager for X and I sense I will never see the CEO or ECD again once the contract is signed and the PO is sent over, I will be hesitant to take a risk on that agency, regardless of how great the creative ideas are. 

A new client-agency relationship is a lot like dating, you want to test the water before committing long-term. A fundamental change is required, moving away from the traditional ‘all or nothing’ pitch process towards a more collaborative and consultative process. Sometimes coined as ‘a discovery phase’, potential clients and agencies can engage in open dialogues or chemistry sessions, giving both parties the opportunity to dive deeper into the client’s challenges and objectives. Allowing agencies to craft a unique and tailored proposal, and setting the stage for a relationship grounded in understanding and alignment. 

Having paid-for ‘discovery phases’, with clearly stated deliverables from both parties, allows for clear and open lines of communication with key stakeholders, as well as laying the groundwork for a partnership built on trust and mutual respect. Providing set feedback opportunities throughout the process, ensures the team stay on track. Once the phase is complete and deliverables have been met, should the client team not wish to proceed any further with the agency, it’s still provided a great opportunity for the agency to showcase their skillset as well as being compensated for the time spent.  

In today’s evolving creative landscape, the traditional pitching model for agencies is becoming increasingly obsolete, rife with flaws that undermine fairness and waste vaulable resources. The truth of a relationship’s longevity and success are found in the cultural synergy and shared values between client and agency – relationships are key. This means diving deep into the agency’s history (our creds), understanding our vision, assessing the talent we attract and retain, our creative benchmarks, and crucially, our agility in navigating the ever-shifting landscape of the space we work in. 

It’s not just about our creative awards, but how we are poised to adapt and thrive in the face of tomorrow’s challenges. We’ve started to incoporate experiential aspects within the pitch response process, showcasing physical environments in the virtual world – a chance to see how we work and how the concepts were crafted in a far more engaging format than just a 3D render! 

By embracing a new approach, centered on collaboration, transparency, and relationship-building, agencies can not only bypass the inadequacies of the ‘traditional pitch’ but also cultivate meaningful partnerships based on trust, shared understanding, and mutual success. This proactive transition towards a more fair and collaborative approach has the potential of unlocking a brighter future for client-agency relationships.