Pitching returns

April 14, 2011 at 12:23 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Tags: New business, Pitching, Public relations

At last signs that the recession may be over. We have been involved in a number of pitches over the past few weeks, a clear indication that the PR economy is looking up as companies start recruiting agencies again. But, as invitations to pitch increase, so does the feeling that the pitch process can’t be the most effective way for a client to pick an agency.

The traditional ‘beauty parade’, where three, four or five agencies are invited in on a given day and allocated an hour to present has its merits, but also a lot of drawbacks.

The PRCA estimates that the average agency spends an average of 20 hours on each pitch. An average client will spend approximately 10 hours sitting through the pitch process and then regrouping to make a decision. Surely it would be better for the client to initially ask for credentials documents and from those select two agencies to invite in for half a day each to sit down, get to know each other and discuss the recommended approach to take. A decision made following a meeting such as this will be far more astute than a decision based on a 30 minute pre-prepared presentation and 30 minutes of questions. Plus, knowing that there is a 50/50 chance of winning, the agency will feel far more comfortable about investing the time to really research the client.

But for now pitches remain the most popular form of choosing agencies and winning new business – and from that point of view long may they continue!

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