Adam Trainis, Client Director, discusses the best practice approaches to an ideal pitch process, and how to create a pitch experience that sets the foundation for a successful brand and agency relationship.

The start of an agency pitch process should be an exciting prospect.   

The opportunity for a brand to bring in new thinking, inject brilliant creativity and leverage new technologies.   

It should be viewed as a catalyst for a step change in the brand’s success trajectory, a re-thinking of its strategy and an opportunity to broaden perspectives, optimise ways of working and challenge current thinking. 

For agencies, the pitch experience must be equally compelling.  A platform to shine. To face into a new challenge that raises the bar not only for the prospective client but also helps to move the agency forward. 

However, there are sometimes challenges in pitch processes: bumps in the road that mean not every pitch is a rewarding journey for either brand or agency.  This shouldn’t be the case and there are several simple steps and behaviours you can take to ensure the process, whatever the scale, runs smoothly. 

The building blocks 


A positive pitch starts with the right foundations. Without these the process will be at best a non-starter and at worst, a costly exercise not quickly forgotten for both brand and agency side marketers. 

Warning flags from the outset are numerous: 

  • a lack of clear brief,  

  • uncertain budget,  

  • no guaranteed scope of work post-pitch,  

  • or a brand just reviewing the market, ‘window shopping’ with no intention to award work 


The brand should have clear objectives of what success looks like.  How the outcome of the pitch and the resulting work will make a tangible difference to their business.  

Sometimes a lack of clarity can be refined through a discovery phase at the start of the pitch process, which always helps to sharpen a brief and refine objectives. The early-stage research and exploration may also unearth that the current agency relationship isn’t broken, it just needs some TLC to realign and re-set. But it won’t make up for a lack of agreed objectives and a clear, guaranteed scope of work. 

Should an incumbent agency be involved?  


We are often asked whether the existing, or incumbent, agency should be invited to pitch. The answer is always it depends. First, do they have a chance of winning? If not, there’s your answer. And secondly, does this existing relationship create a level playing field on which all agency teams can compete fairly?  

If there is an incumbent agency, it is helpful to know they and the brand have made significant efforts to remedy any current issues ahead of commencing a pitch.  Sometimes persistent challenges can be better addressed through a closed pitch process, commercial review or refining their ways of working. 

The fundamentals


For both brand and agency marketers, a pitch needs to take a balanced approach:  

  • The timescales should be fair with clear milestones and decision points 

  • The number of agencies should be kept to a minimum – a best-fit potential roster, rather than a laundry list to satisfy a brand’s curiosity – understanding that it’s a costly exercise to participate in a pitch 

  • The agencies should feel comfortable they are in the right pitch and assured enough to decline to participate or challenge thinking 

  • The stakeholders on both sides should be consistent and relevant to the process – not a cast of thousands 

  • It should be underpinned by defined outcomes and transparent evaluation criteria 

  • Based on a right-sized brief – with necessary level of due diligence and interrogation without over-asking 

  • Include clear, actionable feedback at each stage 

  • If it’s project or retainer based it should be considered as a partnership – the most productive brand and agency relationships are just that, healthy relationships not just client and supplier
     

Confidence is king  


A gauge of a successful pitch is the clarity and certainty each party feels throughout the process. Not just at the point of final decision.   

Communication should flow freely, but in a structured manner between the parties throughout the process. Leaving no room for ambiguity or second-guessing next steps.  

A well-run pitch is about ensuring it’s fair and equitable. From the outset offering the opportunity to emulate a working relationship for brand and agency to test their partnership fit. 

The pitch brief is the backbone, the yardstick to measure by, but outside of this are the softer measures.  The quality of interactions and the working bonds that build as the process progresses will also influence decisions on both sides as to whether the partnership is right. 

It should be that by the final presentations the remaining agencies have been given the opportunity to produce their best work, have an equal chance of being awarded the contract and the brand stakeholders feel they have tested them with sufficient rigour to confidently move forward. 

To find out more about how Oystercatchers can help you find the best fit agency partner, get in touch. 

We’re proud signatories of the Pitch Positive Pledge, which sets the tone for making the pitch process a positive experience for all parties. You can find out more here.