Account Manager, Corporate Affairs

To PR pitch or not to pitch

March 11 2016

To PR pitch or not to pitch – for PR agencies & consultants

by Anja D’Hondt, BPRCA Board Member, PR & Management Consultant duomedia

This blog is based on an insightful BPRCA-hosted training by Martine Ballegeer – partner at Pitchpoint and author of ‘Advertiser searches agency’. She consults and guides companies in their search of the best matching advertising agency. Martine used her valuable expertise to help us better understand the client’s perspective on the entire pitching process.

Here are my top-10 learnings relevant to PR:

  • On the Radar. We often assume that companies will know who and where to search for a PR agency. However in reality very few marketers really know all the PR or advertising agencies and their specialities. So it is good to keep screening the market yourself to source interesting opportunities and stay on the radar for the first longlist selection.
  • Be Selective. If approached, be selective as it saves time and efforts for everyone if you do not apply for pitches that are not within your reach and field of experience. Therefore define in advance the areas you are specialized and interested in.
  • Short versus Longlist. Companies can share the names or you may request them of agencies selected for the short or longlist. In your presentation talk about the people, your values and how you can offer a solution to the client.

A longlist can go up to 10 companies, which is then narrowed down to 3 + current agency. Do not assume you don’t stand a chance if the current agency is included in the pitch, it may well be that the client wants a new and fresh approach.

  • Listen and Ask. Listen more than talking about yourself, unless it is relevant and ties in to the issues. Ask questions if certain areas are not clear, if there is not sufficient time for proper preparations of the proposal – 2 to 3 weeks is an absolute minimum. Also during the process, make sure to ask more details and feedback from the client.
  • The Chemistry. Without proper insights it’s difficult to draft an entire strategy for a pitch. Rather than a boring powerpoint, an interactive workshop is more inspiring. It actively involves the agency’s account manager and the client team members. This way both parties can assess if the chemistry is right and if the agency will be able to support them with creative ideas and if they will work together.
  • Relevant Cases. Take the effort to adjust your cases and best practices to the client’s needs. It’s more important to show you understand their problem and than to impress them with non-relevant shiny cases. You may even use cases of inspiring or successful campaigns from other agencies, as long as you do not claim them yourself.
  • Client Retention. Realizing how much time and efforts it takes to gain new clients and get to know them, it’s always better to retain and if necessary revitalize existing clients. A few years back we organized at my PR agency a workshop with a client and some team members. During a gamestorming session and role play we defined the misunderstandings and problems which had clouded the relation. After this day the relationship was better than ever and up till today it’s still a very healthy and joyful cooperation. Also a yearly evaluation face to face can help to re-align expectations on both sides and maintain a good partnership.
  • Deal with Procurement. It is more important to present the results and value you will add than the ‘hours’ and pricing. Set clear SLA’s (service level agreements, KPI’s (key performance indicators) and measurement criteria as part of the agreement. If procurement does negociate on prices, better to give something extra than to bargain rates down.
  • Quick Kick-off. To save time it is an interesting idea to bundle the entire briefing and training process into one kick-off day. The client can present the company and products, and the agency their way of working and processes. Make sure all involved people are present and actively participate. This way you take a fast shortcut to a smooth cooperation.
  • Respect Partner Agencies. Companies are often looking for one partner who can integrate other and complementary agencies in design, marketing, web development. In such case it is important that solid agreements are made and each agency respects them. Do not expect work that falls under another agencies scope of work or area of expertise.

You can consult the pitching guidelines BPRCA created in cooperation with UBA (Union of Belgian Advertisers). For any questions or issues related to pitching and procurement, forms and templates, contact secretariat@bprca.be

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