Last year, when I was on the agency side of the fence, I participated and saw several new business pitches. Now that I am a consult, I get asked about the process and the experience. I guess I didn't
realize a lot of people probably haven't seen such a thing. Because there is no easy way to describe it, I've put together a list of steps:
Agency gets a call or package from an outside search
firm, or a brand marketer inviting the firm to pitch. Depending on how big (monetarily) the pitch is, this information comes to the head of biz dev, the COO, the CEO, or another big title. A rough
"pitch team" is selected based on creativity and smarts, or sometimes just plain availability. And the whirlwind begins... Email after email and meeting request after meeting request begin to
swarm like bees. You find yourself juggling current client work, other new business pitches, and the new biggee. Becoming expert in the art of hoop-jumping, you move from meeting to meeting,
"war room" to "war room." (Typically the name given to conference rooms that become unavailable and taken over solely for the purpose of the pitch. A group of people are asked to craft responses
to the RFP (request for proposal). This could go through several rounds. Sometimes agencies are given an assignment or a business challenge; sometimes they are not. The great minds, eyes, and
ears brainstorm into the wee hours of the night on a constant quest for "the big idea." White boards are populated with scribblings, "war rooms" are packed with old ads, competitive ads,
packaging, brochures... anything and everything about the company to gain knowledge, insight, or ignite the big idea. Rounds of pitches are often protocol. They can happen at the agency, the
prospective client's office, or off-site. Location plays a huge role in the pitch. Agencies want to house pitches to have home court advantage, which cuts down on travel expenses, etc. Depending
on the number of rounds, agencies quickly (sometimes within days) get eliminated. For those who are lucky to remain, they may get assignment after assignment to complete in mere days until the
next round.
advertisement
advertisement
You get the drift. So round after round, the agency tries to outdo itself as well as other contenders. It's truly an amazing transformation to watch. Every participant is eating,
breathing, and sleeping this brand. Rooms are often transformed; the entire environment can be changed-from the billboards, taxi tops, driveways, and buildings. The Staff is often clad in "costumes"
prepared to act out a day-in-the-life of Joe Target Audience. Lighting is altered, food is prepared, music is piped in...
I won't go on. The bottom line is simple: You either win or lose and
the experience either makes you more prepared, more experienced, more creative/strategic, or more crazy. It is truly an experience you'll never forget.
