Agency pitches are growing more complex, reflecting the increasing complexity of the communications market. Especially for pitches from large international brands, where a regional approach is becoming more common. In the past three months alone, Dialog has been invited to take part in three such pitches.
What Clients Want
Clients are looking for agencies that offer the right mix of several key elements: capacity and expertise, strategic thinking, creativity, deep knowledge of the local market, and strong value for money. Even in the early stages of a pitch, they often request business reports, reference client lists, relevant case studies, service overviews, competitive and/or media landscape reviews, bios of potential team members, and sometimes even recommendations from current clients, journalists, collaborators, or decision-makers.
The Creative Phase Under Pressure
If the agency meets the initial criteria, the next step is the brief, where clients expect a communication strategy, innovative thinking, and creative solutions to the challenge. The biggest hurdles in this phase are often incomplete information and tight deadlines, as agencies need time to fully understand the challenge, define the strategy, and develop creative concepts – often including budget estimates and a campaign timeline.
The Final Stage and Procurement Negotiations
Sometimes, there’s even a third round of the pitch process, a follow-up task with even tighter deadlines. Here, the client wants to see agility and a “turnkey” delivery. If you reach the final stage, you enter negotiations with procurement, often involving discussions about possible discounts or a pay-by-results (PBR) model.
In Summary
You can stand out in a pitch with your experience, strategic thinking, agility, innovation, professionalism, and transparency during negotiations. Additionally, presentations need to be visually engaging and compelling – that combination is a winning formula for us at Dialog.
