How to Run an Agency Pitch That Gets Better Work

What a pitch is for

A pitch is a structured competition in which agencies show how they would approach your problem, who would do the work and what it would cost. A well-run pitch helps you choose a partner with confidence. A badly run pitch burns time on both sides, rewards salesmanship over substance and may cost you the best candidates, who decline to take part.

This guide describes a process that treats agencies fairly and gives you the information you actually need to decide.

Decide whether you need a pitch at all

Pitches suit significant, ongoing work where several suppliers could do the job. They are less helpful for small or urgent tasks. In those cases a few conversations, reference calls and a small paid test project may give better information with less effort. Public bodies may be required to run formal procurement; then the rules of that process apply.

Step 1: Write a brief you would be proud of

Start with a clear brief covering the problem, objective, audience, context, budget range, timeline and decision process. The guide on writing a brief gives a template. Agencies cannot propose well against a vague document, and good agencies will decline to respond to one.

Step 2: Build a longlist and a shortlist

Gather candidates from recommendations, industry directories, award lists treated with caution, and your own research into work you admire. Send a short request for information asking about relevant experience, team, size, conflicts and working approach. From the responses, choose a shortlist. Three to five agencies is typically manageable, since each additional participant adds work for everyone.

Check competitive conflicts early. An agency that serves a direct competitor may be unable to take part or may propose safeguards. Ask for this to be disclosed.

Step 3: Agree the criteria before you see the work

Write down what you will judge and how much each factor matters. Examples include understanding of the problem, quality of strategic thinking, relevant experience, team and chemistry, quality of ideas, fit with the budget, measurement approach and commercial terms. Share the list with participants. It keeps your own team honest and makes the decision easier to explain to the agencies that lose.

Step 4: Run a fair briefing session

Hold a briefing call or meeting for all agencies at once or give each the same information. Let them ask questions, and share the answers with everyone. Set a realistic timeline: enough days to think, not so many that the pitch drags. Name the decision date and stick to it.

Step 5: Decide how much work you are asking for

Free creative work is a controversial practice. Many professional bodies in design discourage unpaid speculative work, and it rarely predicts how an agency will perform on a real account. Better options include:

• A strategy-led pitch: ask for approach, insight and how they would tackle the problem, with a few illustrative directions rather than finished work.
• Paid pitch work: pay a fee to each finalist for a defined piece of work.
• A paid pilot: hire one or two agencies for a small, real project and see how they work.

Whatever you choose, state what rights you have over any ideas presented and do not use a losing agency's ideas without agreement.

Step 6: Run the presentations well

Give each agency the same time and format. Include the people who would actually work on your account, and ask to meet them. Prepare questions: how would you measure success? What worries you most about this project? What do you need from us? How do you handle disagreement? What would you not do? Take notes against the criteria immediately after each session while memories are fresh.

Step 7: Hold a chemistry meeting and check references

Chemistry matters because the relationship will run on daily communication. A relaxed meeting with the day-to-day team can reveal more than a polished presentation. Speak to references the agency offers and, where you can, to former clients, asking what happened when something went wrong. Review work samples for the quality of thinking, not just visuals.

Step 8: Compare proposals on the same basis

Build a simple comparison covering scope, team, hours, deliverables, third-party costs, reporting and terms. Normalize differences, for example by asking agencies to price the same assumptions. Check the contract points that matter: ownership of work, confidentiality, notice period, and what you receive on exit. Have a lawyer review the agreement before signing.

Step 9: Decide and give feedback

Score each agency against the criteria, discuss differences and decide. Tell the winner promptly and negotiate terms. Then tell the others, with a few honest sentences of feedback. This courtesy builds your reputation among agencies, and you may need them in future.

Plan the timeline backwards

Work back from the date you need the agency to start. Allow time for the briefing, a response period of a couple of weeks for substantial work, presentations, reference checks, contract negotiation and your own internal approvals. Many pitches run late because the final sign-off was left until the end and the decision maker was unavailable. Block diary time for everyone who must attend, and agree in advance how a tie will be broken. A realistic schedule respects agencies' effort and improves the quality of what you receive.

Common pitch mistakes

Pitching without a budget. Inviting too many agencies. Changing the brief midway. Asking for extensive free work. Meeting only senior pitch teams and discovering later that juniors do the work. Choosing on charisma. Letting the process drag. Keeping silent with the losers.

Key takeaways

A good pitch is a fair, well-briefed comparison. Write a clear brief, shortlist carefully, set criteria in advance, limit the unpaid work you ask for, meet the real team, compare proposals on the same footing and give honest feedback. The result should be a decision you can defend and a partner who understands the problem.

Frequently asked questions