Are you still pitching or are you already selling?
The well-known international real estate agent had been without an agency for nine months. He organized a so-called pitch. Of the 20 or so agencies selected, only six had survived the first round of the competition. Still no winner. But now something unusual happened: the estate agent invited another ten agencies to the competition. And he said: “The best thing about it is that it costs nothing.”
It seems like an extraordinarily bizarre idea. Nevertheless, it is surprising how widespread it still is. Although the episode described was a few years ago, many companies today are still seduced by a conceivably ineffective procedure that leaves them blind from a business perspective.
The framework conditions are often similar. Purchasing or Controlling issues new guidelines for pricing with suppliers, the old and possibly tried and tested agency relationship is to be reviewed to see “whether something better can be found”, or the senior position in Marketing has been filled.
In all these situations, it’s almost a reflex to pitch for all it’s worth. At least three, if not as many agencies as possible, are now invited to set man and mouse in motion to develop and present unique ideas and sample campaigns for real or even fictitious projects. Gladly in one or more elimination rounds.
The best thing about it is that it costs nothing!
After each individual round, each idea will be refined and worked out in more detail. Of course, if possible for free or for symbolic compensation – an amazing process that would be completely out of the question in any other industry.
We pitch for projects whose market has long since moved on.
Many agencies have now abandoned such disdainful tenders – but that’s another topic. The fact that enormous resources also go into such a process on the client side is another.
What is astonishing, however, is that there was probably originally a rational reason for the change of agency. After all, the briefing spoke of a number of problems that needed to be solved. Until a new agency was finally determined and appointed, not a single one of these problems had been solved.
When everything is finally new, it’s already old.
One day in the distant future, this new agency finally starts work. More time passes before it completes its work. In the traditional client-agency relationship, this is many months – and very often over a year. So when the project is finally completed, the market has moved on. Basically, you can now start all over again.
Digital projects must become more predictable – and deliver immediately presentable results
Speed is the new professional risk insurance.
This process is now outdated. And it has given many digital projects a bad reputation in the past. They rarely delivered what they promised: First inflated budgets, then burnt budgets. How many project managers have been caught in the crossfire because of this?
The only thing that helps is speed. And a strategy that promises to deliver the required results in such a short time that budgets can be measured against it. Because the management can finally do something with it.
We are happy to help you deliver meaningful results as quickly as possible.