Darla Price, president of Ogilvy New York, is reimagining a pitch process that evaluates long-term partnership potential over isolated ideas. She posed to a group of other agency execs that the 4A’s brought together, “Wouldn’t it be interesting if pitches evolved to not be about creative work?” 

“It should be about the chemistry, about how you partner and how you solve the hardest strategic problems,” said Price. “I know this will never happen in my lifetime, but what if all agencies banded together and said, ‘This is how we’re going to pitch moving forward?” 

On Oct. 17, The 4A’s hosted leadership from six agencies—Ogilvy, Giant Spoon, Fig, Wavemaker North America, Joan Creative and Allen & Gerritsen—who broke down the highly contested pitch process, approaches to talent retention and the ongoing challenge of navigating internal and external expectations. Panelists also outlined how their return-to-work policies and celebration of unscheduled creativity play into maintaining that balance. 

Considering the purpose of a pitch 

A ongoing complaint from agencies about the pitch process is the lack of feedback from clients, which they stress is both unhelpful to the agency’s growth and sets the stage for a false reality, as real business relationships are defined by contested ideas. A joint study between the 4A’s and ANA last year found that 87% of agencies find feedback valuable, with 66% saying it’s painful if they don’t receive it. But only 70% of brands find it valuable to give and 54% say it’s a pain to give.

Joan Creative co-founder and CEO Lisa Clunie, who said pitching is “manufactured to be a show,” emphasized the dangers of basing a complex relationship on a structured performance. 

“The reality of partnerships is sometimes you hit it, and sometimes you don’t hit it,” she said. “If you’re looking for the perfect campaign, you can really miss the cultural fit.” 

Sharb Farjami, CEO of Wavemaker North America, added that agency leaders must exercise the humility to protect their people from losing games by recognizing “when you’re in it and not going to win it,” as the process can be draining and thankless. Trevor Guthrie, co-founder of Giant Spoon, put it simply: “Not everything has to be a pitch,” and when every small assignment requires a pitch, it’s unfair and unreasonable to expect talent’s best work. 

If you’re an architect, you don’t build the house before you sell it.

—Trevor Guthrie, co-founder, Giant Spoon

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