Agency Reviews
- Started
- Last post
- 11 Responses
- harlequino
Anyone ever been involved in any major or minor agency reviews to win a new client account?
I'm curious as to how much internal resources were put into the 'big pitch,' time-wise and dollar-wise. I read recently that agencies will spend anywhere from 100-500k on this for the real big fish (the Pepsi's and Nike's of the world) including shooting full spots as pitch material, and I'm wondering how that compares to other poeple's experience. Kthx.
- fyoucher10
I'm just a one man freelancer but I've created pitch material for a few of the big agencies in the years past. Not sure about the money part of it but they have me create a ton of stuff in an extremely short amount of time. Have no problem paying a 'rush rate' for all hours expended either. I'm sure they spend a good amount of loot, 500k would be on the low-end IMO. I know I was only a tiny portion of it too (just a small portion of interactive / rich media). They have broadcast, print, and just about everyone else involved too (some of the most well-known mograph and interactive studios banging stuff out as well). Always a really hectic timeline -- working weekends, a lot of times straight through the night, and occasionally pulling 30+ hours straight. Like one big team effort involving a lot of folks.
- harlequino0
*bumpity
- harlequino0
Yup I hear that, and the dollar amount isn't particularly shocking to me. I'm also curious if anyone has seen the final outcome of that spenditure - what was the tally of final pitch materials at that budget level?
- itsmitch0
Is nobody concerned that these companies, no matter how big, are getting free/spec work? That's not a good way to operate and now we have an expectation in the industry that we should do this. Who else does free work? Shouldn't the client study the agency, look at previous work, talk to previous clients and decide from that. That's how every other industry operates.
- Yet another reason why I don't work with big companies directly.itsmitch
- harlequino0
^This isn't really the same thing as someone asking you, the designer, to do a pitch comp for free. This is large ad agencies who are trying to secure HUGE multimillion dollar accounts with Coke, the Army, Dow Pharma, and so on, will spend what they need to get it.
All industries leverage capital for new business development.
- my understanding is this is usually done for AOR stuff. win once and collect booty far into the future.monNom
- bogue0
i Helped with creative direction on a fairly large pitch that ended up winning the account. I'd say all of your numbers seem about right. We did shoot new video and provide multiple web comps, print ad comps, online banner campaign visuals. There's were probably a good 15 designers working on the pitch. And of course it was all last minute and a ridiculous push to get it done.
- harlequino0
Interesting, thanks, bogue. Did you ever get the impression that there is something of a standard checklist in terms of what the agency will create as far as the pitch materials go? What I mean is - is there a standard at that level such as "at least 1 spec broadcast spot, an entire spec online campaign, so on and so forth?"
- move0
I've been a part of those kinds of pitches. But 500k? Seriously? What agency do you know that can afford invest 500k on a pitch.
- harlequino0
^At that level I would guess that it comes out of an agency's holding company, such as OmniCom (they own Goodby, BBDO, many others).
- bogue0
harlequino > Our specific deliverables were sort of based off of the original RFP/Brief, which had alot of focus placed on interactive. So we made sure to put more effort into interactive concepts. The client actually had a set list of deliverables... and then we made sure to hit everything they requested and also go above and beyond to try and win the pitch. I think we just designed and designed and designed, and then refined the overall brand ideas and then designed more. Basically through a bunch of shit at the wall and kept the best stuff.
And in regards to the 500K... that kind of money might not be flying around as much in the last year or so... but between hiring external resources and the agencies actual time put into its easy to piss away 500k. Especially if the business you win is gonna be worth 2 or 3 million of guaranteed business a year.
- Good to know, cheers. Sorta confirmed what I suspected, but good to hear that from someone who's been involved.harlequino