Design agencies kept in the dark over length of pitch lists

by Jennifer Whitehead, Brand Republic 22-Mar-06, 08:10

LONDON - Design agencies are being kept in the dark over how many of their competitors they are up against when it comes to new-business pitches.

According to research undertaken by Reardon Smith Whittaker, the business development consultancy, there is a large discrepancy between how many rivals they believe they are pitching against, and the true number being seen by clients.

When asked how many agencies featured in their last pitch, 58% of agencies said it involved four or more in total. However, when clients were asked the same question, they reported that in 92% of pitches, four or more agencies pitched.

Reardon Smith Whittaker's research also revealed that 20% of design agencies said that their last pitch involved six or more agencies.

Adam Whittaker, CEO at RSW, said: "This year's report has shown the design marketplace to be extremely competitive. While the research appears to show that clients are disingenuous, you've got to have sympathy for them since it's tough to manage the pitching process with so much choice. Successful agencies will be those who understand how to market smarter rather than sell harder."

Reardon Smith Whittaker specialises in developing pre-pitch relationships on behalf of its agency clients. It compiles the New Business Research Report every year.

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