Head to Head: Should brands pay agencies to pitch?
In Mumbrella’s Head to Head series, we invites the industry’s PR professionals to debate the industry’s biggest issues. This week, the founder of The HumbleBrag, Lucy von Sturmer goes head to head with David Platter, managing director of Dave Platter Pty Ltd public relations on whether brands should pay agencies to pitch for their business.
There is a huge debate in the PR industry, which most commonly lies between brands and agencies, around whether or not brands should be paying agencies for the work involved in pitching for their business.
The founder of The HumbleBrag, Lucy von Sturmer argues that transparency is critical in a pitching process and the days where agencies don’t pitch for a fee are well and truly over.
On the other hand, David Platter says paying a pitch fee is unrealistic and it isn’t appropriate because the budget that corporate teams are given for their PR spend is usually too small.
YES: Lucy von Sturmer, founder of The HumbleBrag:
Some clients pay, some don’t.
It’s always been like that and it always will be.
The bigger issue is ownership of the ideas.
We refuse to give away ownership of our ideas if not appointed.
But, like everything in life, it’s your call.
Great comment, C’est la vie.
Maybe agencies should pay publishers for their ideas, they may look alright in a client pitch presentation but fall down when being talked to
What is the point of endeavour?
One should always be paid for ones labours, but endeavour requires the freedom of spirit and senses. True creativity and self evident proof of worth exist in free endeavour.
Too much so called creativity is scraped up from Google and YouTube etc. Open your mind and forge some real endeavour.
It really depends how ‘transparent’ your pitch is.
If you’re just going to hurl buzzwords until you get a signature and then hand the job off to a junior account manager, well, you shouldn’t get any money at all. And let’s face it, that accounts for a significant percentage of the industry who are forward focused in projecting a dynamic experience where brand as narrative is the uplift for thought leaders who absolutely deliver the next level of integrated service offerings.
That’s a dog and pony show and while it’s true that a huge number of clients really like their dogs and ponies, it’s pretty yuck.
If you’re actually analysing the client’s business and constructing the beginnings of a long term sustainable effort, then you work a pitch charge into your package estimate for transparency before you start work. Depending on their reaction it should give you an indication of whether or not your client is someone you should be doing business with.
“forward focused in projecting a dynamic experience where brand as narrative is the uplift for thought leaders who absolutely deliver the next level of integrated service offerings.”
Can you please translate that into plain English by any chance?