Agency pitches are essentially high-stakes first dates: A choreographed dance of tailored suits, polite laughter and a collective effort to keep the ‘quirks’ under wraps until the second meeting.
Whether you’re looking for a media, digital, or PR partner, a pitch is a rare chance to peer into the industry looking glass – and hopefully find a partner, not just a vendor who’s really good at PowerPoint.
When you invite smart people into a room to tell you how great your business could be, it’s bound to spark some soul-searching.
That’s the dream.
But sometimes, the dream starts to feel more like a fever dream.
And while most pitches go smoothly, keep an eye out for these six red flags that suggest you might be getting ‘pitched’ in more ways than one.
1. The Guru
The agency brings in a ‘Guru’- a person with a brain the size of a planet and insights that make you feel like you’ve reached enlightenment.
The catch? The Guru lives in a different time zone, possibly on a different tectonic plate, and is about as likely to work on your daily account as a unicorn is to lead your Tuesday status call. Once the contract is signed, they vanish into the mists of ‘Strategic Oversight’.
Reality check: What is the actual, physical access to this person? Will they be in the trenches with us, or are they just here for the opening act?
2. The Shiny Object
We’ve all seen it: a flashy VR experience, a viral stunt involving a high-altitude balloon, or an app that does something cool but totally useless. It’s easy to get distracted by the glitter, but remember: A one-off stunt is a sprint; your brand needs a marathon runner. Don’t let a clever ad distract you from the fact that they haven’t mentioned your actual business goals once.
Reality check: How does this cool toy actually integrate with our boring-but-necessary long-term requirements?
3. Theatre Overload
We love enthusiasm as much as anyone else, but there is a fine line between passionate partner and three-ring circus. If the agency spends more time on the choreography of their entrance than on their data strategy, be careful. You’re hiring a team, not a troupe of interpretive dancers.
Reality check: When the smoke machine stops and the confetti is swept away, what is the core offering that actually differentiates them?
4. It’s All About Me
This is the ‘Lead Role Casting’ trap. Either one charismatic ego-tripper dominates the entire 60 minutes, or less senior staff (the people who will actually be doing the work) are sitting in the corner like Victorian children – seen but not heard.
If your team are like ghosts in the room and don’t don’t hear from the people you’ll be talking to every day, you aren’t seeing the agency; you’re seeing a monologue.
Reality check: Can we meet the rest of the team for a coffee – without the Lead Actor present?
5. The Missing Connection
Chemistry is the secret sauce. You can have the smartest strategy in the world, but if your team leaves the room feeling like they just sat through a particularly cold dental cleaning, it’s not going to work. If there’s no spark, no amount of ROI will make those 9:00 AM meetings bearable.
Reality check: Why does this feel like a bad blind date, and what is specifically missing from the emotional connection here?
6. The Budget Magician
This agency promises the moon, the stars, and a Super Bowl spot on a shoestring budget. They’ve looked at your modest ;ocal radio budget and somehow produced a plan that includes a world tour and an A-list celebrity endorsement. It feels like magic … because that’s what it is – illusion. You’ll sign the deal, and three months later, the ‘unexpected costs’ will start appearing like rabbits out of a hat.
Reality check: This looks incredible, but can you walk us through the math? Which parts of this plan are based on best-case scenarios and which parts are actually guaranteed?
The Bottom Line
All these warning signs are your ‘check engine’ lights of the marketing world. And course any successful search depends on a solid process – not just your gut instinct.
For a comprehensive guide on how to prepare for your agency search process as well as things to look for (and avoid), call your friendly agency search consultant or check out the guide we wrote for the Association of Canadian Advertisers on Searching For A Marketing Communications Agency Partner: – A Guidebook for Marketers on Agency Searches.
Stephan Argent
Stephan Argent is Founder and Principal at Listenmore Inc, Canada’s leading confidential advisory consultancy that specializes in Agency Search Management. Read more like this on our blog Marketing Unscrewed / follow me @StephanArgent