Every agency that’s ever participated in a pitch knows RFPs and pitch processes can be far from perfect. We’ve all heard the horror stories, and whether the pitch is run directly by the client or a search consultant, win or lose, we all sense there’s probably room for improvement.
This is why we are running year two of the State of the Pitch survey—to continue the vital work of quantifying, tracking, and ultimately addressing any issues in Canada’s new business landscape.
Year One Confirmed the Problem
The success of our inaugural survey proves that this is a conversation the industry wants and needs to have. Developed first by our partners at TrinityP3 in Australia and adapted for Canada the 2024 survey gathered experiences from over 150 pitches.
The data moved us beyond anecdotes and confirmed a painful reality: A significant one-third (31%) of pitches in Canada were rated as “bad or very bad.” This is a staggering figure that represents wasted time, frustration, and avoidable anguish.
The value of the State of the Pitch survey is that it helps pinpoint the problems. The data shows that the majority of this dissatisfaction is completely avoidable, pointing to bad behaviour that included:
• Giving agencies less than two weeks to respond
• Inviting a dozen-plus agencies to a pitch
• Demanding free strategy or creative upfront
The goal of this year is to track these metrics and push that 31% dissatisfaction rate downwards by using the data to inform best practices for clients and consultants.
We Need Your 2025 Experiences
We are calling on every agency that’s participated in a pitch this year to submit your pitch experiences – irrespective of winning or losing. Simply complete the survey from this link – it can be used as many times as needed—one for each pitch experience.
The 2025 survey is now live and again hosted by Campaign Canada to ensure unbiased reporting. By sharing your current experiences, you provide the critical data needed to drive meaningful improvements across the industry.
Confidentiality Guaranteed
Because pitches are typically confidential, we are not mandating any information that could be linked back to a particular advertiser, agency, or pitch. Likewise, details of any single survey response will never be revealed.
This is not about who won or lost. It is about how well those pitches were managed.
The continued success of this annual survey will deepen our industry’s understanding, enable us to report on the latest trends, and ultimately drive a data-led dialogue about improving the pitch process for all agencies in Canada. Your voice is essential to make Year Two even more impactful.
Thank you for your support, input and yes, uninhibited commentary.
State of the Pitch Survey can be found here.
Image by freepik.
Every agency that’s ever participated in a pitch knows RFPs and pitch processes can be far from perfect. We’ve all heard the horror stories and whether the pitch is run directly by a client or a search consultant, win or lose, we all sense there’s probably room for improvement.
While we know there were more than 150 pitches undertaken in Canada last year, what we don’t know is the range of pitch practices agencies are faced with and where specifically we should be calling for change.
Last year, our partners at TrinityP3 in Australia pioneered a survey to capture much needed data on the state of the pitch landscape to help the industry understand the good, the bad and the ugly of pitching across Australia. The information gathered is now a starting point for an industry discussion around pitching based on actual data rather than hearsay.
We have joined forces with Campaign, to launch the State of the Pitch survey here in Canada. The 2024 survey is hosted by Campaign Canada and you can find the link to the survey here. Campaign have also published an article to explain what we hope to achieve and why we feel it is so important, as well as some industry commentary.
We are asking every agency that participates in any pitch – irrespective of winning or losing – complete the survey. The link can be used as many times as needed – one for each pitch.
Because pitches are typically confidential, we’re not mandating any information that can be linked back to a particular advertiser, agency or pitch, and is therefore within the confines of any reasonable confidentiality agreement. Likewise, details of any single survey response will never be revealed.
This is not about who won or lost. It is about how well those pitches were managed.
The survey will enable us (hopefully on an annual basis) to report on the trends in pitch behaviour and to start a meaningful dialogue with brands about improving the process for agencies in Canada.
Sampling commences today but any pitch you have participated in since January 2024 can be included.
Campaign’s global team of data analysts will then work to process the findings, working with the editorial team here in Canada to produce a full, anonymized report in Spring 2025.
In short, every pitch agencies participate in moving forward can now be included – no matter how big or small. Each and every contribution made will add to and inform a rich view of the state of pitching with which we hope to effect a positive change.
Our goal is to hold up a mirror to the industry that will inform – and hopefully transform – pitch processes based on agency input. It will start conversations between clients, agencies and consultants on what constitutes good pitching and what doesn’t. This is an opportunity to help our industry get it right, eliminate the practices that drive us all crazy, and a chance to have your say on the state of the pitch here in Canada.
Thank you in anticipation.