Name Eunice Wong
Title Marketing director, Jardine Restaurant Group, Hong Kong
Pitches Many
First pitch HSBC personal banking products (regional); associate account director, BatesAsia
Biggest pitch McDonald's worldwide brand campaign; general manager, DDB Hong Kong
A pitch can always be an easy way out for clients when they are facing any of the following issues:
- A decrease in sales
- Growth has gone stale
- Research results are not promising
- They need to demonstrate to the management that the change of agency is a fair and honest choice
- They need to entertain the auditors
- They want to bid down the agency's charges
- Competitors' ads look more exciting
- Regional office requests new ideas
- Change of personnel on either side
- The marketer or the boss is not clear about what's next
In many cases, it comes down to chemistry. Clients often have preferences even before the pitch. In this sense, it is easy for an agency to sense whether the relationship is still in good shape — once it isn't, the client halts communications.
Pitching an account is like dating a girl — you must create occasions for the girl to get to know you in person, and you can learn to know her preferences too. Put effort into building the relationship and learning the business, not just drawing storyboards.
Also, please do not take positive comments made during a pitch too seriously: it is common practice for clients to say something encouraging just to be polite.
I am sorry to say that the pitch is a game led by the client and not the agency, because the agency is not able to see the full picture on the client's side. However, even though I am a client, I do not enjoy the pitch. I believe a client/agency relationship is similar to a marriage — it is not healthy to threaten your spouse with divorce unless you are serious. Every new relationship will have a honeymoon period, but there is never a guarantee on how long it can last.
Is the pitch working? Maybe Although it may not be a fair and ideal solution and, in some cases it is not a good solution to real problems, it certainly addresses agendas on the client's side.
