“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination”. Nelson Mandela

In recent years, CPR became in Greece the almost absolute KPI to select an agency.
Why is that? It is because of our nature and because of internal workings in businesses.
– CPR is a single number. Even non specialists can tell which agency offered the best, provided they ensure the qualitative side is guaranteed equal for all contenders, a non-simple task.
– Anything else… needs knowledge and internal argumentation.

But you need your new agency to be both: Efficient and Effective.
• Proof of success? When was it that candidate agencies have worked “out of the box” and created big returns for another client? Or alternatively, what do they propose for your brand authentically (not copy-pasted from the international brochure) and what supporting evidence do they bring along, that their ideas will deliver?
• What metrics do they propose you to measure success?
• In what sequence of importance?

Practical tips in pitching:
• Do not invite more than 4 agencies. The last time the number was debated, the senior marketer said “In China we invited four. Do you believe in Greece we need more?”. But then also, when agencies enter the contest out of a 25% probability, they will put-in all their energy. On a less favorable situation, they may simply gamble.
• By sticking to up to 4 agencies, you are triggering at least one of them to respond “out of the box” and to help you build your next business success!
• Respect the time & effort of the agencies and do not overextend your brief.
• Be precise and analytic.
• Include in the brief market monitor results and the research you have internally to make meaningful marketing decisions
• Develop your scorecard upfront and include it in your brief.
• Transparent rules and research sharing, will encourage more meaningful proposals and will distinct the original thinkers from the “copy-pasters”.

Ultimately: A well written meaningful brief and the degree of how well you conduct your media pitch, will reflect on your personal image and on that of your company.
External stakeholders: The community of agencies usually shares good and bad impressions. Which one day may become the “make or break” condition for the advancement of your career.
Then also, positive opinions are nowadays the top criterion for talented candidates to seek employment with your company.
Internal stakeholders: Your team will see that you abide to objective and results oriented rules and thus will become confident that they will be judged on performance. But also the top management will “sniff” what happened and will become more confident on your ability to judge and to manage.