Pitches are the most costly part of running an agency, and so choosing which to focus on and which to reject is a critical decision. It’s easy to bemoan the cost of wasted work from losing agencies, and also the ideas not selected even for the winning agency. But the cost goes beyond the financial repercussions. Its also about the missed potential of that time and money, the damaged morale, and the late nights and long hours that come from dedicating agency resources into understanding of a brand, team and opportunity which you previously had little or no knowledge of. A heap of work therefore goes into understanding the best conditions for success.
We’ve discovered one particular playing field that has increased value in comparison to the cost for Space. When we look at a more competitive landscape (agencies we fear, perhaps being an outlier or maverick client choice on the pitch list), it seems to galvanise us more and capitalise on our courage and resilience as an agency team.
We see the extra effort come out, the ruthless focus on the aligned goals, and the consistent energy in the right direction. Our win percentage is higher in these situations, when the chance should be lower and optimism reduced.
Traditionally, these may have been the pitches that we would reject. But to succeed at the moments when you think the odds might be stacked against you has exponential impact through the business and reinforces our values and ambitions at the same time.
When the rewards are also higher and the confidence longer-lasting, we feel the gamble is proven to be less risky than when we’re favourites or most likely to win.
As a team, it takes time to combat the prejudiced concerns about taking on the more hairy battles or threatening conditions. Examples of other such wins, stating the ambition and clarifying the potential and rewards, and galvanising the squad quickly unites us in the objective.