In today’s rapidly shifting marketing landscape, the traditional agency pitch process is increasingly starting to show its limitations. Brands are demanding more flexibility, innovation, and alignment with their strategic goals, while agencies are too often grappling with outdated expectations and growing competition.

Based on insights from over 500 senior marketers, this report delves into brands’ perspectives of searching, selecting and working with their agency partners. It explores the market context both brands and agencies are working within and the differing views between agencies and brands on the pitch process and it reveals how Ingenuity+ is uniquely positioned to transform the pitch process for a new era of collaboration and success for brands and agencies alike.

Key takeaways:

• High pitch activity: 98% of brands plan to initiate new pitches in the next 12 months.

• Rapid growth of marketing budgets: Budgets set to reach £40 billion by 2025 with £900,000 identified as the average spend for marketers to initiate a competitive pitch process.

• Complexity in agency selection: With over 30,000 agencies in the UK, choosing the right one has become a complex and sometimes frustrating process.1

• The Pitch Process: The Pitch Process needs to transform to better meet the needs of brands who need progressive, agile alternatives in addition to the traditional notion of a full-service pitch.

• The evolving role of Intermediaries: 90% of brands prefer to involve an Intermediary to facilitate more effective and different types of pitch processes.