Hasta La Creative!

Part two of a two-part column. Read part one here.

Dear Client Considering A Review, here’s the real rub of a pitch that’ll certainly haunt me for a long time: it’s brutal. The time demanded, on top of the pressure exerted, on top of the very real jobs at risk — especially in the case of a large and complex multi-brand assignment — is literally life-altering for those participating. One agency friend told me that weeks into our review his kids stopped setting a place for him at the dinner table, knowing he’d not be home to join them. Agencies give a pitch everything they’ve got — and I’m now wondering if that weekend-stealing, stomach-ache-inducing effort is simply too much for us clients to ask.

Some will protest: yes, a pitch is a lot of work, but it is what it is, still the most efficient way of identifying the very best partners. Nobody entered advertising with the nave belief it was going to be easy work. Suck it up and win.

Continue reading at AdAge.com