Beyond the pitch: How progressive processes are redefining brand-agency partnerships

For years, the industry has relied on a familiar ritual: the traditional, full-service agency pitch. Weeks of meetings, tissue sessions, chemistry workshops, final presentations, all culminating in a winner chosen to take a brand forward.

And, while there’s nothing wrong with this for the largest, most complex and financially valuable pitches the model is showing its age.

In an environment defined by complexity, channel fragmentation, rising budgets and increasingly stretched marketing teams, the idea of a single pitch format working for every brief simply doesn’t hold. Modern marketing needs something more progressive, more flexible, thoughtful and better aligned with the realities facing CMOs and their marketing teams.

This isn’t a hunch. The data is unambiguous.

At Ingenuity+, we run the only quarterly study into senior marketers’ intentions to hire agencies in conjunction with The Ingenuity Group, speaking to 500 CMOs and marketing directors every quarter. It’s the largest rolling view of how brands plan and manage agency change and what they want from the process.

The takeaway is clear: The future of how brands and agencies come together stay together and grow together will be shaped by progressive, adaptive processes that follow the brief, not legacy convention.

Why one size no longer fits any brief

Marketing has never been more complex. UK brands now navigate more than 25,000 agencies across creative, media, digital, performance, social and influencer. Trying to steer this landscape with a rigid pitch model isn’t just inefficient it’s risky.

In our study:

• 98% of brands plan to initiate a pitch within the next year for some or all of their marketing, with 66% definitely going to market
• 77% see budgets increasing year-on-year, driving demand for deeper and more specialist expertise
• Just 40% of CMOs feel “very confident” in their current agency, with cultural misalignment the leading reason for switching

Pitch activity is rising. Satisfaction is falling. And underneath this sits a deeper tension.

Why the industry can’t agree on what a “pitch” is

When we asked agencies and brands to define the word “pitch,” the difference was striking.

• 84% of agencies still see ‘the pitch’ as a traditional, multi-stage, high-investment process. Agencies use the term as a Specific.
• Whereas Brands use the term ‘pitch’ as a catch-all, covering everything from short chemistry sessions to recommended lists of agencies with just 23% of brands expecting a full-service pitch. Brands use the term as a Generic.

This disconnect wastes time and energy for everyone involved. One CMO put it plainly:

“I need something new, something where agencies aren’t burning hours and budget. The process isn’t how I want to work.” Another told us: “Pitching has been stuck for years. The opportunity is to modernise it.”

What this tells all of us is Brands want progressive processes focused on the brief in hand.

Why progressive processes are becoming the new standard

The traditional pitch model was built for a different era when marketing moved slower, budgets were steadier and channels were fewer.

Today, the brief must shape the process. Brands in our study increasingly want flexibility of choice:

• Short, modular processes for specialist or lower-value briefs
• Rapid chemistry rounds instead of extended theatre
• Expert, curated recommendations
• Clear, objective guidance from a partner who knows the market deeply

No surprise, then, that 90% of brands now say they want to work with an intermediary, not just to manage the process but to help define the right one. Progressive processes aren’t about speed for the sake of it. They improve decision quality and strengthen outcomes.

Why better processes create better partnerships

When choosing an agency, CMOs value creative strength (39%), brand safety (38%), speed (37%) and cost efficiency (35%). Culture cuts through all of these.

It’s why 40% of marketers cite cultural misalignment as their top reason for switching agencies, and more than a quarter describe their current relationship as emotionally draining.

A process tailored to the needs of the brief can reveal far more about cultural fit, working style, ambition and chemistry; giving both sides a better chance of building a partnership for growth.

How the role of the intermediary is evolving

Marketing leaders are carrying more responsibility than ever, often taking on additional functions without additional support. Many told us they simply don’t have the time or visibility to run a modern pitch well. As one CMO put it “I bring in an intermediary because I don’t have the time and I don’t know which agencies to call.”

This isn’t about outsourcing effort. It’s about elevating judgment to make smarter choices.

This theme was built on across multiple qualitative interviews with CMOs and Procurement leaders who told us they need three things from an intermediary:

• Expert knowledge: Clear, confident understanding of the entire agency ecosystem, not just the big names.
• Progressive processes: A thoughtful approach shaped by the brief, timeline and ambition whether this be standalone Search, full Selection, or something in between.
• Guidance: Steady, objective stewardship to reduce risk and bring clarity to every stage.

The future belongs to the brands and agencies who choose the right process

As pitch processes evolve, the brands and marketing leaders embracing progressive, carefully designed processes will form stronger, more productive agency partnerships.

Processes shaped by:

• The brief and need
• The strategic challenge
• The culture
• The level of specialism required
• The timeline and level of investment

Not habit. Not history. This is the new era of pitching driven by progress, not tradition.

When you next issue or receive a “pitch brief” make sure everyone is aligned on what’s meant by “pitch” and what the process is you will all follow to deliver the right result. This might be a full end-to-end process with all the bells and whistles or it might just be a cup of tea, one-on-one with a handshake to get started.

We’re here to help you with smarter choices and better outcomes.

Find out how Ingenuity+ can help you here