Private pitches

1. The advertiser must guarantee that pitch regulations are clearly set out and that they apply to all those taking part, the objective being to work with one of the agencies invited, unless there are exceptional, documented circumstances to the contrary.
2. The advertiser must always inform the agency with which a contract already exists that a pitch request is being made.
3. The advertiser must provide a written, identical brief for all the agencies taking part. The brief must contain sufficient information to allow the project to be handled seriously and constructively.
4. The advertiser must always allow the agencies a reasonable amount of time to prepare the campaign presentation. From experience, it seems that the minimum time an agency requires for the preparation of a suitable presentation is not less than 20 working days.
5. The advertiser must always indicate the method of payment that will be applied with regard to the agency with which a contract is established.
6. The advertiser must undertake not to use the ideas proposed by the unsuccessful agencies.
7. In order to safeguard the principle of making pitch procedures as clear as possible, the advertiser must communicate the names of the other agencies taking part to each agency involved. We believe that this will help to avoid the repetition of previous cases of bogus competition.By knowing the names of the other agencies taking part and by respecting the other criteria specified in this document, the use of more appropriate and competitive mechanisms will be encouraged.
8. In order to provide an adequate explanation regarding pitch objectives, as well as all the information required to deal efficiently with the proposed project, the advertiser must limit the number of agencies taking part in the pitch. The choice of the number of agencies invited must be based on the size and/or complexity of the communication project to which the pitch refers.Specific experience in the sector has shown that a high number of participants makes choosing more complex and difficult for the advertiser, increases costs for the participants, and provides no substantial advantage for the advertiser.
9. When the invitations are being compiled, the advertiser must always give details of the expected advertising budget.
10. The advertiser must always pay a pitch fee to the agencies taking part.