Before March very few pitches were ever done by video conference. After lockdown ALL of them were done this way. It’s a big adaptation (and we’re still adapting) so we asked a mixture of different agencies to provide their learnings so far. In general, agencies are finding virtual pitches work quite well. They’re more relaxed … Continued
Whichever way you look at it the heat just got turned up. Whether you look at it from a social, political or business perspective, this is true, even within the healthcare sector. Now, possibly more than any time ever before, the marketing teams within pharma, biotech and med device need to successfully elevate the brand … Continued
Background This survey on Pitch practice was run in 2019 by the PM Society’s Industry-Agency Relationships Interest Group (IARIG) led by Rachel Farrow. The aim was to gather information from agencies and pharma clients on experiences of pitch practice from both sides. The survey was sent to senior individuals within the target organisations rather than … Continued
Pharma engagement with HCPs and patients during and after the COVID-19 crisis Wednesday 3rd June Industry and agency experts attended the PM Society’s webinar on the 3rd June to discuss how Industry engagement will be redefined and shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. The webinar was introduced by Carwyn Jones, PM Society Director and Chief Commercial … Continued
Selecting your new agency partner is often a long process and there’s a sense of relief once you have made your choice. There’s almost always a need to start producing work with the agency straight away and this presents you with a risk. Believe it or not, your new agency team are not mind readers … Continued
In my 11 years in pharma marketing, I have been involved in many agency pitches. Often the agency was chosen on the basis of one presentation from senior people who were seldom seen again. This approach presents a risk for Pharma companies because they have not met the people who would work on the account, … Continued
Every client/agency relationship has its ups and downs. There’ll inevitably be points of frustration along the way, where you might be tempted to call a pitch and review. Before you make that decision, it’s worth pausing and reflecting on the implications of pitching and the alternative options. One question worth asking is…are you sure your … Continued
Recent research conducted by the PM Society revealed that 61% of agencies spend over £15,000 in internal agency time for a £200,000 pitch, and 41% spend over £25,000 per pitch. In addition, while most agencies spend less than £5,000 in out of pocket expenses for a pitch, 28% spend between £5,000 and £25,000 (conducting research, … Continued
The ‘Maximising the agency & procurement relationship – part II: New models for pitching in the 20s’ event took place on Wednesday 26th February at the Royal Society of Medicine. Meeting report Rachel Farrow, Strategic Director, emotive & Director, PM Society This meeting was an output from the PM Society’s Industry-Agency Relationships Interest Group, a … Continued
10 Top Tips Consider whether you need a pitch at all: Pitching is expensive for everyone. Could one of your incumbent agencies develop this new project? Consider all pitching models: A full competitive pitch is the most expensive of all. Try a ‘pitch in a day’ or a strategic workshop so that you can see … Continued
