PITCHING, TENDERS & RFPs
At the start of this week we received yet another "request for quote for tender”. So far this year, we’ve had about 15 requests. Whilst we believe this project would be a good fit for Hunter, simply put we're not in the tendering business. If you look at our website hunterand.co you'll see we're all about brands and helping turnaround companies. Not Tenders, RFPs or Pitching.
WHAT BUSINESS ARE WE IN?
Believe it or not, there are people who are in the tendering business. And as you’d expect they’re damn good at administration and process. Which goes against the notion of creativity. And as everyone in the industry knows… there’s been a huge uproar because the big multi-national full service agencies are administrative and process driven… and the one thing clients, brands and companies need is creativity. The stuff that creates long-term value.
IS IT JUST ME?
Yesterday I met with a colleague in the industry and she mentioned the same thing. "It's a fucking waste of time, money and resources for all involved" she said. And it's "fucking awful and makes me feel sick". We’re not alone. If you were to do a quick poll (yes please put your comments below, share and discuss this) 99% of people within our industry would say the same thing.
IT’S ALL ABOUT PERFECT FITS
As an industry we have been talking about this for many years now. And it’s a joke when you watch Mad Men (a fictionalisation of ad land) and see them pitch. However, that was then and this is now. That was the old world and this is the new world. The world has changed and we must move forward with mutual respect.
Blair Enns, David C. Baker and many others have written thousands and thousands of words on the topic. They’ve talked thousands of words on it too. Blair, talks about perfect fits and not to sell you. Our role is merely to see if there’s a fit between your needs and our expertise. This happens over a telephone call, face-to-face meetings with a coffee or a beer. It doesn’t happen through hidden Tender Portals or anything else. Surely, we must remove the administration process and bring back human interaction and conversations. We must move forward and say goodbye to the old world way of doing things. #reboot
CEO. OPTIMIST.
6 年Further to this post last week, I can announce today that we are officially at 16 requests.
In House Media Leadership | Marketing Strategy | Digital Innovation
6 年Great points raised here. All new business conversations certainly need to be a 2 way street to find fruitful partnerships.
Chief Financial Officer at Disaster Relief Australia
6 年I love how you are so passionate about your business and what you stand for. You have certainly stood your ground and demonstrated brand positioning and what it means to stand up for what you believe in. Not all success is measured by the bottom line but rather if a business can hold its planned course and still contribute to all of its stakeholders!