The new business pitching process is fundamental to clients and agencies finding each other and forging new relationships. But agencies and clients alike report that their experience could be improved. Our Pitch Forward campaign aims to improve the experience for everyone. 

In 2024 we published a comprehensive report drawing on industry-wide quantitative data, which highlights the pressing need for a more streamlined, transparent, and ethical approach to the client-agency relationship. 

Based on our findings, and discussions with many agency and client leaders, we’ve developed the PRCA Pitch Forward Principles of Best Practice. They are designed to ensure a more transparent, fair, and efficient process for both clients and agencies. 

Successful pitch processes share certain common principles: they are fair, realistic, ethical, structured, and have a healthy conclusion. The PRCA is now encouraging clients and agencies alike to adopt these principles to foster stronger and more productive relationships. 

“Not only is pitching vital to successful agency growth, but also to the continuous evolution of an innovative industry. Yet the process is broken. From ghosting to IP infringement, lack of budget transparency to unrealistic timelines, for too long, new business has been costly and untenable. The PRCA’s voluntary code ensures pitching is fair, realistic, ethical, and managed for all involved. We welcome these principles at HUNTER and look forward to taking part in future exciting, well managed opportunities.”

Daisy Pack, Managing Director, HUNTER: UK

“I fully support the PRCA's new initiative to improve the pitching process. A fair, realistic, ethical, and well-managed pitch benefits everyone, building trust and ensuring stronger, happier partnerships from the outset. If everyone was to adhere to these principles, we would create an environment where creativity thrives and resources are respected, leading to better outcomes for all. Cirkle will be backing these new guidelines and ask that others do too."

Ruth Kieran, CEO, Cirkle 

“This simple, sensible guidance from the PRCA is a much-needed contribution to making pitch processes more productive for buyers and less painful for agencies. The FRESH framework has the potential help make pitching a more rewarding, creative endeavour for both clients and agencies, and who doesn’t want that?”

John Rowland, Senior Partner, H/Advisors Cicero 

"It's encouraging to see the PRCA championing best practice in the pitch process. For too long, PR agencies have been added to lists just to fill numbers, asked to pitch without clear budgets, and experienced the frustration of seeing their creative ideas shared with, and used by, the winning agency. We hope the PRCA’s Pitch Forward approach will help put an end to these practices and encourage a more transparent and respectful approach moving forward."

Charlotte Dimond, Director, Sidekick PR 

“I fully support the PRCA's new initiative to improve the pitching process. A fair, realistic, ethical, and well-managed pitch benefits everyone. We need to champion best practice and for too long, PR agencies have dealt with lack of budget transparency, to unrealistic timelines, to having pitches pulled last minute, to delay after delay, to seeing your ideas on the front cover of a newspaper. The power is on an uneven scale, in favour of brands and corporates - we need to level this out more. If everyone was to follow these principles, we would create an environment where creativity thrives and resources are respected, leading to better outcomes for all. I look forward to supporting this process even more in the months to come.”

Hannah Baxter, Director, Head of Growth, Lexington  

“A sensible and literally fresh approach to the issue of pitching that hopefully turns Lose-Lose scenarios into Win-Wins for the client and the agencies pitching for business.” 

Andy Green, AndyGreenCreativity