A new research paper spotlights flaws in the how agencies win business. It’s an issue that strikes at the heart of the lack of diversity in public relations.

Public relations agencies are expected to pitch for free, follow ambiguous processes, and contracts are frequently awarded on the basis of intangible metrics such as chemistry and creativity.

The issue was recently highlighted by the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) which suggested that the issue had got out of hand. It reported that a typical agency undertakes 27 new business pitches each year at a cost of 1,674 hours and £11,000 of billable time.

A new paper Pitch imperfect: power relations and ceremonial values in the public relations pitching process by Elizabeth Bridgen published in Media Practice and Education found that public relations pitches are bound by few rules and there is often limited transparency in the process. Bridgen is a Principal Lecturer in Public Relations at Sheffield Hallam University.

Bridgen interviewed practitioners working in regional public relations agencies in the UK to determine the main issues that practitioners experience with pitching, and the power imbalance between the agency and the client during the pitch process.

Human cost of pitching

Pitching is undertaken at the expense or in addition to other work. It places the agency in a subservient position to the client creating a significant power imbalance at the outset of a relationship. Agencies invest considerable emotional energy and time in a new business. Bridgen reports that this can lead to a negative impact on morale if business is not won.

Lack of transparency in the process

Bridgen found that agencies do not take a stand and request transparency from clients. Briefs are seldom challenged and it is typical for agencies to accept an existing strategy or executional approach. Agencies game procurement systems to avoid sharing insight with competitors and undercut prices in a race to the bottom to win contracts.

Lack of feedback after a pitch

Feedback was cited alongside lack of transparency as a flaw in the pitch process. Bridgen suggests that is because of the use of intangible metrics and that ultimately it contributes to the lack of diversity in practice. Organisations hire in their own culture likeness and reject proposals that are disruptive and teams from non-traditional backgrounds.

So, what can be done to address the issue? The PRCA is co-creating a Client Consultancy Charter which will set out a list of principles for clients and consultancies, including the pitch process. Transparent processes and scoring systems as well as a diverse selection panel would help address issues related to the process and feedback.

Bridgen says that her goal in conducting the research is to start a debate among a broader business community but also for practitioners to recognise the power imbalance and challenge poor behaviour.