Vennli Finds 70% of Marketers Expect Primary Research in New Agency Pitches

Survey from Vennli Highlights Keys for Agencies Looking to Differentiate from Their Competition

Vennli, the leading voice of the marketplace solution, has announced the results of a recent survey of agency and in-house marketing professionals.  The results include findings from a survey of 200 US-based agency and marketing professionals. The survey results delivered crucial insights into the factors that separate agencies from their competition when pitching for new business.

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At the time of this announcement, Mary Claire Mandeville, business development manager, Vennli, said, “In-house marketers are expected to deliver data that prove return on investment for all marketing efforts. It follows that they expect the same from an agency partner. Agencies pitching without data-driven insights into the client’s business and competition face an uphill battle for new business.”

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Vennli’s study highlighted the fact that 70 percent of marketers expect primary research in new business pitches, while 89 percent of agency professionals that reported pitch win rates above 50 percent said that they typically use primary research when developing a pitch.

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According to the data, there are five key ways for agencies to differentiate their pitches. Agencies that are data-driven, conduct client research, develop innovative solutions, plan for long-term commitments, and are experts in their field are far more effective and credible, with much higher success rates compared to those that are not.

Other key takeaways from the report include:

– While 34 percent of agencies said that they think one of the most common reasons they win a pitch is because their “brand is recognized and respected in the market,” only 15 percent of marketers said this played a role when selecting an agency partner

– Only 13 percent of agencies said that they are winning pitches because of the “high value for cost” they project in their pitches, but 42 percent of marketers said that this plays an influential role when choosing an agency partner

– Thirty-six percent of agencies said that they are always re-thinking the client’s entire strategy when developing a pitch, but only seven percent of marketers reported seeing this happen.

“Agencies that understand what marketers want from a pitch have a much higher success rate,” said Mary.

“If an agency can differentiate itself from its competition in ways that are meaningful to potential clients, it will not only impress in-house marketers but build a critical path to long-term success,” added Mary.

Data for this study was gathered by Vennli through an online survey containing quantitative and qualitative responses. Survey respondents were screened to ensure their role required involvement in the pitch process.

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Respondents from agencies were screened for agency type (all types except for media planning and buying agencies were included) and their agency had to have annual revenues greater than $1 million. Respondents from the marketing department at organizations were screened for an annual marketing budget greater than $250,000.