Is free-pitching a case of survival of the fittest?

Free-pitching. We all proclaim to hate it, yet most of us still do it.

Only larger consultancies, such as EDM Creative, possess strong policies against free-pitching, standing by the belief that a design group’s portfolio and company credentials should provide all the information a prospective client needs to make an informed decision.

However, while refusing to pitch for free can be effective for established groups, for smaller consultancies unpaid pitches can present an invaluable opportunity to display their creative potential.

It is on this basis that many clients defend free pitching on the grounds that it enforces fair selection and quality control in an overcrowded market.

Ultimately, it seems that pitching that involves creative work carried out for free has unfortunately become another symptom of the survival-of-the-fittest-mentality of a heaving industry. It is now only those with the keenest creative edge that can expect to thrive.

Rebecca Bletcher, Account manager, Pappada, London NW1