WKS survey: too many pitch against the odds

Design groups are wasting resources on free pitches and believe they are pigeon-holed by clients, according to research conducted by The Pace Partnership and accountant Willott Kingston Smith.

In a report just published, Managing Key Clients 2004, design consultancy bosses reveal that they believe consultancies ‘are wasting resources on pitching for every invitation that comes their way, irrespective of whether they have a strong chance [of winning] or not’.

The survey also shows that design group managing directors feel the sector is not strong at ‘measuring the results of its work against client objectives’. Moreover, consultancies are ‘stretching themselves too thinly’ by trying to be ‘all things to all clients’.

But on the positive side, design group chiefs think the industry excels at building client relationships and managing its fee-earning work. The sector believes its creativity is not tied to one discipline, and key client management is ‘taken seriously’ by design consultancies.

The report surveyed 20 leading marketing services businesses in eight sectors and design counted for 25 per cent of the respondents.

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