Stop free-pitching for corporate identity jobs

It seems that hoary old chestnut – free-pitching – has reared its ugly head yet again. Your report on the new Royal & Sun Alliance identity (DW 2 August) suggests that

Landor was one of five consultancies involved in an unpaid pitch for the merger identity. This is not true. We were briefed and asked for a five-figure fee for the pitch work, which we received. It seems we were the only consultancy to ask for a fee.

Will someone please explain why one of the UK’s largest composite insurance groups should be given free design work? Why do consultancies continue to give work away at a time when the corporate identity business is growing again?

We have refused all free-pitch invitations in the past 12 months – the United Utilities is a high profile example. Recently, one large company returned to work with us on a full-fee basis, following a free-pitch process with some other high-profile consultancies that produced work which didn’t meet the client’s needs.

Our corporate identity practice will continue not to do unpaid work.

Adrian Day

Executive director

Landor Associates

London EC1

Well done. Sadly, Royal & Sun Alliance omitted to tell us you’d been paid – Ed.