If your priority for 2010 is to find a new representation or PR agency in the UK, you are not alone.  The number of public RFPs being issued into the travel market soared in 2009 as tourism destinations, hotel groups and commercial organisations all felt the pressure to ensure they were getting the best service and the best value for money possible from their retained PR, marketing and representation agencies. 

Some of these were proper RFPs – genuinely looking for a new approach, open minded about whom to appoint, and fully aware of the pros and cons of retaining their incumbent.  Their processes were fair, they issued a good brief, kept to their deadlines, appointed on the allotted day and committed to provide feedback to the unsuccessful candidates.  The really good ones also covered expenses for any invitees to pitch in-destination.   You know who you are and you should be proud.  Do not think that this will have gone unnoticed.

Sadly, this was not the case for all.  I heard about pitch processes which were, frankly, run with no regard for the agencies involved, little respect for deadlines, and, in the worst cases, simply an exercise of ‘going through the motions’, where the ultimate ‘winner’ had already been decided before the ink on the RFP was even dry.  For some, the whole process was simply a way to get the incumbent to drop his or her prices in the face of competition.  It took a pretty strong stomach to keep prices stable when confronted by up to 45 competitive proposals, but congratulations to those agencies who did so.  Not because you got one over on your clients, but because you believed in the service you were offering at a price which was right.

The question is, does it really matter how you run your pitch process?  After all, you are the client and you can act in whatever way you like.  Well, to a certain extent, yes.  But, presumably, your ultimate goal was to appoint the best possible agency for your needs.  A poorly run pitch will not deliver that. 

Also, ask yourself, what will happen next time your account comes up for review?  Will the best agencies be willing to get involved in another fiasco? 

So how to do it properly?

Before moving over to the agency side, I headed up the marketing department for Virgin Holidays, and was responsible for running pitches to appoint media buying, digital, print, PR and creative agencies.  I didn’t always do it right, but, after learning from my mistakes, seven years on I ran a pitch which one agency described as the ‘best they had ever known’.  So, what was good about it and how can my experience help you find the right agency for your destination, your business or your organisation?

1. Write a good brief

It’s vital that you understand what you need your agency to achieve for you over the period of the account.  Consider what are the major challenges facing your organisation and tailor your brief to help the agency showcase their very best ideas regarding those issues.  For example, if you want to increase in-resort spend but your efforts to date have been unsuccessful, include them in the brief.  It’s useful to know what’s been done before, to be able to comment on why the tactics may not have worked, to spark new ideas which could work for you in the future.  If you have a specific need to acquire new customers, but your CRM programme is highly successful, concentrate your brief on acquisition. 

2. Be specific

Don’t write a woolly brief which asks for, for example, ‘a PR plan for 2010 -11 which targets ABC1s and empty nesters.’  That is simply not enough information for anyone to give you anything meaningful.  One or two agencies will probably hit on the exact ideas which meet your (concealed) objectives, but that doesn’t mean they are the best.  They just got lucky.  Don’t appoint on the basis of a lucky strike.  Instead, be specific about your objectives.  That way, the agencies who focus on them are those you know will have the ability to listen and respond in the future.

3. Provide background information and answer questions

Anyone can download information from the internet.  Anyone can employ a researcher to spend hours trawling through statistics.  A pile of stats won’t tell you anything about how good an agency is.  If you have background information available, give it to the agency.  It will help them come up with the right solutions.  Remember, you’re trying to help them, not to place obstacles in their way.  That will help you get a better result.

Also, invite questions and post replies – to everyone.  Create a level playing field.

4. Set realistic deadlines and stick to them

This is important.  It helps the process from both sides.  And it ensures you receive good submissions.  Most agencies do not sit around waiting for a brief to come in.  The staff have jobs to do and, if you don’t give enough time for the proposals to be written, some agencies may not have the manpower available to give their best to your proposal. 

If you stick to deadlines for receipt of submissions, second stage interviews and appointment and feedback, you will gain respect.  And we will get the message that deadlines are going to be important to you in the future.

5. Always have a shortlist, or consider a screening stage

Ideally, you should always be thinking about your next review process.  Speak to your tour operator partners, your industry partners, your colleagues.  Take a look around next time you are at WTM.  Which organisations’ stands are buzzing?  Who is hosting media events with great turnouts?  Who is working hard?  Find out the names of the agencies doing a good job, get their business cards or, better still, have a quick coffee with them.  As long as you are upfront that you are only speculating on a future appointment, they will be happy to spare you the time.

If you don’t already have a shortlist of agencies you might like to work with, consider a screening stage where you ask any interested parties to fill in a short form and send their credentials.  After this stage, you can reject any which seem to be a poor fit for your requirements or who have conflicting clients.  It can be embarrassing to get to proposal stage before you realise your shortlisted agency already represents one of your major competitors.  From the agency’s perspective, it also generates more enthusiasm for the account if they know they have already passed through a screening process. Again, a way to ensure a better submission.

 6. Be wary of the recommendation, but make sure you get one

It’s a very small world and it makes sense that tour operators, media and industry partners do not want to upset the agencies representing their partners or key destinations.  So if an agency asks for a reference, chances are they will get one.  You may even find the same names on a number of different proposals.  To find out what an agency is really like, you’ll need to pick up the phone and get the real story.  People are much more willing to be honest when there’s nothing in writing.  And make sure you are asking the right people.  Marketing and Product managers can tell you which agencies represent their clients well.  PR managers and journalists can tell you who’s got a good PR outfit. 

Existing clients are the best source; call them up or email them and ask specific questions relating to your needs.  If service is important to you, ask about service.  If ROI is all you are interested in, ask about that.  Don’t just ask ‘what are they like?’ 

7. Use the agency’s website

If an agency claims to be digitally literate, have great writing skills, be creative etc., they should have a decent website.  After all, this is the most important piece of marketing they will do.  Check it out.   

8.  Be careful about appointing on the basis of one person

It is really not advisable to choose an agency on the basis of one person who will be working on the account.  That person may already be working at full capacity on other clients, may be freelance, or, once the account settles in, may not be the best person to run the account. They could also leave at any time.  Don’t employ an agency on the basis of product knowledge either.  Just because someone has travelled extensively through your key region or has spent 15 years representing your closest competitor, it doesn’t mean they are any good.  The more important question is ‘how are you going to build your product knowledge quickly?’

However, if a certain member of staff really does knock your socks off, be sure to ask searching questions about their position within the agency, their length of service and the other clients they are responsible for.

9.  Don’t ask for a presentation – go to the pub instead

One of the most important aspects of a new agency/client relationship is the ‘fit’.  If you don’t connect with your agency, your results will never be as good as they could be.  Most pitch processes make the mistake of inviting the short listed finalists to present their (already read) proposals to a panel of ‘judges’.   To me, that makes no sense.

Clearly, if you want to appoint an agency on the basis of their presentation skills (perhaps because speech delivering will be an imporant aspect of their work), then go ahead and test these skills before you appoint them.  But that’s not usually the case.  Usually, the purpose of a face to face meeting is to sort out the great from the good, to help you make the final decision.  And the key to making that decision is chemistry.

You will not find out which agency you’re going to get along with best by asking them to present to you.  Presentations create a false environment, people get nervous, technology goes wrong and, most imporantly, the best presentations are those given by professional presenters (not by really good account directors with great ideas, smashing contacts, and fantastic people skills, which is what you are really looking for).  So my advice would be to throw the Powerpoint out of the window, get down to the pub (or meeting room at the IOD if you must), and have a proper chat.  Ask the questions you really want answered ‘What do you really mean when you say you have access to a database of over 1 million prospects?  Are they qualified? How exactly did you get that amazing media lead? Why do you want to charge me so much for that project?’  That way, you’ll really understand.  And you’ll get to know them.  Properly. 

10. Always offer feedback

It’s the least you can do and it’s really valued.  It’s also a great discipline throughout the process.  If you know you are going to have to tell an agency why they weren’t successful, then it forces you to properly consider the reasons you are rejecting them.  This will help you make better decisions.

 Finally, it’s worth explaining a few things about how agencies work.  The decision to respond to an RFP is not taken lightly.  The amount of work which goes into the research, deciding on the strategy, brainstorming ideas, working out the personnel proposal, considering the budget proposal and, ultimately, writing up the document, is a heavy drain on resources.  On average, at KBC it takes us around two weeks’ full time work to respond to a full RFP – so, if there is an important client event coming up, or a big project to be delivered, we have to take the decision not to take part.  We always put our existing clients’ needs before our new business efforts, as all good agencies will.

One final word.  The RFP process doesn’t have to be painful.  You’ll get to hear about new ideas (don’t steal them, you’ll get into all sorts of trouble!), you’ll meet a lot of interesting people, and writing your brief will help you really focus your priorities.  So have fun with it.  Enjoy it.  Make the most of it.  And good luck.