When we launched our first “State of the Pitch” survey last year, we weren't sure what the results would reveal.
We knew there was widespread frustration with the typical pitch process in Canada. Agency execs often shared pitch “horror stories” about stressful, time-consuming, and often costly review processes that left lasting scars—something we dubbed Pitch Traumatic Stress Disorder. But we also knew that great stories don’t always represent the most accurate portrayal of any situation.
Campaign Canada (and before that The Message) has always striven to be a force for positive change in the industry, and fixing any problem begins with a deep and accurate understanding of the nature of the problem—like the pitch process—based on real data, hard facts and figures.
And so, we partnered with Australia’s Trinity P3 and Canadian consultancy Listenmore to launch the “State of the Pitch” survey, designed to quantify the realities of agency reviews and improve how pitches are conducted—to measure what’s working and what’s not in Canada’s agency review process.
The responses relating to more than 150 pitches provided an unflinching look at the realities of Canada’s new business landscape. They confirmed what many agencies had long suspected: one-third of pitches in this country are rated as bad or worse, with respondents citing avoidable frustrations, wasted time, and questionable practices like unrealistic timelines, overcrowded pitch lists, and demands for free creative work.
“The success of our inaugural survey proves that this is a conversation the industry wants and needs to have,” said Listenmore CEO Stehen Argent.
“The data moved us beyond anecdotes and confirmed a painful reality: A significant one-third (31%) of pitches in Canada were rated as ‘bad or very bad.’ This is a staggering figure that represents wasted time, frustration, and avoidable anguish.”
Other industry leaders agreed with some of the clear topline takeaways. Institute of Canadian Agencies president and CEO Scott Knox warned that the process is “broken,” citing unrealistic timelines and excessive demands, for example. Association of Canadian Advertisers CEO Andrea Hunt acknowledged there is “work to be done,” but also saw in the findings a chance to further bolster satisfaction.
“While 31% of parties are dissatisfied, mercifully 69% have had more positive experiences,” she said. “For our part, we at the ACA will endeavour to work together cross-industry to inch the satisfaction rate ever more forward.”
And that’s why the survey is back for a second year. We want to build on the momentum of last year’s findings, benchmark progress, and perhaps even improve upon that dissatisfaction rate by identifying where and how change is happening.
“The goal of this year is to track these metrics and push that 31% dissatisfaction rate downwards by using the data to inform best practices for clients and consultants,” said Argent.
This year’s 10-minute survey again asks agencies to share their firsthand pitch experiences—win or lose—to provide a data-driven view of what’s improving and what still needs attention.
All responses remain anonymous, ensuring participants can speak candidly about their experiences. The more voices that participate, the stronger the collective data—and the greater the potential for real progress.
“Because pitches are typically confidential, we are not mandating any information that could be linked back to a particular advertiser, agency, or pitch. Likewise, details of any single survey response will never be revealed,” said Argent. “This is not about who won or lost. It is about how well those pitches were managed.”
