PR pitching and the client perspective: Tui’s Amy Dowling on the PRmoment Podcast

 On the PRmoment Podcast Ben Smith speaks to Amy Dowling, head of markets communications at Tui about the PR pitch process from a client’s point of view.

The podcast covers client ghosting and why it happens. Amy also shares her 11-step process for running PR pitch. Finally, Amy shares her top tips for PR agencies on pitching better. The episode also focuses on how Amy managed a recent consumer PR pitch that was praised for being robust, fair, and timely.

Listen in.

Amy Dowling's 11-Step PR Pitch Process

Here are the key stages of her recommended pitch process:

1. Align Stakeholders: Define the ultimate goal, broad communications, and business objectives.
2. Work Backwards from a Timeline: Determine when the work needs to start and set milestones accordingly.
3. Define Your Budget: Consider offering "bronze, silver, or gold" budget alternatives to see how agencies scale their ideas.
4. Develop a Long List: Identify 10–12 relevant agencies.
5. Research and Conflicts: After initial outreach, identify any potential conflicts that might rule out certain agencies.
6. Align with Procurement: Ensure the procurement team understands exactly what the PR team is looking for.
7. Chemistry or Tissue Sessions: Host sessions with the long-listed agencies. These agencies should be sent a "pre-tissue pack" in advance to guide the discussion.
8. Narrow the Field: Cut the long list down to a shortlist of 4 agencies based on chemistry and initial ideas.
9. The Formal Pitch: The final 4 agencies present their full strategy and creative response.
10. Timely Feedback: Providing clear, constructive feedback to all agencies involved, especially those who were not successful.
11. Onboarding: Transitioning the winning agency into the team and setting up for success.

Key Discussion Points

• Client "Ghosting": Amy discusses why client ghosting happens (often due to internal delays or lack of internal consensus) and how to avoid it through better stakeholder alignment.
• Pitch Fairness: The importance of being transparent about budgets and expectations to ensure agencies are not wasting resources on pitches they cannot realistically win.
• Top Tips for Agencies: Amy shares advice for PR agencies on how to stand out, emphasising the importance of doing thorough research and demonstrating a genuine understanding of the brand's business challenges rather than just offering creative ideas.

Thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA.