State of the Pitch - Australia 2026 Survey

An on-going survey to better understand the state of advertising pitching

There is much controversy about the state of the pitch process in advertising. Much of this activity is provided under non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements. But we want to be able to provide the industry with a more accurate and quantified view of the state of the pitch process by asking you to provide feedback on pitches your agency has participated in.

Here’s what you need to know:

• The survey is completely anonymous - Responses are anonymous is an opportunity to provide commentary if you wish.
• It’s only 10 minutes of your time - Most questions have simple multiple choice answers.
• It’s only one pitch per survey - Please resubmit the survey for additional pitches.
• Only pitches that occured in 2026 are valid.

We ask you to only provide the information you are comfortable providing as accurately and honestly as possible.

If you have any questions on this, please feel free to contact TrinityP3 by email at stateofthepitch@trinityp3.com and we will handle your request in absolute confidence.

Thank you.

1.Did the competitive tender or pitch your agency participated occur in 2026?(Required.)

Yes (please specify specify month)

2.What was the outcome of the tender or pitch?(Required.)

We won

We were eliminated before the final round or decision

We lost in the final round

There was no apparent outcome

Other (please specify)

3.Was this an existing client or a new client?(Required.)

New client

Existing client and we were the incumbent

Existing client but additional work to our current remit

Other (please specify)

5.(Optional) What is the company or brand name of the client?

6.What industry category is the client's business?

9.Was the pitch process driven through an online tendering system or platform?

Yes

Other (please specify)

Don't know

10.Who primarily led or managed the pitch process?

Marketing and / or Management

Procurement and / or Finance

Marketing Pitch Consultant

Procurement Consultant

Other (please specify)

Not known

11.How were you invited to pitch?

Approached by client or procurement or consultant

Advertised tender

Existing relationship

Other (please specify)

13.Did the client offer pitch fees for the unsuccessful agencies?

14.Was your agency required to pay a fee to any third party (like search consultant, procurement consultant, etc.) to participate in the pitch or if you won the business?

Yes

15.Was the agency asked to assign any copyright or IP as a condition of participating in the pitch?

Yes

Other (please specify)

16.Did the pitch require speculative creative or strategic work or a media trading exercise?

Yes, speculative creative work was required

Yes, speculative strategic work was required

Yes, a media trading exercise was required

Yes, both media and creative work was required

No, neither speculative creative, strategic work or media trading was required

Other (please specify)

17.How communicative was the panel/assessment team throughout the pitch?

Very communicative - regular Q&A sessions and an open line for any questions throughout the process

Somewhat communicative - no Q&A sessions; answered some questions when asked, but not all

Not communicative at all - all communications were strictly controlled and monitored

Other (please specify)

Not known

18.Was open and constructive feedback provided by the client as part of the pitch process?

Yes, at each stage

Yes, at some stages

Yes, at the end only

Other (please specify)

21.When responding with fees and resourcing, how clear was the scope of works and/or services provided by the client?

Very clear - full understanding of the scope of work, services and budgets

Somewhat clear - a broad understanding of what could be required and a budget range

Not clear - insufficient scope or budget information to provide a fully considered response

No information was provided as the process was looking for budget and scope recommendations from the agency

Other (please specify)

Not known

22.How long did the pitch process take, from being invited to participate to being appointed in months?

23.Was the pitch process delayed or took longer than expected?

25.Was the agency asked about policies and compliance with the following? Select all relevant.

Other (please specify)

26.Beyond the outcome, how would you rate the pitch process with 5 stars being world-class and one being the world's worst?

27.Finally, is there any relevant feedback you would like to provide about this pitch?

28.Want to receive regular updates on the State of the Pitch survey? Please provide your business email address here.