As job titles go, "pitchdoctor" takes some beating. Admittedly, it's an informal job description rather than an actual title but it describes the job fairly accurately. A pitchdoctor is employed by a company in search of an advertising agency. The job is to help the client assess various agencies and pitch it in the direction of a good client/agency fit.
Agency Assessments International (AAI), one of Europe's largest agency assessment consultancies (the official name for the job), opened an office in Dublin this month headed by former McCann Erickson managing director, Mr Brian Sparks.
How involved the pitchdoctor gets in the process depends on the client. It ranges from helping to formulate the initial brief to staying on board for the duration of the resulting campaign to assess its effectiveness.
Competing agencies are most aware of them during pitches, particularly when they are presenting creative work or media planning schedules and also during remuneration negotiations.
While such an intermediary (or perhaps referee) is a common feature of large British and US pitches, they are not so common here. However, several bigger companies have involved them in the agency-recruitment process with British-based AAI chairman Mr David Whethey being the most familiar third party at some of Ireland's biggest advertising tenders over the past few years. In the past he has been involved in pitches for Aer Lingus, Eircell, An Post, Bord Fβilte, AIB, Kerry Group and Eircom.
Mr Sparks has spent six years on the agency side at McCann Erickson after a 10-year career in the marketing department of Guinness. In his new role he would appear to be well placed to see and evaluate the business from both sides.
Agencies veer between being positive about the clarity a pitchdoctor can bring to a situation and irritated by a third-party intrusion. "It's a bit like that famous Lady Di quote that there's been three people in the marriage from the start," said one advertising account director referring to the presence of a pitchdoctor during the process.
He felt that while agencies didn't actually fear an outsider advising on a pitch, it could get in the way of the developing client and agency relationship. However, according to Mr Sparks, the real relationship will always be between the agency and the client, his role is to make sure it works as effectively as possible.
"We're entering into a very different advertising environment," said Mr Sparks. "Companies are increasingly looking to make sure that they are effectively spending their marketing budgets and that means increased accountability."
According to Mr Sparks, an outsider is better able to coldly assess performance and establish the appropriate fee system based on that performance.
Commenting on the broader issue of the future outlook for agencies, Mr Whethey said: "The industry in Ireland, as in the UK and the rest of Europe, is facing difficult and uncertain times. We are seeing how important it is to take unnecessary cost out of the marketing budget."
bharrison@irish-times.ie
