paid pitches??

[martine scott]

Hello 'Create Brighton' types...

I'm talking to a potential client at the moment and they have asked me a few questions about paid pitches i'm not sure on - what do you think? Please help!!

The potential work is Lottery funded work so the client will be getting pitches from 3 designers. 

1) The client feels it would be fair to offer all parties payment for their pitch, but what is an appropriate sum? The client asks for example what could one expect to see for a £100 pitch fee? - I think about what £100 buys in hours and it's not a lot but then I've often done pitches for free - What do you think?

2) Also he asks does paying a fee entitle the client to use ideas from all designers, regardless of which one we select? - Now I would say no on this last one but I've never done a paid pitch before!

Cheers

Martine

Puree Design

Graphic design for print, web and fashion

www.pureedesign.com

07788777551

skype ID: martinescott

[Andy Budd]

Creative pitches really are bad for the industry, and unpaid pitches
doubly so...

http://www.andybudd.com/archives/2006/06/creative_pitches_are_toxic/

That being said, if you REALLY MUST do a creative pitch, you could
consider offering them an "at cost" rate on the proviso that they
can't use the work. If you're charging your full rate, then you could
understand how they would think it fair to use the output (as they've
paid for it in full).

Hence why it's probably best to avoid creative pitches.

[Adam]

While I agree that creative pitches are a bad thing is the problem not
that, as you stated in your blog post Andy, agencies are now in the
habit of producing them to win work.

Producing a pitch without creative could potentially result in a
designer or agency being at a disadvantage when their competitors
include work that allows a pitch doc to really shine.

If everyone played by the same rules it would be a lot easier to
change client's expectations I guess.