What’s the State of the Pitch in the US?

What is the “State of the Pitch” in the US these days?

RFP and pitch processes can sometimes be far from perfect.  Horror stories abound and those are the stories that get the most attention. But when we talk with agencies, we typically hear much more nuance as many experiences seem respectful and positive while others not so much.

And whether a pitch is run directly by a client or a search consultant, win or lose, there is undoubtedly  room for improvement.  We know there were thousands of pitches undertaken in the U.S. last year, but what we don’t know is the range of pitch practices agencies are faced with, how agencies are treated and where specifically we should all be calling for change.

Two years ago, our friends at TrinityP3 in Australia pioneered a survey with Campaign to capture much needed data on the state of the pitch landscape to help the industry understand the good, the bad and the ugly of pitching across Australia.  Last year, our friends at Listenmore Inc. partnered with Campaign and TrinityP3 to bring the Campaign survey to Canada. The information gathered in both surveys was a starting point for an industry discussion around pitching based on actual data rather than hearsay.

I am thrilled to announce that we are joining forces with Campaign and TrinityP3 to launch the State of the Pitch survey here in the U.S.

Campaign’s Cecilia Garzella recently announced this effort here.

You can find the link to the 2025 survey here. The survey will enable us (hopefully on an annual basis) to report on trends in pitch behavior and to start a meaningful dialogue with marketers about improving the process for U. S. agencies. The survey went live on July 1, 2025, but any pitch you have participated in since January 2025 can be included. Campaign’s global team of data analysts will then process the findings, working with the U.S. editorial team to produce a full, anonymized report in Spring 2026.

For the Mercer Island Group team this is a mission of love for agencies, clients and the industry we adore. We hope that you share our passion for making our industry even better by completing the brief survey each time you participate in any pitch – irrespective of winning or losing. You can use the link as many times as you like, one for each pitch you participate in. As Mercer Island Group’s Robin Boehler noted: “When we uncover things that aren’t going well, people can then make choices to make them better. I’m an optimist. When we do important work like this, perhaps we can help to set the record straight.”

The survey is confidential and quick. It will only take about ten minutes to complete per pitch.

This effort is meant to help our entire industry and we hope to hear from agencies of all sizes about their pitch experiences. Every pitch you participate in 2025 can be included – no matter how big or small. Each and every contribution you make will add to and inform a rich view of the state of pitching, hopefully setting the stage for positive change.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me directly.  And if you are not the person responsible for new business in your agency, please forward this to the correct resource.

Again, the State of the Pitch survey link is here.

Thank you for helping make our industry even better.  Collectively, let’s bring a more informed discussion to the State of the Pitch in the U.S.