While much of adland takes a summer break this month, it seems that a number of public-sector pitches and tenders at the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) stage are in full swing.
Bord Bia is out to tender on both its media and creative accounts, while the Road Safety Authority (RSA) is also out to tender for its media, creative and digital/social media accounts.
Both Bord Bia and the RSA have seen agency presentations and final decisions are expected in the coming weeks.
Timing clash
Out for review too are utility companies Bord Gáis and Electric Ireland. Both of these are at the first stage, where agencies submit their initial credentials and details.
Given the timing clash, Brian Sparks of pitch consultancy Agency Assessments says: "There is a real case to be made for government in considering a centralised procurement role which would bring some order to public procurement as well as the benefits of economies of scale, purchasing power, mirroring best practice in the private sector by having agency rosters and bring greater security of tenure to contracted agencies.''
Una Herlihy, partner at Open Communications, which also provides clients with a pitching consultancy service, says that in her view, "despite what some agency bosses may think, pitching is not purely about driving down costs".
New services
She says many of the clients she is working with are working across a number of agencies for their advertising, digital marketing, CRM, and promotional and experiential activities.
As agencies consolidate and seek to provide new services, clients need to reassess the solutions available to them, she adds.
