As we look ahead to 2025, the creative industry stands at a pivotal moment - one that demands a reimagining of how we approach new business. For years, the relentless pursuit of growth has driven us to adopt aggressive tactics, chase short-term wins, and, in many cases, race to the bottom. It's time for a creative reset - a shift from transactional growth to lasting relationships, from short-term fixes to long-term value creation.

None of the below is new news, of course, and a lot of agencies are feeling the same frustrations, practicing better boundaries, and setting stricter criteria for pitching. For a true reset to happen, we need to do better as a collective in pushing for improved briefs, increasing transparency, and fostering innovative approaches to pitch processes that align with the client’s needs and goals.

2024: A year of learning and reflection

2024 marked a year of high-volume pitches, fierce competition, and growing frustration, particularly for smaller, independent agencies. At Recipe, we chose to decline opportunities that didn’t feel like the right fit, resisting the urge to chase every lead and instead focusing on cultivating existing relationships and refining our long-term strategy. This allowed us to double down on our culture, but it wasn’t without its challenges. The process revealed the importance of being patient, trusting instincts, and making time for due diligence. We also learned how essential it is to recognise red flags early.

Throughout the industry, agencies voiced concerns about the quality of pitches, with disconnected procurement and marketing teams often making the process feel misaligned. While client-direct relationships proved to be more fruitful for us - securing three major accounts, there were one or two red herrings which were disheartening with time/resources spent on pitches that ultimately weren’t going to go anywhere, proved that we should follow early gut instinct and know when to walk away.

Despite these challenges, there have been positive signs. Collaboration, transparency, and mutual feedback between agencies and clients have started to take root in some corners of the industry. Whilst initiatives like the Pitch Positive Pledge are a step in the right direction, there is still hesitancy to address flawed processes openly. Moving into 2025, agencies must become more vocal about unfair/poor practices, with organisations like the IPA playing a key role in protecting agencies and driving accountability. Equally, it would be great to see more examples of best practice and innovative approaches to the pitch process itself spotlighted/championed in trade press.

A broken system: The numbers game needs to end

For too long, the new business process has been a numbers game. Agencies have been known to churn through pitches, allocate resources to speculative work, and push their teams to the brink - all in the hope of securing contracts. The traditional RFP model, with its high costs and low returns, rewards quantity over quality, often prioritising the loudest or most visible voices over those with real insight and innovation. More often than not RFPs are not tailored to the task, making them labour-intensive, difficult to gauge the needs of the client, and housed on a portal with a UX built for when dial-up and floppy disks were the norm.

This approach is unsustainable and counterproductive to creativity. Great work is born in environments where time, care, and collaboration are prioritised. Yet, the pressure to win at all costs undermines these values, leaving agencies and clients frustrated by rushed, derivative work that doesn’t truly meet their needs.

The great reset: A “new” philosophy for new business

It’s time to rethink the way we define and pursue growth in the creative industry. We believe it’s time to shift from a transactional mindset to a human-centric one. Rather than treating new business as a transactional exchange, let’s see it as an opportunity to build genuine, value-driven connections. This reset calls for a fundamental shift in three key areas:

1. From pitches to partnerships 

The traditional pitch process must evolve. Instead of focusing solely on winning a brief, agencies and clients should prioritise collaboration, co-creation, and trust-building. Involve clients early in the creative process, and show them your commitment to solving their problems, not just selling a solution. At Recipe, we’ve seen the impact of this approach. By treating prospective clients as partners from day one, we build relationships that go beyond the initial brief and foster long-term success.

2. Quality over quantity 

In the rush to secure new business, agencies often spread themselves too thin. Pursuing every opportunity might feel like a sound strategy, but it dilutes focus and energy. A more intentional approach - focusing on fewer, better-fit opportunities, allows agencies to bring their best thinking to the table and align with clients who share their values and ambitions. This disciplined focus pays off in the long-term, attracting clients who are more likely to stay, grow, and become true advocates.

3. Human-centric growth

At its core, new business is about people, yet creativity and strategy need time to thrive. Agencies must prioritise well-being by managing resources, timelines, and expectations, not just during pitches but through to onboarding and beyond. Motivated teams deliver better work, and empathy and authenticity help agencies stand out by truly listening to clients’ needs.

Creativity as a differentiator

The reset isn’t just about the output - it’s about redefining the process itself. Imagine replacing traditional RFIs with meaningful expressions of passion, like ‘love’ letters outlining why we care deeply about a potential partnership, backed by evidence of past achievements. What if the focus shifted to truly getting to know the people behind the agency - through personal interactions as individuals and hybrid chemistry sessions to see how they come together as a team?

These are just some thoughts… but to make ideas like this a reality, agencies would need greater client time investment - a bold ask, but one that could transform pitches into trust-building opportunities for lasting, innovative partnerships. Conventional pitches will always have a place, however, these approaches would create a deeper connection for clients looking for improved ways-of-working that fosters long-term partnerships.

Looking Ahead: A new business ecosystem for 2025

As we move into 2025, the industry has a unique opportunity to redefine success in new business. It’s time to move beyond the old, broken system and embrace new approaches - one that values quality, collaboration, and humanity.

The reset won’t be easy, and it won’t happen overnight. But if we are willing to rethink how we approach new business, we can start to build an ecosystem that benefits everyone involved and sets a new way that is far more fitting to the world we live in today.