Last-Minute Pitch Seasons: Why Holiday Deadlines Hurt Everyone

I'm going to ask brands to stop a moment and consider the implications of inviting agencies to pitch during the holiday season. The practice has been around for ever but it raises serious questions about work-life balance, pitch quality, and industry sustainability. While the instinct to start fresh in January is understandable, the practice of setting pitch deadlines in the immediate run-up to Christmas creates unnecessary pressure on both agencies and in-house teams – potentially undermining the very results brands seek to achieve.

For in-house teams, the apparent efficiency of December pitching comes with hidden costs. First, rushed agencies rarely deliver their best work. The combination of holiday-season distractions, staff availability issues, and compressed timelines means strategic thinking – the very essence of what brands are buying – gets sacrificed for expedience. Moreover, in-house teams themselves must devote precious year-end hours to pitch evaluation when they could be closing out annual objectives or planning for the year ahead.

From the agency perspective, December pitches create a perfect storm of challenges. Staff already who are already stretched to complete client work and year-end reporting must somehow find extra hours for pitch preparation. This invariably means late nights, weekend work, and cancelled holiday plans – hardly the recipe for creative excellence or staff retention. The message it sends about work-life balance can damage morale well beyond the pitch season itself.

However, both sides can take steps to mitigate these issues. Brands should consider whether January deadlines might actually serve their interests better, allowing for more thoughtful proposal development and evaluation. If December timing is truly unavoidable, in-house teams can help by providing crystal-clear briefs, realistic timelines, and streamlined requirements. They might also consider running initial credentials presentations in December, with full creative presentations following in January.

For agencies, protecting staff wellbeing during December pitches requires both practical and cultural interventions. Clear communication about time allocation, bringing in additional resource where possible, and ensuring fair distribution of pitch work across teams can help manage the immediate pressure. More fundamentally, agencies need robust policies about which opportunities they'll pursue and under what conditions – including being prepared to push back on unrealistic deadlines.

Some forward-thinking agencies are already taking bold steps, such as implementing "no-pitch December" policies or requiring premium fees for holiday-season pitches. While potentially risky in the short term, such stances may ultimately benefit the whole industry by challenging unsustainable practices.

The reality is that neither agencies nor brands benefit from perpetuating a culture of last-minute, high-pressure pitching. As we look to 2025, perhaps it's time for the PR industry to collectively reconsider its approach to pitch timing. After all, the best client-agency relationships are built on mutual respect and understanding – starting with the pitch process itself.

The choice of pitch timing sends a powerful message about how brands value agency partnerships and staff wellbeing. Those who consistently demand December pitches might find themselves struggling to attract the best agencies – and by extension, the best thinking – in the years ahead.