Senior figures from the advertising and marketing industry have pledged their support for the IAA’s first voluntary code of best practice.
The UAE chapter’s Best Practice in the Pitch Process, which was first unveiled in June last year, is the region’s first ever guideline devised to improve the pitching process for both agencies and clients.
The signatories include representatives of Leo Burnett, Grey, JWT, Starcom MediaVest Group, the Choueiri Group, Y&R, Saatchi & Saatchi, TBWA\Raad and Memac Ogilvy.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Lance de Masi, president of the IAA’s UAE chapter, said: “Today is about the opportunity for a healthier, more effective industry. Today’s signatures do not simply communicate agreement with the contents of the code. They symbolise a commitment to follow through in practice and to do so even in the face of imperfection, controversy and occasional ill will.”
The creation of the document involved the collective expertise and ideas of 169 senior industry executives over three sessions in order to establish the guidelines for ethical pitching. In essence, it encourages the industry to adopt the code as a guidance tool to “better approach the often challenging and costly steps involved in the pitch process”.