Agencies juggle brand pitches and campaign planning this festive season

New Delhi: The festive season has always been the busiest period for ad agencies, with brands scaling up campaigns to tap into higher consumer spending. Just like last year, this year too, the workload is even heavier as agencies juggle big-ticket brand pitches alongside planning and execution of festive campaigns.

To recollect, in 2024, brands such as Tata Consumer Products, Hero MotoCorp, Tata Motors, Lenskart and Kenvue were all on the pitch block during the festive months. 

A similar trend is visible this year with L’Oréal India, Marico, Air India, Raymond and Flipkart currently reviewing their media mandates. 

PNB MetLife has called for an integrated mandate covering both creative and media, while Tata Motors has launched a creative pitch for its electric vehicle business.

Traditionally, the pitching cycle begins in January as brands prepare for campaigns from March onwards. But in the last two years, it has been seen that brands are accelerating the process, lining up reviews well in advance of the 2025 calendar.

For agencies, the overlap of pitches and festive campaigns has made this season especially demanding. “Festive planning alone is complex, but now we are also managing multiple pitches in parallel. It stretches teams to the limit,” said a media agency professional handling several accounts.

According to a source at one of India’s top agencies, not all brands reviewing their accounts are looking for a switch. “Some don’t have strong reasons to move, but still call pitches to keep their incumbent partners under pressure,” the source said.

Advertising insiders told BestMediaInfo.com that brands are deliberately timing pitches during the busiest part of the year to test their agencies’ efficiency and benchmark market competitiveness.

A senior media agency leader explained, “During the festive season, ad rates typically rise by 8–10%. With more advertisers on air, attention spans shrink and effective TV ratings fall. A budget that usually delivers 1,000 impressions in regular months may only fetch 850–900 impressions now. By calling for pitches at this time, brands ensure agencies are pushed to deliver greater efficiency and sharper pricing.”

Creative agencies are also feeling the heat, with a surge in project-based pitches adding to the pressure. A senior creative agency leader told BestMediaInfo.com, “Many pitches today are increasingly project-led. While agency-of-record reviews are still happening, project work is being pitched alongside. Earlier, projects often brought incremental business, but now in some cases they appear to be replacing AoR mandates altogether.”

Industry veterans also pointed to the role of consultants in driving this trend. “Many pitches are now being run by consulting firms, which seem to be advising brands that the festive season is the best time to call for reviews. It forces both incumbent agencies and challengers to offer better rates, giving clients a clearer picture of how their festive ad spends compare to the market. It is, however, an unfair practice that is becoming increasingly common,” one senior professional said.

However, another media agency leader refuted the view that brands deliberately call pitches during the festive season to pressure agencies or negotiate better rates.

“Even on the client’s side, there is a significant investment of time and effort. You have to create templates, appoint and pay the auditor, and then send those templates out. Once they come back, someone has to carefully review and evaluate them. On top of that, clients still need to sit through five or six agency meetings that each last two to three hours. Why would they want to waste so much time if the exercise wasn’t necessary?” the leader explained.