The levellers are right to name names

I read with interest Lucy Barrett’s article on disgruntled advertising agencies looking to compile a blacklist of badly behaved advertisers who fail to recognise agencies’ work in the pitch process, and ignore best practice guidelines (MW January 29).

Big-budget campaigns, as mentioned in the article, demand time and attention, particularly at the briefing stage, and this should be recognised by clients. But the majority of more everyday pitches, with smaller budgets, deserve the same attention when it comes to the brief – the vital component to getting the pitch right from the start.

A huge amount of importance should be levied at the client brief, and it is at this point where mistakes are made. There’s a trend towards clients spending little time, and putting little value, on the communications brief – despite this being a contract between client and agency. A good contract is there to protect both parties, and therefore benefit both parties, but it doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

This issue is at the heart of much of the disgruntlement discussed in the article, particularly concerning more day-to-day pitches. Getting the brief right is as important for a &£100k task as a &£100m brief; the silent majority should not be forgotten.

Chris Walmsley

Managing director

Cubo Communications

London W1