Malaysia 4As to introduce guidelines for pitching

To smoothen the arduous process of conducting an ad agency search, Malaysia's Association of Accredited Advertising Agents of Malaysia (4As) will present its highly anticipated pitching guidelines come August.Likely to be first of its kind in SEA - to be published by an advertising industry trade body - the guidelines aim to help clients conduct a pitch more effectively and professionally.According to The Star, the new guidelines will describe various methods in choosing an agency, including the time-tested method of reviewing credentials, case studies and client testimonials.Initially meant to follow international pitching guidelines, the association decided that a blend of global and local practices would best ensure relevancy in the industry. The result is expected to be an amalgamation of international guidelines and local best practices, after discussion with regional pitch consultants and local agencies with extensive pitching experience.In an interview with StarBizWeek, 4As chief executive officer Khairudin Rahim (pictured) mentioned that the guidelines are slated to be launched on August 16.“At the moment, the content of the guidelines are being edited and fine-tuned to take into account the local market nuances," Khairudin said.To support the induction of these new guidelines, a half-day seminar will be conducted for advertisers and agencies to discuss their experience in the pitching process.“The guidelines, when launched, will act as a practical tool kit on what advertisers should do before, during and after a pitch,” Khairudin added.According to Khairudin, best practices to be mentioned in the guideline include putting brand and shareholder interests first when it comes to deciding a change in agency.