Advertisers urged to adopt fair pitch practices to protect agency sustainability and strengthen industry standards
PETALING JAYA: Government-linked companies (GLC) and corporates want to make responsible, transparent decisions when selecting media agencies, but often do not realise how extensive pitch demands could erode industry sustainability.
Media Specialists Association Malaysia (MSA) vice-president Vanitha Selvathurai said well-intentioned advertisers may not see the cumulative impact of requiring full-fledged campaigns, deep data analysis or multi-month strategies during the pitch stage, often within compressed timelines.
She said such expectations strain agencies, stretch teams beyond capacity and force creativity into a transactional mode.
“This contributes to burnout, talent drain and an environment in which quality thinking becomes harder to deliver.”
However, she said the landscape is slowly changing as a growing number of advertisers, including several major corporations, have begun adopting the 2025 Media Pitch Guidelines.
She added that these advertisers understand that sustainability, fairness and creativity are not opposing interests but mutually reinforcing principles.
“We hope more clients follow suit. MSA is committed to supporting this shift through dialogue, education and shared accountability across the ecosystem.”
She also said current pitch norms unintentionally exclude smaller or independent agencies, resulting in a significant loss for the industry.
“This is not about capability or ambition. It is about how our industry defines fairness and access. Pitches should be a forum for discovering relevant and effective thinking, not just the fastest or the most produced.
“When diversity of participation declines, the industry risks reinforcing a narrow definition of what ‘good work’ looks like, limiting innovation and reducing the perspectives available to advertisers.”
The guidelines, launched in July, aim to restore this balance by encouraging clarity, sufficient lead time and improved transparency.
MSA council member Sandeep Joseph said if Malaysia is serious about strengthening its marketing and creative economy, particularly through public-sector and GLC-led tenders, the focus must shift toward structural reforms that elevate fairness, transparency and professionalism across the industry.
He said industry leaders argue that meaningful progress would only happen when procurement systems are rebuilt to reward capability rather than connections, endurance or speculative output.
“One of the key recommendations is the introduction of standardised pitch frameworks across all government and GLC tenders. This would include transparent evaluation criteria, realistic timelines and mandatory budget disclosures, creating a level playing field for agencies of all sizes.
“With clearer conditions, agencies could plan their resources more effectively and compete based on skill, strategic insight and relevance to the brief, not on guesswork or disproportionate effort.“
Sandeep also called for a shared accountability framework, potentially overseen by an independent body working alongside the government.
