RFP's – can't live with them, can't live without them!

If you're lucky, you've been receiving media RFP's. Because if you haven't seen any of these suckers, you're probably about to have a lousy year. Receiving an RFP means one of two things:

1. You have a chance to get on the plan, or
2. You are already on the plan and the agency is using the RFP to get better value or creative approaches. It doesn't cost them anything so they have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Both are good news. So then why do I hate them? Here are my top 10 reasons:

1. They always arrive when I least expect it and thus have to drop everything to work on them.
2. Briefs are usually weak with so little useful direction that it is impossible to customize a proposal.
3. They suck time. Mine. The Ad Director's. The Promotion Manager's. The Production Manager's. The printing plant's… We all have to jump through hoops to create and price concepts and spend hours or even days perfecting the proposal.
4. I end up offering a deeper discount than I probably need to.
5. American RFPs are numbingly dull and sound as if they are written in a foreign language.
6. Agencies often won't meet you to review your proposal.
7. They rarely use any of the ideas yet, thank God, still book the ads.
8. It's hard to be constantly fresh. Those ideas they didn't want last year are still looking pretty good to me.
9. Half the time the print campaign never happens. In part that's because sometimes they are used for spec pitches to their clients (or prospects).
10. NOT GETTING THEM!