Why we won’t show you ‘concepts’ in a pitch (and why you’ll thank us later)
At WeLove9am, we’re in the business of reputation. For over 10 years, we’ve built ours—and our clients’—on authenticity and quality. We’re pretty proud that over 80% of our business comes from recommendations. People come to us because they know we deliver results, not just pretty pictures.
However, we often hear a familiar question during the pitch process: “Can you show us some creative concepts for our brand?”
It’s a natural request. If you hire an architect, you want to see a sketch of the house. If you hire an agency, you want to see what your future Employer Brand could look like.
But here is the truth few agencies will admit: designing a creative concept before we’ve done the research isn’t marketing. It’s guessing.
Here is why we respectfully decline to pitch ‘spec work’, and why this approach is actually the best thing for your business.
1. The iceberg illusion
When you see our award-winning work, you’re only seeing the top 10% of the project—the shiny creative execution. What you don’t see is the 90% that sits below the surface.
Our leadership team is built on a ‘beautiful duo’ of disciplines that ensures we never prioritise style over substance.
On one side, you have our Founder and MD, Mark Bevans. With 35 years in the recruitment industry (including time as a Director at HAYS Plc), Mark understands the commercial reality of recruitment. On the other, you have Dulcie Graves. With 20 years of agency-side experience from high-end film to complex digital architecture. Dulcie knows the rigour required to build world-class assets.
Together, they agree on one rule: you can’t build a house without a blueprint.
To present a concept that actually works, we first have to understand the problem. This isn’t just about reading your ‘About Us’ page. It requires us to get under the skin of your organisation. It takes weeks of deep-dive surveys, focus groups and data analysis.
We need to find the glue that holds your people together. If we present a creative concept before we have that data, we’re presenting a solution to a problem we haven’t diagnosed yet.
2. Subjectivity vs strategy
If we were to mock up a campaign for your pitch next week, it would be based on our assumptions and a brief chat.
When you look at that concept, you might say, “I like that blue,” or “I don’t like that headline.” But in employer branding, it doesn’t matter what the marketing director likes; it matters what the talent market connects with.
Without the research phase, creative work is purely subjective. It’s a beauty parade. By insisting on research-first creative, we move the conversation from “I think this looks nice” to “the data proves this will resonate”.
3. Authenticity cannot be faked
The biggest risk in employer branding is the gap between expectation and reality. If we sell a candidate a dream based on a cool concept we dreamt up in a pitch meeting, but that concept doesn’t align with the reality of working on your shop floor, you’ll have high attrition and a damaged reputation.
A concept must be a true mirror of your workforce. It needs to be authentic. We can’t possibly capture the heartbeat of your culture from the outside looking in. We need to be on the inside first.
4. Respecting the craft
Finally, we believe in the value of our expertise. The strategic phase, the thinking, the researching, the analysing, is the most valuable work we do. It’s the architectural blueprint.
To give away ‘concepts’ in a pitch suggests that the creative solution is easy, that it can be conjured up in a few days without effort. It devalues the rigorous process required to get it right. We respect your brand too much to offer you a ‘fast food’ solution when you need a gourmet meal.
Our promise to you
We understand that choosing an agency is a leap of faith. But that faith should be placed in our proven process and our past case studies, not in a speculative piece of artwork created in a vacuum.
When we say “no” to pitching concepts, we’re saying “yes” to:
- Accuracy: Basing decisions on data, not guesses
- ROI: Creating work that actually solves your recruitment problems
- Integrity: Refusing to sell you a fake version of your own company
We’re ready to do the hard work. We’re ready to dig deep, listen to your people and build something extraordinary. But let’s do it the right way, or not at all.
Fancy chatting about how we can build that blueprint together?
