Getting creative: Is spec-work worth the trouble?

This article tells the story of the growing number of creative agencies that are refusing to offer creative speculation when pitching for new business.

Getting creative: Is spec-work worth the trouble?

Urey Onuoha

In 2011, Zak Mroueh made a decision that could best be described as risky for his then three-year-old creative agency. After losing out on a potential client based on logistical issues, despite the fact that their creative speculation work received the highest pitch score among any agency vying for the business, he decided that his agency, Zulu Alpha Kilo, would no longer participate in pitches that require creative spec work. In an industry where requesting creative work be completed in advance of an agency's hire is par for the course, choosing...

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