Author: Chris Copacino
Oh, and our account people, project managers, producers, media team and clients are happier too.
It sounds like magic. Or BS. But it’s actually math.
At CF, we’re not ones to brag but these are the facts: since 2020, we’ve won 75% of creative pitches when we made it to the final presentation round (we’ve made it to the final round 92% of the time).
Out of those wins, three of our last six clients are producing (or are set to produce) the exact work we pitched. For an agency of our size, that’s not luck.
A Process Built for Speed and Quality
A year and a half ago, we reexamined what makes us successful in pitches. We found it wasn’t just one thing but how we work together as a team.
Pitches have tight timelines so our strategists dive in, distilling key insights into sharp briefs that get creatives going immediately. From there, it’s all hands on deck: the entire team gives a focused effort with no one left on the sidelines.
Initial ideas are presented in rough form, just one or two lines of copy. But with the senior talent we have, we don’t need long setups to spot potential greatness.
Senior people from every department weigh in, ensuring ideas get vetted early, and the lead creatives closest to the brand make the final call.
Then for the pitch itself, we take our best ideas to the winning stage…not to the overwhelming stage.
From Pitch Mode to Everyday Mode
Sure, that works in pitches. But when you get a project, it takes waaay more time, right? Weeks of discovery, long explanatory decks, comps, copy, every potential ad unit comped up, and endless rounds of internal before you bring anything to clients.
Not here. Not anymore.
We developed a creative sprint process that mirrors the pitch approach with one key difference – our clients are in the room much earlier now.
Here’s how it works: for each project, the lead creative team still drives but they’re not alone. We bring in all our best creative minds for a short sprint focused only on idea generation.
Our first internal review has two rules: no visuals allowed and no write-ups allowed. Just pure ideas, one per page.
After a spirited debate, the lead team, as stewards of the brand, narrows it down to the top concepts. And they’re responsible for executing the final ideas, whether or not they originated them.
Clients Get a Say Earlier
Clients don’t want to wait months to see fully fleshed-out campaigns before giving feedback. They’ve spent their entire careers evaluating creative work. They know a strong idea when they see it too.
So instead of three overdeveloped concepts, we share five to eight directions early. No ad-like objects or distractions. Together, we and the client quickly hone in on the best two or three concepts to take to the next level.
It’s quick, collaborative, and ensures alignment early. But don’t take our word for it. Nathan Mosack, Global Media Lead at Revvity Signals, a relatively new client for CF, notes "The sprint process cut the noise and allowed us to make quick decisions...and the end result was absolutely on point! This method kept our creativity flowing while keeping us focused—an outstanding approach for any team needing fast, high-quality results."
The Math Behind the Magic
Here’s the part clients and creatives love. We subtract all the hours that were once spent on developing work that isn’t client-approved, and add that time to coming up with great ideas.
We’ve discovered it works with most any creative project, from full-funnel campaigns to activations, brand positioning, naming, identity development and more.
The Results Speak for Themselves
Our team’s not just happier now, we’ve seen productivity soar, with an even wider range of high-quality work. And creatives have more time to focus on what they love—coming up with fresh ideas.
With fewer bottlenecks, project managers now have clearer schedules, and they’ve even created a custom GPT tool, dubbed “The CF Speedway,” that instantly generates work-back schedules and answers sprint-related questions.
Our strategists now have more influence over the work from the start. The media team has the flexibility to plan around a core idea rather than finished executions. And because creative development is frontloaded, our producers can bring the best ideas to life without scrambling.
And our clients? They get more high-quality ideas from more creative minds in a shorter time, and can truly help shape and nurture the ideas. As it turns out, that makes everyone happy.