PETALING JAYA: In light of growing concerns over idea misappropriation, procurement-driven pitch pressures, and unreasonable workloads, the Media Specialists Association of Malaysia (MSA) is calling for a much-needed shift towards ethical, transparent and sustainable pitch practices across the industry.
To address these widespread problems faced by media agencies in the pitch process, MSA has released its 2025 Media Pitch Guidelines, aimed at establishing clear, enforceable standards that will foster more equitable partnerships between advertisers and agencies.
According to MSA, the new guidelines are a response to systemic, longstanding issues and frustrations expressed by media professionals regarding how pitches are run in the industry.
“These weren’t isolated complaints, they were recurring pain points that agencies had come to accept as the norm,” the association added.
Top reported challenges included vague briefs with no budget parameters, unrealistic timelines for complex strategy work, and unreasonable requests exceeding what should be expected in an unpaid pitch framework – such as bespoke case studies or media simulations.
There were also issues concerning intellectual property (IP) ownership and the use of ideas post-pitch.
“These challenges were not always due to bad intent, but often stemmed from a lack of shared structure between advertisers, agencies, and procurement teams,” said MSA.
Developed with input from MSA members, seasoned industry practitioners, and feedback from clients, the guidelines were designed to provide a practical framework for focused, transparent, and outcome-driven pitching.
“This is not about adding red tape. It’s about improving how the process works, so that the time, thinking, and partnership potential behind every pitch are respected from the start,” MSA noted.
The 2025 guidelines address various aspects of the pitching process, such as RFI (request for information), RFP (request for proposal), evaluation criteria and commercial templates.
For example, one key highlight from the guidelines is the requirement of a mutual non-disclosure agreement (NDA) at the RFI stage so that all IP and strategic proposals submitted during the pitch are protected.
Additionally, pitch timelines should span a minimum of 14 to 28 days to allow sufficient time for agencies to prepare their responses.
Advertisers may request a maximum of two case studies from each participating agency, with additional requests incurring a professional fee of RM10,000 per agency, per case, to account for the additional time and resources taken.
Moreover, only one pricing revision should be allowed post-submission to prevent excessive negotiation.
The guidelines also state that advertisers must specify their preferred remuneration model and provide a breakdown of their annual media budgets with no more than a 10% variance.
To create a framework grounded in practical realities, the development process involved months of structured dialogue with MSA member agencies, exploring a wide range of pitch experiences.
“We began by listening. Agencies shared first-hand insights about what was working, what wasn’t, and where the friction often began,” the association said.
“From there, a cross-agency task force was formed to translate those patterns into actionable standards. The aim was to build something practical: a flexible reference point, not a rigid rulebook.”
Each recommendation was then tested against real-world scenarios to ensure it was realistic, implementable, and mutually beneficial.
“We did not work in a vacuum, but consulted marketers and procurement professionals along the way to ensure alignment and buy-in from the client side.
“That is why the final framework balances structure with adaptability, allowing enough consistency to raise the standard, while accommodating the different needs of each pitch,” the association added.
While the guidelines are not a diktat, MSA urges all stakeholders – including advertisers, procurement teams, and agencies – to fully embrace the 2025 guidelines as part of a collective commitment toward creating a more resilient and respectful media ecosystem.
According to MSA, adoption of the guidelines begins with a foundation of shared understanding.
For this reason, efforts are focused on direct engagement with marketers, procurement teams, and brand leaders to explain the guidelines, their importance, and their benefits.
This is carried out through industry dialogues, one-on-one briefings, association-wide dissemination across MSA member networks, and participation in forums involving clients and agencies.
“It’s less about broadcasting and more about enabling meaningful conversations that help shift mindsets over time,” MSA shared.
At the same time, the association views adoption as iterative, recognising that not every stakeholder may implement the full framework immediately.
Therefore, even partial steps – such as clearer timelines, better briefing stands, and mutual NDAs – are moves in the right direction.
“Ultimately, this is about long-term behaviour change, which requires consistency, not coercion.
“By continuing to model, communicate, and reinforce the principles behind the guidelines, we believe adoption will grow organically – not just as policy, but as professional best practice,” MSA said.
