Pitchcraft.

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How the room worked

Every pitch ran like a startup brand. It began with a three-hour session with every senior stakeholder in the room, then moved to a fully formed creative identity, lexicon and narrative inside a few weeks. Every pitch had one unarguable metric for creative success: winning.

The premise hasn't changed since. B2B is still B2C; the B is a room of decision-makers, and decision-makers are moved before they are convinced. Find the shared interest between the two companies, then speak to it in a story the client can see themselves inside.

Accelerating growth for an ERP provider

Snapshot. An ERP solutions firm was pitching a leading potato-products company, referred to here as Company X. Chris led the creative strategy for the RFP: a branded narrative grown from the shared interests of both companies.

The result. A multi-million-dollar win and a lasting partnership.

The situation

First, a three-hour session with all senior stakeholders in the room. Days later, three fully developed concepts were presented. The chosen one opened with this text, written in the first person and reflecting what the session surfaced:

Company X is on a mission to dominate their industry, and become the #1 global potato company. The state of their business is strong, and thriving. But to reach their objectives, they must modernize and integrate their technology platform, enabling the new capabilities and innovation their competitive industry demands. They've never embarked on this particular type of journey before, and it won't be easy. They need a skilled and capably experienced partner who will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them as they pursue this technical transformation. A powerful ally that makes them feel like a priority. A trusted, proven partner that will be with them every step of the way.

The outcome

The whole pitch, the written proposal and the in-person orals, was shaped through that lens. This is the manifesto:

The Art of Growth

There is no art without skill and experience. True leaders, the best at what they do, apply their well-honed skills and deep experience toward their field of expertise to drive innovation, and optimal outcomes.

Company X is skilled in the art and science of producing potato products that delight your customers, and enhance your bottom line. When it comes to the potato, Company X is a veritable virtuoso.

When it comes to designing and deploying world-class ERP solutions, [The Firm] brings the finely-tuned skills and deeply relevant experience Company X needs to secure your foundation for rapid and long-term growth. Our passion is crafting better business outcomes from software and services.

We know the terrain. We've walked this path many times before, and we'll be with you every step. We stand ready to join Company X as strategic partners on your journey to become the #1 global potato company, and well beyond.

Together, we will plant sturdy roots for an even greater employee experience. Together, we are masters in the art of growth. Cultivating this powerful partnership to secure a stronger future.

More winning pitches

Each of these opened with a manifesto and a film. The manifesto set the frame the room would think inside; the film, played at the start of the orals, made them feel it before anyone argued for it.

LAX (Los Angeles World Airports)

Airports throughout the world are changing with the times. With new technologies available, consistent cost pressures, and increasing focus on customer experience, airports are looking for ways to improve and position themselves for the future. The concept was a single word the whole pitch could rest on: gateway.

Gateway to ____

Travel is the portal to experience. A gateway to the world, just waiting for you to step through it. LAWA has been the international gateway to the region for over 70 years, conveying visitors and Angelenos alike to hundreds of destinations around the world. But the need is clear to enhance performance for both passengers and partners.

Together, let's form a partnership that becomes your gateway. To operations excellence, elevating efficiencies and revenues. To a place where airlines and airports collaborate in the best interest of the customers. To more and happier passengers, traveling, shopping, or just hanging out. Together, let's make LAWA a gateway to delightful experience, inviting the world to step on through.

Premera Blue Cross

Premera Blue Cross, serving over 2M customers in the Pacific Northwest, embarked on a five-year enterprise transformation journey, looking to increase efficiency, better meet ever-changing market demands, and above all to deliver superior service to their customers. The RFP asked for three things, and the concept gave them a fourth word that held the other three.

Refuture

Rebalance. Reimagine. Replatform. Worthy objectives, to be sure. But there's a larger play here. One that will impact the lives and livelihoods of millions of people, employees and customers alike. It's time to Refuture. To secure a version of the future where healthcare access is simple and easy. A future where the systems and tools unite to reveal a warm and personal experience in their place.

Together we can reshape and repurpose the potency of your people and the power of your process to ensure that the future you envision is the one that soon arrives. It's time to Refuture, and we stand ready to help you make it real.

Google InSynch

Google, from the start, has been a dominant force, shaping the way we experience and consume the internet. Their products and services touch our lives every single day, all in service of their grand mission: "To organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." The pitch was about vendor sourcing and engineering partnerships, which is to say logistics, which is to say rhythm.

InSynch

Complexity is an obstacle. Friction, the foe. Slowing progress, draining resources. Simplicity is the way forward. Efficiency, the sweet music that drives results. Fueling growth, building value.

We've been jamming together to the beat of your rhythm for many years now, and it's time to collaborate on our next big hit. Together, let's help ensure your most synchronous future. Where we're all working smoothly in concert. Googlers and Partners alike. In synch. Well serving your next billion users, and beyond.

SF Innovation Hub

Art, creativity, ideas and imagination. Nice to have and enjoy but, in a business context, their relevance has historically been a bit unclear.

Ready to bring home a big win?

info@chrisrubincreativ.com. Or, if the problem is that only the founder can tell the story, start with the BrandMultiplier Diagnostic.