How to Craft a Winning Pitch: Borrow This Advertising Industry Secret
A great pitch isn’t just about structure. It’s about substance.
At Pitch Camp, we love using the Outcomes Pyramid—but a framework is only as good as the insights you put into it. Without the right thinking, it’s just a bunch of empty boxes.
So, how do you fill those boxes with the kind of clarity, evidence, and insight that wins buy-in naturally?
One way is to borrow from the best.
And in this case, that means borrowing from the advertising industry—the people who have been shifting minds, shaping behaviour, and influencing decisions for decades.
The Advertising Industry’s Secret: The Creative Brief
Every legendary campaign—from Nike’s Just Do It to Apple’s Think Different—started with a Creative Brief.
The Creative Brief is a deceptively simple set of six questions that forces advertising teams to clarify their audience, message, and strategy before a single ad is written.
It’s where cut-through messaging is forged—long before it hits a billboard, a TV screen, or a social feed.
And it’s a brilliant tool for pitch preparation.
When done well, it:
Sharpens your understanding of your audience
Forces you to simplify complex ideas
Builds the foundation for a clear, compelling narrative
Why This Works for Pitching
At Redsuit, we used Creative Briefs for decades.
They helped us win pitches, clarify messaging, and craft compelling narratives that cut through.
The version that worked best for us comes from J. Walter Thompson (now Wunderman Thompson)—one of advertising’s most influential agencies.
It asks six simple—but powerful—questions.
If you answer these before your next pitch, you’ll cut through noise, make your case clearer, and build instant credibility.
The Six Questions That Will Transform Your Pitch
Who are we talking to?
What do they care about?
What language do they use?
How do they currently see their problem?
Where are we in their minds?
What do they think of us (if anything)?
Are we the obvious solution—or do we need to shift their perspective?
What is the problem we are trying to solve?
What is their problem (not just the one we want to solve)?
What’s stopping them from moving forward?
What is the promise?
What’s the one thing we are committing to delivering?
If they walk away remembering just one idea, what should it be?
What is the support?
Why should they believe us?
What proof, data, or credibility backs up our promise?
What is the personality?
If our pitch had a tone, what would it be?
How should this feel to the audience—authoritative? Energetic? Reassuring?
Why This Works: Clarity Creates Confidence
Most people rush into pitching mode too soon, thinking that success comes from selling harder.
But pitching isn’t about convincing. It’s about creating clarity.
The clearer your thinking, the more effortless your pitch becomes.
And when your audience sees that you deeply understand their challenges and context, they won’t need to be persuaded.
The right decision will feel obvious.
How to Apply This Before Your Next Pitch
Gather your intelligence.
Review your market and competitor analysis.
Understand your audience’s external challenges and internal resistance.
Fill in the Creative Brief.
Commit to getting it onto one page.
If it’s longer, edit ruthlessly—clarity lives in constraints.
Use it to guide your pitch.
The Creative Brief isn’t a script—it’s a compass.
It keeps you aligned, on message, and focused on what matters.
The End Result: A No-Sell Sales Pitch That Feels Effortless
If you put in the work upfront, your pitch will feel natural, frictionless, and high-impact.
Your audience won’t just hear you.
They’ll see themselves in what you’re saying.
And when that happens?
Buy-in happens naturally.
Happy pitching!