Is process-oriented RFP a bane or boon for PR industry?

The Request for Proposal (RFP) has long served as a foundational process in the industry and is considered as a gateway between brands and agencies to forge new connections and partnerships. However, what was designed to create transparency and open up opportunities is now seen as inefficient, inconsistent, and in some cases, inequitable. As brands seek faster turnarounds and ROI-driven campaigns, and agencies grapple with resource-intensive pitches that often go nowhere, tensions are beginning to show.

In this feature, we will explore the perspectives of agencies and brands regarding what the RFP process looks like today, where it’s falling short, and what changes are necessary to make it more effective and equitable for all stakeholders involved. Moreover, we will also learn how the Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI) is stepping in, calling for more thoughtful, ethical, and standardized pitch practices.

Representing the agency’s perspective, we have Kunal Kishore, Group CEO & Co-Founder, Value 360 Communications, Udit Pathak, Founder Director, Media Mantra Group, Tarunjeet Rattan, Managing Partner, Nucleus PR, and Atul Sharma, CEO, Ruder Finn India and Head of Middle East

Representing the agency’s thoughts, we have Arun Arora, Director - Mavyn, Chetak Foundation and Bhaskar Majumdar, Communications Specialist.

Discussing the PRCAI efforts, we have Deeptie Sethi, CEO, PRCAI and Neha Mehrotra, National Chair for Standardisation & Growth at PRCAI.

Rethinking the definition of an RFP

“The RFP process was originally designed to facilitate fair competition and help brands identify the right agency partners. However, in some instances, it has evolved into an exercise in idea gathering rather than a genuine effort to form strategic collaborations,” defines Udit, discussing agency’s thoughts.

Moreover, from a brand's perspective, specialist Bhaskar elaborated that the RFP process is a reflection of a brand's desire to assess agency performance, bring in new ideas, and align with their communication goals in an ever-changing media and consumer environment.

How often brands issue RFP?

When asked about how often brands seek RFPs from agencies, Arun said that seeking RFP for hiring a PR agency usually takes place only once in three to five years. 

Moreover, “Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and government departments are mandated to issue tenders annually or once every few years. Conversely, start-ups and hyper-growing digital-native brands might issue RFPs more frequently—perhaps every 6 to 12 months—to meet short-term needs, product launches, or influencer-driven campaigns, considering that they have to be agile and quick. Further, a shift in leadership (CMO or head of communications), expansion into new geographies, IPO preparation, crisis-related situations, or repositioning of the brand typically drive off-cycle or project-related RFPs,” underlines Bhaskar.

Now, coming to the hidden challenges of RFP process

Industry leaders discussed the numerous challenges both parties face like the lack of structured process, varied executions from the number of agencies who are invited, time frame involved, non-disclosure of budgets which leads to gaps in expectations on both sides.

Unorganised process: 

Neha added, “The current RFP landscape is riddled with inefficiencies, from unclear expectations to inconsistent selection criteria, leaving both consultancies and brands dissatisfied.”

Tarunjeet discusses a repetitive theme that is running through most conversations in the industry. “Speak to anyone in the PR industry and they will tell you enthusiastically that they are working on 3 pitches. Three weeks or three months later that enthusiasm has turned into anger or just plain despair and bitterness,” she asserts.

Wrong Intent: 

Kunal talks about how the brand's intent to invite PR firms for pitches just to fulfil audit or compliance requirements is a disservice to the industry and a pure waste of time and resources of serious professionals that erodes trust in the process.

“The challenge arises when the intent behind the RFP isn’t clear- whether it’s to meet procurement requirements, crowdsource free ideas, or simply put pressure on the incumbent PR firm,” says Atul Sharma.

Plagiarism: 

Udit Pathak underscored the problem of plagiarism in the process stating, “Agencies invest time, expertise, and resources into crafting detailed proposals, only to see their insights reflected in brand strategies without formal engagement.”

Limited feedback and ambiguous decision-making: 

PRCAI states that PR firms invest significant time and resources in crafting proposals, yet many experiences result in limited feedback and ambiguous decision-making, making both sides dissatisfied and unhappy in the process.

Lack of Transparency

Kunal counters that lack of transparency in the process discourages genuine participation, limits healthy competition, and ultimately stifles innovation in brand communications. 

Why do brands call for bids they don’t plan to take?

The industry practice of brands inviting bids for PR services when they intend to stay with their existing agency raises important questions about intent, transparency, and strategy.

To this, Bhaskar accentuates, “Releasing an RFP enables brands to test market rates, evaluate new skills, and justify their agency selection to senior management or audit committees. In addition, brands will actually go so far as to explore substitutes just to be certain that they're not omitting innovative ideas or new talent, even if they eventually decide to stick with the incumbent partner out of familiarity, institutional knowledge, and historical delivery.”

Arun points out that companies usually initiate this process when renewing existing contracts or expanding the scope of work. He remarks that inviting bids from agencies ensures transparency, fairness, and due diligence and sets clear expectations, encourages innovation, and improves agency selection and long-term alignment.

What happens if the RFP process overtakes purpose?

Industry leaders believes that if procedural RFPs continue to be influenced more by relationships than merit, the PR industry risks losing its competitive edge and risks a dangerous slide into mediocrity.

Pathak advocates for more fair and merit-based RFP process, mentioning, “A fair and merit-based selection process ensures that the most capable agency, one with the right mix of experience, creativity, and executional strength, gets the mandate. When this balance shifts, innovation suffers, and brands may not get the best strategic counsel available.”

Tarunjeet underlines that when RFP overtakes purpose, the brands lose out on great talent. Agencies get demotivated and more and more talent on both ends lose their will to continue in the industry. Creativity gets crushed and the brand's reputation becomes passé.

Who should lead the PR audit in an RFP?

The evaluation and audit process is a critical step in selecting the right partner. However, a common question that arises is whether internal stakeholders with relevant PR experience should lead or contribute to the audit, or if the process should be handled by an external third party for objectivity. 

To this, Bhaskar answered in the favour of having an in-house evaluator or consultant with a good PR background during the audit process. “As for a meaningful and equitable assessment, an individual who knows the reality of media, influencer dynamics, regulatory sensitivities, and storytelling within the Indian ecosystem is a must-have. External audit groups, especially those without communications background, would not have the situational context to evaluate intangible but essential items such as media relationships, crisis preparedness, thought leadership strategy, and cultural fit,” he reckoned. He also asserts the issues around confidentiality, leakage of strategy, and commercial sensitivity, particularly within highly competitive industries.

PRCAI’s role in enhancing RFP effectiveness across the industry

The Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI) is the leading body, representing the PR industry in India. Presently, it is advocating the Standardization of the RFP process to ensure brands provide clearer intent, structured selection methodologies, and meaningful feedback mechanisms. 

“At PRCAI, we are championing several key initiatives from the very first step of listening to the problem, to creating ‘The Standardization of RFP’ framework which went through several rounds of feedback from both sides to educating professionals about its existence. The appointment of the National Chair for Standardization, is a thoughtful decision to tackle issues, identify opportunities related to standardization head-on.” advocates Deeptie. 

In Q4 2024, PRCAI introduced a new client-consultancy partnership charter (https://www.prcai.org/about-us) which not only is a guiding framework for both sides (consultancies and clients) but is promoting regular dialogues between brands and consultancies to ensure the RFP process is well understood and offers rules of engagement for world-class processes. Moreover, they also conducted several closed door workshops with CCO and founders to develop this and then brought the group together. 

To address these gaps, PRCAI outlined a robust framework, encouraging brands to disclose budgets upfront, adherence to a timeframe from beginning to end of pitch and a process of ongoing feedback. The framework also provides guidance for on-boarding of agencies, access to leadership and also structured mechanisms for feedback.

Steps to ensure a more efficient and result-oriented RFP process

To move from paperwork to partnership, both parties need a better RFP process. Discussing the same, industry leaders shared their suggestions to make the process more efficient, transparent, and outcome-driven for everyone involved.

More Transparency and Clear Intent:

Tarunjeet suggests brands to start with intent, stating, “If you’re not looking to hire, don’t float the RFP. If your agency’s already locked in, don’t “explore the market.” And if you do run a pitch—give feedback. It’s not just professional courtesy, it’s the bare minimum.” 

She further suggests that if brands still want to ‘explore’ then let the agency know, leave it up to them to decide if they want to respond to your RFP. Set a pitch fee that will compensate them for their time. If you choose to go with an idea presented by another agency, then compensate them for the idea. Buy it from them!

“As long as the RFP process is transparent about bringing on board a new firm and offers clarity on selection criteria including budgets, I am certain all of us are up for a good fight,” says Atul.

Respect the Process & Efforts:

Arun urges the brands to make the RFP process more effective and respectful of agency resources, the brand may – define clear objectives, allow two-way dialogue, be transparent about selection criteria, shortlist thoughtfully, provide feedback and respect agency time.

Pre-Bid Discussion:

Udit supports and calls for incorporating pre-bid discussions. Additionally, streamlining evaluation criteria to focus on long-term impact rather than just pricing can create more meaningful partnerships.