Dear RFP Review Team,

By Don Davis

I don’t envy your job right now. Somewhere in front of you is a stack of proposals tall enough to qualify as light reading for a long weekend. Everyone’s promising to “redefine your brand,” “elevate your message,” and “tell your story.” And after a while, it all starts to sound the same.

But before you check the next box, here are five things most review teams don’t think about, the ones that quietly cost time, money, and trust once the ink dries.

1. Local Understanding Isn’t a Line Item. It’s a Multiplier.

There’s a difference between knowing a market and having to learn it. Out-of-area firms will promise a “fresh perspective.” Translation: you’ll fund their field trip.

The first 90 days will be spent figuring out what locals already know: the quirks, the politics, the rhythms that drive your audience. That’s not “insight.” That’s onboarding. And onboarding costs real money.

2. Bigger Agencies Don’t Mean Bigger Results.

They do mean more layers. More meetings. More invoices.

A large agency’s first task is usually staffing your account, which means you’ll spend your early months explaining your goals to someone who’s three org-charts removed from the person making creative decisions.

If efficiency matters, look at the decision-to-execution distance. The shorter that line, the faster your message moves.

3. Chemistry Beats Credentials.

The pitch room is full of charm and polish. But what happens after the confetti settles?

You need partners who can disagree professionally, pivot quickly, and stay steady under pressure. Not every agency culture can handle that. A mismatch in working style will burn through goodwill and budget faster than a bad media buy.

Ask yourself: Do I actually like how these people think?

4. Politics Always Sneaks In — Plan for It.

You’ll feel pressure to hire a “safe” choice, or the firm with the friend-of-a-friend connection. But safety and familiarity are not strategies.

When the work starts, and the politics rise, you’ll need a partner willing to navigate tension with honesty, not flattery. The right agency will tell you when something won’t work, not just what you want to hear.

That trait saves you months, and a lot of money, later.

5. Look Beyond the Pitch Deck.

The deck is theater. The delivery is what matters.

Before you fall in love with the presentation, ask who’s actually doing the work. Not the titles on the slide, the names.

• Who’s writing the copy?
• Who’s managing media?
• Who’s watching your analytics on Sunday night?

You’re not buying a logo. You’re hiring a team. Make sure they’re real and reachable.

Final Thought

When all the RFP binders blur together, remember: the right partner will spend your budget like it’s theirs, protect your brand like it’s personal, and know your market like home. Everything else, the buzzwords, the taglines, the “fresh perspective”… is just brochure talk.

Choose the people who already know the terrain. They’ll get you there faster, cleaner, and with fewer surprises along the way.

Respectfully,
Don Davis
Partner, Davis South Barnette & Patrick
Mobile, Alabama

If this finds its way across the right desk — well, I suppose that’s just good targeting.

About the author
Don Davis is a partner at DSB&P in Mobile, Alabama, where he helps brands win without burning out their people. Want to talk about this or anything in advertising, reach out. Also available for interviews on your next podcast. That last part is me being helpful and a little funny.