Executive Ghostwriting: Business Pitch Proposal

A new agency client wanted to win a consumer goods Web site project and asked me to make an analysis on how to proceed. As an upgrade to an existing site, the creative director wanted to explore the addition of multimedia and an online community. My turnaround was three days.

I did a competitive analysis of brands with similar products. I compared sites’ design, functionality, brand alignment, and use of online communities. I suggested that the existing site was essentially only a bookmark, lacked a story, and needed a more lifestyle approach. Instead of grouping products by type on the site (i.e., by visual layout, information design, and search functionality), I recommended that they should be grouped by use, since that’s how a consumer would approach it.

I also explained potential affiliations for product placement and co-promotion online, including:

• Celebrity recipe instructional videos and citations.
• A recipe exchange tool integrated into the site.
• A contest for consumers to become guest bloggers.

The account team fleshed out the pitch, the design team handled the production, and I drafted the presentation talking points. The agency won the business.