Nestle Professional marketing manager Martin Lines

Nestle events head outlines perfect CSR pitch

Leanne Bell, 21 January 2009

Martin Lines says understanding clients' sustainability strategies is key

Understanding a client's corporate strategy is the secret to the perfect CSR-focused pitch, says Nestle Professional marketing director Martin Lines.

Lines told agencies and suppliers at C&IT's Strategic Events Annual Conference this morning that agencies particularly needed to understand how CSR fitted into their clients' overall company strategies.

"Giving the perfect pitch for a CSR-focused brief relies on understanding why CSR is important to the client and being clear on how that ethical element fits into their overarching CSR strategy," said Lines. "Agencies need to demonstrate that their solution is aligned to the client's corporate strategy."

Lines added that if CSR elements had an additional cost, it was essential for agencies to demonstrate the value.

"You need to sell me, as a client, the reasons to pay more for the CSR solution," he told delegates. "Sell me what it is I want to buy, not what you want to sell me."