IMAA announces 21 agencies to participate in inaugural Pitch-Chella program

The Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA), the national industry body representing independent media agencies, today announced an overwhelming response to its new ‘Pitch-Chella’ initiative, with 21 agencies submitting teams to participate.

An industry-first program, Pitch-Chella is designed to support and nurture emerging independent media agency talent, and encourage collaboration, as they enhance their pitching skills. It is proudly sponsored by Audience360 and supported by Meta.

The inaugural event will see 21 teams from 21 IMAA member agencies pitch for campaigns for two national charities: the Northern Territory Indigenous Business Network (NTIBN) and the Waves of Wellness Foundation (WOW).

Participating agencies include Affinity, Apparent, Assembled Media, BCM, Enigma, Equality Media + Marketing, Half Dome, Hatched, Impetus Media, Murmur, Orange Line, Pearman, Sanctuary Media Group, Slingshot, Sweeney Advertising, TFM Digital, The Media Store, The Pistol, Wahoo, Waples and Yango.

As part of the two-month virtual program, teams will prepare written pitches for either the NTIBN’s ‘Buy Blak’ campaign or WOW’s annual ‘Ducktober’ fundraising event.

NTIBN is an Indigenous-owned business growth and advocacy service, advocating for Indigenous businesses in the Northern Territory. Its national Buy Blak campaign is aimed at raising the profile of NT Indigenous businesses, boosting brand awareness and revenue.

The WOW Foundation provides innovative programs to support mental health recovery. Its focus is on reimagining mental health support, using surf therapy to help improve mental health and well-being. Ducktober, held during Mental Health Awareness Month in October, aims to raise funds by challenging participants to take a daily ‘duck’ in cold water to improve their mental health. This year, WOW is hoping to raise $250,000 via a national campaign to help promote the initiative and broader mental health awareness.

The written briefs will be reviewed by a panel of seasoned marketing professionals, including gold sponsor Audience360’s Managing Director, Jenny Parkes, TrinityP3 Business Director and Global Media Lead, Steven Wright, Kennards Hire General Manager Marketing and Customer Experience, Manelle Merhi, Tumbleturn Media Managing Partner Jen Davidson, Orand Founder, Adam Hickey, and Sparrow’s Nest Consulting’s Greg Graham.

The judging panel will be looking for innovative, intelligent and creative applications. Pitches will be scored on their industry relevance, objectives, insight and strategy, idea and execution, and effectiveness.

Shortlisted finalists will be announced on August 26, before they present a virtual pitch to the judging panel on August 30. Pitch-Chella will culminate with the official winner announcement at a closing party at Sydney’s Beresford Hotel on September 18.

IMAA Leadership Team member and Hatched Chairman, Mike Wilson, said the organisation was overwhelmed with the response to the inaugural event.

“It’s wonderful to see so many budding indie media agency professionals keen to participate in this great event – it really demonstrates the passion, enthusiasm, and commitment to growth from our up-and-coming talent,” he said.

“We’re excited to see what our teams come up with for our two selected charities. Both organisations are incredibly worthy causes – the Northern Territory Indigenous Business Network has been at the forefront of Aboriginal economic development, particularly in the Northern Territory, for many years, while the Waves of Wellness Foundation is leading the way with its innovative approach to mental health awareness and recovery. We’re excited to have our teams bring their creativity, innovation and deep understanding of consumer behaviour to their campaigns.”

The Pitch-Chella initiative was spearheaded by a steering committee of independent agency leaders including Mike Wilson (Hatched), Jessica Bray (Audience Precision), Jac Ely (Apparent), Lisa Blackshaw (Edge), Taylor Fielding (TFM Digital) and the IMAA team.

For more information on Pitch-Chella, click here.