I Pitched A TV Show And Failed
It was brutal, but here’s what I learned.
Our work developing presentations takes us to exciting and talented people doing some fantastic work. From designing TED Talks to creating vibrant internal communications, every client we meet teaches us something about ourselves and the world around us.
One of those clients at the top of this exciting list is the charismatic and charming Tom Rutherford. Tom earned his Chef Stripes in London, working for Albert Roux at the 3 Michelin Starred Le Gavroche in the 80s. He now consults with businesses to deliver high-end events and creates fantastic food experiences with his excellent app - Halo Dining (you can check it out here)
Tom is passionate about designing unique food experiences. Working beside him developing his keynote was an eye-opening insight into just how much artistry and business savvy goes into his work.
My Big Idea
One night while watching Grand Designs, I had a flash vision of Tom on camera, sharing his expertise with the viewer about the behind-the-scenes work and precisely what went into a successful restaurant.
This idea mulled over in my brain, and after a few days, I had a fully-fledged idea for a TV show that I would love to watch. A fresh, unique Grand Designs-style show focused on the preparation, planning, and journey of new restaurants - fronted by the exceptional Tom Rutherford.
I was excited and shared my vision with Tom over lunch. He was polite in his rebuff, but something inside me took this as a challenge, and I was inspired. I wouldn’t let it go, and over the next few months reminded Tom of my idea at every chance I got.
Along Comes Opportunity!
Over this time, Tom had shared the idea casually with friends and colleagues. Through the golf club, word of the idea had made it to a friend of a friend, who coincidentally was the chairman of a TV production company. He thought the idea had some potential and called us into his office for a chat.
Now, something important to know: while I love watching TV, I have absolutely zero experience making it. However, I didn’t take this as a negative - my conviction was that my clear vision would expand into something genuinely great over time.
Our first meeting was a casual conversation to discuss the idea - I was surprised at how well-received it was! We were given some questions about potential avenues for the show, what a 12-episode series could look like, and what a name could be. The title ‘Food Empire’ stuck, and became the pin holding our dream together.
Over the next few weeks, we spent time hashing out the details and coming up with a plan for the theoretical 12-episode series. Then, high on enthusiasm but low on expectations, we went back for a second meeting. We’d already come so much further than we’d thought, and what was once a half-formed idea suddenly looked like it could become a reality.
The Vision
Running with the idea of Grand Designs-meets-VICE’s Munchies, with a touch of Eurovision, we outlined the process for each of the 12 episodes. The idea was to highlight the changes in food experiences through Tom’s lens, from casual burger joints to up-market fine dining restaurants.
After about an hour, the feedback was phenomenal, and suddenly we found ourselves in the position of actually bringing the vision to life. This was unbelievable - as outsiders to the TV industry, we’d been able to push through the barriers to progress and were looking at the next stage. It was completely unexpected, but the thrill of the ride and creative process was a high that we were happy to have.
Finally, our big day arrived: we received an invitation to present to the chairman, producer, and casting director for a detailed, formal meeting. We were told to hold nothing back in the pitch and deliver the ‘wow’ factor that makes a good idea into a great TV show. Then, it was time to get to work.
Preparing For Our Meeting
I spend a lot of time working with clients on their presentations but still regularly present myself at client meetings, workshops, and events. I understand that when it comes time to deliver, there’s a justifiably high bar, and you always have to go the extra mile. We call it a Tier 1 standard. So we did just that.
Our first priority was the visual engagement - for a TV show, it’s kind of important! So we created an easy-to-follow visual journey for the episodes, structured around the brand that we had developed. Our presentation was rich in imagery as we walked through every step of the journey. We broke down every episode, detailed the revenue model, and identified potential avenues for follow-up seasons.
For the ‘wow’ factor, Tom had prepared a food experience paired with crucial presentation moments. From enjoying charcuterie while pitching the episode on butchers to discussing bars while sipping fresh cocktails, we had done everything to ensure an exceptional experience.
The presentation was aspirational, we were well-rehearsed and had taken every step necessary to deliver top-tier performance.
Or so we thought.
The Day Of The Pitch - AKA, The Beginning Of The End
The day finally came, and with nerves high, enthusiasm higher, we went back to the boardroom to meet with the chairman, producer, and casting director. This group was different from the team we’d been working with: grizzled and somewhat hostile, they were a little unnerving. Nevertheless, we knew what was in store and had prepared for it. We were confident that what we had in store would win over even the most determined non-believer.
As Tom rolled out the picnic blanket and set the scene, the mood in the boardroom got significantly more hostile. Ignoring this sudden drop in morale, I launched into the presentation, bringing our beautiful visuals up onto the screen and outlining the vision for the greatest TV series yet to be made. Tom played his part perfectly, and we were ready to start the food experience when everything took a quick and dramatic turn.
The Death Blow
Just as I was beginning to outline the plan for the first episode, I was stopped mid-sentence by a steely-faced producer. He half-yelled, half-sighed a question in my direction that made my blood run cold.
“Who the bloody hell would watch something like this? What’s the demo?”
I recovered quickly and responded with an enthusiastic, somewhat misguided, “Well, everyone really. It’s a great show, but specifically, there’s a 35-60-year-old age group that would love it.”
The producer sized me up, then spat out one word that killed our vision instantly.
“Bullshit.”
From there, it was a blurry 10-minute lecture on the realities of commercial TV, why this show had no real niche, and how we’d wasted everyone’s time, including our own.
I’m not sure what kind of noise a hot-air balloon would make if you immediately deflated it and let it fall back to Earth, but at that moment, I knew exactly how it felt.
We rolled up our mat and slunk out the door with our tails between our legs. This show had been our passion for months, and it had been shot dead in a heartbeat. Needless to say, the cocktails and charcuterie stayed wrapped in the basket.
Where did it go wrong?
It seemed so surreal: after months of encouragement, support, and build-up, our dream was dead. Our lunch was a quiet, post-mortem discussion as we went through what exactly had gone so wrong.
We didn’t immediately realise the cause of death, but over time, it’s become so much clearer.
There aren’t rules to giving a presentation, but over the last ten years, I’ve been able to see the common characteristics that define successful deliveries. Regardless of industry, topic, and speaker, delivering an engaging, successful presentation comes down to following some very clear mindsets.
We’ve packaged these rules as the 5 Golden Principles.
They are:
The audience is #1
Be authentically you, always
Start with the end in mind and follow a structure
Assume your audience isn’t really interested
Always prepare to over-deliver
We’d failed at #1.
As creatives, we’d thought our role was to sell our idea and all of the time and effort going into it. Being new in the arena, we hadn’t considered asking the key demographic what they wanted. Instead, we’d been looking inwards in our thinking, believing that just because the people in the initial meeting liked our idea, everyone would.
If we had adjusted our thinking earlier, we might have come out unscathed. However, as things progressed, we went further down the rabbit hole and came face to face with the grittier side of the business. These people were hardened professionals, and from the hundreds of pitches they receive per year, there was a formula they were expecting.
The number of questions we asked about the audience: 2.
The minimum number we should have asked: 20.
That kind of difference can’t be explained away by anything other than naivety, and it was a lesson that we won’t forget in a hurry.
The Take-aways
Even writing this years later, the memory of the experience still hurts. But, it’s a valuable pain that has only consolidated our mindset and streamlined the work we do with clients to ensure they don’t make the same mistake. The audience is #1, and until you’ve figured out what they need, you haven’t begun your journey to success.
You can check out an overview of the presentation we used here. Please be kind :)
You’ll find this and many more examples in our new book - How to Improve Your Next Presentation in Q1 2022.
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