How Do The Experts Use Pitch Theatre In Pitch Deck Design?
Pitch theatre used to mean elaborate props, performances, or heavily choreographed presentations. They were designed to bring a pitch theme to life and make it more engaging and memorable. Standing out from the competition often just meant throwing more money at a pitch deck. These days pitch theatre still has its place, but the experts do it properly.
Freelance presentation designers who have worked on large accounts know when and where to insert a bit of theatre. We consider our clients’ needs and intentions and the brief they are working to. We’ll find an interesting angle we can exploit when we’re designing pitch decks – but in a subtle and intentional way.
Why would you use pitch theatre?
Pitch decks can be very generic and easily forgotten. Pitches are therefore often won because you made a client feel a certain way – and because you stood out for the right reasons. Your strategy is key, but if it’s very similar to another agency’s, you need a differentiator. An element of pitch theatre tends to be most useful for:
Early chemistry rounds
Face-to-face chemistry meetings
Final pitch presentations
High-value and strategically important accounts
Common types of pitch-theatre assets
There are many examples of pitch theatre, from booklets, placemats, and branded backgrounds, to name tags, stickers, animated screens, and roll-up banners.
There are various advantages to using these sorts of assets beyond building familiarity, trust, or providing an immersive experience.
Booklets: we can design PDF or printed booklets, which can be created in PowerPoint so they are editable for future use. These are great for introducing key team members and giving more background that can be referred to later.
Placemats: as well as featuring key messages, names, or images, we can include space for clients to make notes during the presentation.
Branded backgrounds: we will align these with the client brand or pitch theme to reinforce that collaborative element.
Name tags: physical badges help create a more personable experience and let people put a face to a name both during and after a presentation.
Stickers: you can use these as takeaway items to keep, or to help clients navigate the physical space they are visiting.
Animated screens: these don’t have to just display logos, we can apply a lot more imagination to create a more relevant, personalised experience.
Roll-up banners: these are a simple but effective way to add presence to a room – and can be reused.
Personalising your pitch theatre for your client
I’ve worked on many pitch presentations and it’s never just about the pitch deck. Presentation structure and strategy take centre stage, but I have always also tried to find that extra bit of magic that enhances the whole experience for the client.
Matching a little pitch theatre to the brief shows the client they are not just another prospect being presented with a generic pitch-deck design. It shows real thought has gone into the physical presentation. This automatically suggests that real thought has gone into the detail behind the pitch itself too.
Pitch theatre doesn’t have to be grandiose, over the top, or expensive to be effective. It just needs to have real meaning for the client. Many agencies will either overdo it, ignore it completely, or get it wrong because they haven’t considered the client’s perspective properly. Animated screens in a shared space where a competitor could walk past could create an issue, for example. It’s important to think through all the implications of what you’re using.
These are some examples of the pitch theatre I’ve created for presentations I have worked on that illustrate how it can be matched or themed to the client:
A banking client
We created bespoke branded credit cards that featured personalised client messages.
A lingerie company
We made custom clothing hangers that were personalised with each attendee’s name.
An FMCG pitch presentation
We redesigned the company’s crisp packets to feature presenter photos and their favourite flavours.
An aviation business
Bespoke digital boarding passes were created specifically for this client. Digital assets were chosen to align with their sustainability goals and avoid wasteful printed materials.
Additional supporting materials for professional pitch-deck presentations
Depending on the value or scale of the account and the brief itself, additional supporting booklets can be produced. These can then include things like:
Case studies
Research and insights
Tools and data capabilities
Client deep dives
Strategic recommendations
Audits
They provide information that is important and relevant but that doesn’t sit inside the presentation itself. And they should add value, not just be gimmicky.
You can also support your presentation by dressing the room. Again this doesn’t have to be a full-on production. You can theme your decoration to align with the pitch narrative, and you can use things like branded vinyls and graphics or printed boards and signage.
Pitch theatre isn’t just for pitch-deck presentations
Creating a memorable event isn’t just confined to pitching. Events and workshops can also incorporate elements of pitch theatre. This would be designed to focus on the overall attendee experience of an event as well as long-term client engagement.
Common branded assets presentation designers can help with include:
Goodie bags
Stickers
Notebooks
Water bottles
Pens and other merchandise
Name tags
Animated screens
Floor vinyls and signage
Dressed presentation spaces
All these elements can help strengthen relationships, improve collaboration, and support better client retention.
Pitch deck presentations that make an impact
If you want your pitch deck to make a real impact, maybe you need some pitch theatre. Why not get in touch to see how I can help you make the sort of lasting impression that leads to valuable new relationships? I’m here to help.