Because many agencies are built that way. Senior people win the account, and a more junior team runs it once the contract is signed. It is common enough to have a name in the industry, the bait and switch, but it is not universal. Before you sign, get the name of the person who will run your account day to day, in writing.
Our services page shows who does the work with us. This is why it so often changes elsewhere.
The story you probably know
You got pitched the senior team. You signed the contract. The first meeting went well and everyone was in the room.
Then onboarding happened, and you met someone new. Keen, capable and learning. The people from the pitch now turn up for the quarterly review.
Elaine has watched this play out from both sides of the table, over 25 years at media owners and global agencies.
Why it happens
It is rarely one person being dishonest. It is the economics.
Senior time wins accounts. Pitches are run by the people most likely to win them. Once the account is won, they move on to the next pitch.
Junior time services them. Senior hours go to the accounts that keep the lights on. Everyone else gets what is left of the calendar.
People move. Account teams change, and each handover loses some of what you explained in the first month.
Mid-sized brands fall into a gap. Too sophisticated for a small shop that has not held a strategy at that level. Not big enough to matter at a large network. Nobody says that in the pitch.
So the handover is not a fault in the model. It is the model working as designed.
What it costs you
Everyone starts somewhere, and the junior person is rarely the problem. The problem is that they are learning on your budget.
You explain the brand again. The strategy that won the pitch stays in the deck. Calls that need someone to say the numbers are wrong get softened, or wait for the next review. And the fee was priced for the people you met.
You are not the only one
Through 2026, the Australian trade press has reported a run of brands leaving long-standing media agencies, some after more than a decade.
When we talk to marketers who have been through a review, the same story comes up. The pitch room was full of senior people. The Monday after signing, it was not.
Loyalty did not die. It stopped being earned.
The one line to ask for
Before you sign, ask for this in the contract:
"Our account will be run day to day by [name]. If that changes, we will be told before it happens and can review the agreement."
Then ask three more questions:
Who will run our account in month six?
How long do they usually stay on an account?
What does it cost if a specialist is brought in later?
If the agency cannot answer with a name, or the answer changes after signing, that is your sign.
If it has already happened
Ask for the pitch lead back. In a meeting, in writing, and say what has changed since you signed.
Ask who owns the strategy now. By name.
Check your contract. Find the notice period and the review points before you need them.
Make sure you own your accounts. Ad accounts, analytics, data and creative should sit in your name, so you can take them with you.
How we avoid it
We built The Wild Ones the other way round. Senior-only. The person in your first meeting runs your account every week after, because there is no floor below us to hand the work down to. More on that in senior access or a senior bench.
That is a choice about size as much as anything. A model that wears out its senior people will not keep them on your account.
FAQ
Why did my agency team change after the pitch?
Many agencies staff the pitch with senior people and move delivery to a junior team once the contract is signed. It is common, but not universal.
How do I know if an agency will bait and switch me?
Ask who will personally run your account in month six, rather than who is in the pitch. If they cannot give you a name, or the name changes after signing, that is the sign.
What should I get in writing before I sign?
The name of the person who will run your account day to day, and what happens if that changes. Ask what it costs if a specialist is brought in later, too.
Can I ask for the pitch team back?
Yes. Ask in writing, name the people you met and say what has changed. The answer tells you what you actually bought.
Next step
Want the person you meet to be the person who does the work? See how we run accounts on our services page, read about Elaine, or get in touch.
Book a free Growth Plan. Thirty minutes with the person who would do the work. No deck, no pitch.