Why we turned down a seven-figure tour last quarter
Last quarter we turned down a seven-figure tour. The brief was straightforward: 12 cities, 8 weeks, three formats. Numbers we'd have closed in an afternoon a year ago.
The problem: we already had a competing brand on a 2026 weekend in two of the cities. Category exclusivity isn't a marketing line for us. It's written into the MSA.
The call
I called the buyer 22 minutes after the brief landed. Walked through the conflict. Offered to either:
- Take the campaign with two cities removed, or
- Push the 2026 weekend by 14 days (the existing client said no — we asked)
The buyer chose neither. They went to a competitor who quoted slightly under our number, with no exclusivity guarantee.
Why we hold the line
Category exclusivity is the only differentiator we have that compounds. Lose it once, and every buyer in the next category we sell asks "but what about XYZ who you ran for them last year?"
The first client saw us turn down seven figures to protect their booking. They've referred us to four brands since. The math shakes out.
What I tell the team
If a deal requires breaking exclusivity, the deal is too small. Always. Every time.
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