In order to get business, an agency pitches before a client. When this is done free it is called speculative pitch. This is an industry practice. The client chooses an agency after seeing what they bring on the table. There is a possibility that the client rejects your speculative pitch or spec, but uses your ideas, thus violating your IPR ( intellectual property rights ). The client thinks that the past work of an agency is not enough to arrive at the judgement. Maybe, it is an altogether a different product category and the client is entitled to know your thinking, say you are shifting from FMCG to tech. To ensure that the ideas are not stolen, an agency can get an agreement in place ( NDA ). Agencies give away their ideas at no cost and clients have great time at their cost. An agency should also enquire as to why the client parted with the previous agency. Speculative pitchimg does require an  industry policy. Pitches must fetch fee, and specs which are free should have certain conditions attached. Maybe , the clients have to pay rejection fees. Even agencies accept spec work and finish it in a short time of a few weeks, and present it in such a way that what annoyed the client previously is done away. The whole spirit of partnering with a brand is lost. A client must get a real team to work on his brand, rather than a few freelancers who are hired to do the work.