It’s about value. At least that’s what you tell your customers when they’re weighing their options, considering alternatives, and making the crucial call between you and a cheaper competitor.
“Don’t just look at the bottom line, look at what you’re getting for it. Consider things like quality, customer service, durability, reliability. It’s not always about price.”
There are plenty of reasons people will pay MORE for a product or service they can get cheaper elsewhere. Maybe they feel better, for example, going with a name they know and trust. There’s great comfort and confidence, after all, in knowing your expectations will be met because the experience you’ve had with the product, service, or company has been a relatively reliable one.
That’s the power of a brand – or, at least the power of a brand that’s good at consistently delivering upon its brand promise.
What About Choosing an Agency?
The same principle above applies when companies are vetting agency partners. Here at Motion, we frequently find ourselves in that final set of two or three agency suitors. Sometimes we’re the least expensive option. Other times we’re not. Oftentimes, we’ll be challenged to come back with “final” pricing, which we recognize is code for “How low can you go?”
In good faith, we’ll always make an effort to mine for efficiencies and whittle away a few hours here and there to bring the total down, but our rates are what they are for a reason. It’s how we stay in business.
That said, rates are not WHY we stay in business. No – we stay in business because of the value we provide our clients. The results we get for them. The client service they experience with us. It’s why many of our clients have been with us for 5+, 10+, even 15+ years. And why client contacts bring us with them when they move on in their career.
Choosing a nominally more expensive agency partner can be a tough sell internally. We get that. We also know that, from experience, these partners can be worth the investment. They do say “You get what you pay for,” after all. And, sometimes, you get actually more.
Get More Than You Pay For
When two agencies are offering the same services, but one is more expensive than the other, it’s not always safe to assume you’ll be in better hands with the cheaper option. In fact, in many cases, it’s safer to assume the opposite. If you need help selling in your higher-priced agency preference, we can help you make that case. Below are some things to consider.
Higher costs or hourly rates at a marketing agency frequently translate into tangible benefits for a client in a number of ways:
1. Expertise and Specialization
Agencies with higher rates often employ higher-tier talent with specialized skills and extensive experience in various areas of marketing. Clients benefit from working directly with salaried professionals who bring deep industry knowledge, strategic insights, and innovative approaches to the table.
Cheaper agencies are sometimes cheaper because they farm out your work to freelancers and contractors instead of staffing a talented team of regulars who will be assigned to your business for the long-haul.
2. Quality of Work
Higher rates typically reflect a commitment to delivering high-quality work. Clients can expect exceptional attention to detail, more polished deliverables, and creative solutions that drive results when choosing a pricier partner.
Cheaper partners often have to watch every penny they invest in your business because they’ve already compromised their margins just to win the work. If you think they’ll go “above and beyond” to make you look good, think again. They’re actually looking for ways to spend less time (money) servicing your account just to make it profitable.
If you’re thinking, “Well this explains a lot,” you already know what we’re talking about.
3. Efficiency and Timeliness
Experienced professionals at higher-rate agencies often work more efficiently, completing projects in less time without sacrificing quality. Clients benefit from faster turnaround times, meeting tight deadlines, and maximizing their return on investment.
As an independent agency, this is especially true for us at Motion, where we’re not beholden to, or bogged down by, the bureaucracy that plagues so many of the multinational conglomerates. Massive agency networks have a lot of redundancies and overhead to cover. Smaller, cheaper agencies tend to run lean, meaning they can only handle so much before you start to feel their pain.
We prefer to thrive in that sweet spot – big enough to do it right, small enough to do it better. We maintain a comfortable staffing bandwidth to ensure we’re always equipped to handle whatever our clients throw our way.
4. Strategic Guidance
Agencies with higher rates often prioritize strategic planning and consultation, providing clients with valuable insights and recommendations to achieve their business objectives. Clients receive personalized attention, tailored strategies, and proactive guidance to navigate complex marketing challenges. This point should not go unconsidered, as marketing without strategy is like dropping Canva flyers out of an airplane.
Not only does strategic thinking have value, it ADDS value. Cheaper agencies don’t always staff for strategy, opting instead to operate as paid order-takers. Even if you are the mastermind behind your own strategic plan and don’t need to farm out strategic thinking, don’t underestimate the power of a partner staffed with the talent to tactically translate your strategy into creative work that actually works.
5. Innovation and Creativity
Higher-rate agencies are more likely to invest in research, technology, and ongoing training to stay ahead of industry trends and innovations. Clients benefit from fresh ideas, cutting-edge tactics, and creative campaigns that differentiate their brand in the marketplace. Cheaper agencies are typically more concerned about keeping the lights on than they are about retaining top talent, updating their equipment, or training people up on emerging trends and tech.
6. Comprehensive Services
While the hourly rates may be higher, clients often receive a broader range of services and support from higher-rate agencies. From strategic planning and campaign execution to analytics and optimization, clients have access to comprehensive solutions that address their marketing needs holistically.
While it may be true that you don’t necessarily need all of the services offered by a full-service agency, it never hurts to have access to them. Things can change quickly, and when opportunity knocks you don’t want to be scrambling for a resource at the 11th hour. We’ve been proud to offer everything from strategy and PR to creative campaign development, graphic design, web development, social media marketing and content creation. There’s a lot of potential value baked into the phrase, “One call does it all.”
7. Measurable Results
Ultimately, clients pay for results. Higher-rate agencies are generally more accountable for delivering measurable outcomes and demonstrating a strong return on investment (ROI) for their services. Clients can expect quantifiable results, increased brand visibility, enhanced customer engagement, and improved business performance. And if haven’t been getting any of this for your investments in marketing thus far, it’s time to shake things up.
A commitment to performance has been a hallmark at Motion for years – we maintain a laser-like focus on driving business results. It’s reflected in our growing portfolio of cross-category case studies, and it’s something we establish up front with every new client regardless of size or investment. Why are you spending this money with us, and what do you hope to get from it? And not just professionally, but personally.
Because, more than just the results you’re looking for, it’s also about the recognition you deserve. Every undertaking is a reflection of your impact. Our results affect more than your company’s bottom line, they affect your resume and your reputation. We’re exceptionally mindful of this, which is hard to put a price on, especially in a cut-throat race-to-the-bottom environment where all that matters is who submits the lowest bid.
If you’re being challenged by top brass to defend your preference in agency partner because someone else is promising to do it cheaper, rest assured there’s a strong case to be made for paying more for the agency you want.
In a nutshell, higher costs frequently translate into tangible benefits by providing access to top talent, higher quality of work, more strategic guidance, enhanced innovation, superior efficiency, and more emphasis on the measurable results that drive business growth and career success.
