In our last post, we laid out our case for project-based billing and why we felt that (at least most of the time) charging a flat hourly rate didn’t work in your best interest—or ours.

Hopefully that post was able to answer at least some of the potential questions you might have about working with us, or any other marketing professional for that matter.

The one thing it didn’t address was exactly how much (FILL IN THE BLANK) might actually cost you. And we assume, if you’re like everyone else we have ever worked with, that’s what you really want to know.

We get it. However, as much as we’d love to give you a list of the down-to-the-penny costs involved in working with us to help you meet your objectives, we just can’t.

You see, like an hourly rate, we don’t have a rate sheet either—and for the same reason. Each project we take on is unique, with its own unique set of variables and desired outcomes. Establishing set prices would mean that we would also need to establish a formulaic approach to the work we do and that’s just not our M.O.

However …

Even though we can’t give you any hard numbers, we can give you some ballpark ranges to help you prepare a budget for your next project.

The dollar figures listed below, which are just a small sampling of the services we provide (to see a more complete list, visit our services page) are based on our own past projects and do not include production costs. To help put them in context, it’s probably good to note that we freely admit that we’re probably not the cheapest option out there, but at the same time, we’re far from the most expensive.

That said, feel free to use these numbers as a baseline whenever you’re looking to get a project completed in Wichita, Kan. or anywhere else in the Midwest (beyond that, you’re on your own).

Comprehensive Communication Audit and SWOT Analysis: $8,000-14,000

These are typically our biggest and most time-consuming projects which involve taking an in-depth look into an organization’s existing communication efforts and brand position to determine its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The results of which helps chart the course for an organization’s long-term marketing efforts.

While our approach to each of these projects is similar, the scale of the work involved can vary widely based on the number of product or service offerings, target audiences, constituencies and competition. Due to those variables, a finished report of this kind (with appendixes including primary research results) could become a few hundred pages long and involve multiple, in-person group presentations.

Marketing Plan: $1,000-3,000

Marketing plans can focus on anything from a one-time project to all of an organization’s marketing and communication efforts for an entire year—or more. Add to that a potentially unlimited number of goals, objectives and audiences to consider and we can honestly say that no two plans are alike.

Public Relations Plan: $750-1,500

Similar to a marketing plan, a public relations plan can scale wildly based on the scope of the project and the number of audiences we’re looking to reach. Based on that, some plans can consist of a page of strategies and tactics which others turn into large, multiple-page documents.

Broadcast or Online Commercial: $1,000-5,000

TV commercials, radio spots and online videos can range in length from a few seconds to several minutes and vary dramatically in complexity. Our involvement in these projects can also vary based upon a client’s needs.

Whether you’re just looking for script-writing services or want us to take on the project as a whole (scouting locations, auditioning and directing talent, coordinating production and providing creative direction on the final edit) we can do it, it just changes the scope.

Just as an example, the video linked to on the thumbnail above (go ahead, click on it) which I worked at Wichita State University required everything from coming up with the original concept to getting inside access to NASA—no easy task.

Brochure: $800-2,500

Bi-fold? Tri-fold? Rack card? Annual report? “Brochures” come in all shapes and sizes and involve differing amounts of work and original content. In projects like these, a sit-down (or on-the-phone) discussion really helps but a project in context and gets everyone on the same page.

Print Ad: $750-1,500

We probably sound a bit like a broken record, but even print ads can differ enough to make it hard for us—and unfair for you—to put a price tag on them. Chances are you wouldn’t want to pay the same for a simple quarter-page, black and white ad featuring your logo and a simple call to action as you would for a full-page branding ad that will serve as the cornerstone for a full, mixed-media campaign.

News Release: $500-1,000

Some news releases just seem to fall into place—all of the facts are easily accessible (and understandable), sources are readily available and quotes effortlessly tie the whole thing together. Other releases require a lot more work whether that means doing homework on a complex topic or tracking down and interviewing multiple sources.

And that’s just half of it.

Once it’s completed, getting the release in the hands of the right people could be as simple as calling up a local reporter we have an ongoing relationship with to scouring nationwide media databases to find a blogger with a specific niche.

Logo: $1,000-5,000

Yes, even something as simple as a logo project can be hard to generalize. During our time in the industry, we’ve worked on “logo” projects that involved the creation of little more than an on-line icon to projects that resulted in the development of hundreds of variations of a mark complete with a full visual standards guide that outlined colors, fonts, supplementary graphics and more.

So now what?

As we have probably made it pretty clear, we don’t think marketing is a one-size-fits-all kind of industry and we really don’t think you should be charged that way.

While the numbers presented above may help give you a general idea as to what things will cost, in many ways they are little more than just a shot in the dark. Even if you chose to work with us, the amount we actually quoted you could be below, or above, the numbers we came up with.

The best way to get a truly accurate estimate is to actually sit down with someone (or several someones) to discuss your objectives, set perameters and define the scope. If you would like us to be a part of the conversation, just send us a message and we’ll get a meeting set up as soon as possible.

Have other questions about how we bill or anything else marketing related? Leave us a comment below.