Agency Fees

February 11th / By Glen / in Advertising / no comments.

Over the years it’s always amazed me how often I’ve heard clients and potential clients complain about the fees that Graphic Designers / Advertising Agencies are charging. Actually let me preface that to more specifically the smaller design studio’s and Individual Designers. Seems the big agencies have lead many to believe that bigger is better therefore you should pay more. You see, in no other industry has the actual fees that a Designer charges their clients dropped. Over the last 25 years everything has gone up, it’s called inflation. Bread, Gas, Lottery Tickets, Cars, you name it, the cost has gone up dramatically from what it was 25 years ago. What about other professionally trained fields, Mechanics, Plumbers, Electricians, Lawyers, Doctors, Dentists, yup all have had their fees they charge go up dramatically over the course of time.

So what’s the deal? Why have us poor Designers/ Illustrators / Photographers / Copywriters been left in the cold when it comes to enjoying the benefits of increased fees like all the other industries?

Technology! Technology, has been our own worst enemy. It’s enabled the average person to believe that they are a Rock Star behind the computer and can design anything and everything themselves. Most believe that if they learn the design programs they are suddenly designers. Same goes for the photography business. Cameras have gotten better, faster, easier to use, larger pixels, auto focus, auto zoom, auto correct, heck who needs to hire a professional photographer to shoot your cousins wedding, you can do it yourself. After all how hard is it to point and shoot a few pics. So as a result that photographer can’t charge what he should for his talent and skilled training because your cousin will save you the money. Hey, see that marketing campaign you were going to hire a trained professional to do, save your money, your next door neighbours son just learned Photoshop he’ll take care of everything for you and all you have to do is buy him lunch.

The second thing to crush our industry is actually our own fault. Being a Designer is cool! TV and movies portray the average creative guy working in this awesome advertising studio, with a pool table, pinball machine and a fridge full of beer. While coming up with ideas we sit around all day shooting paper balls into the garbage can while kicking back and listening to some tunes until the next great idea hits us. Check out “Mad Men”, or “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” So what happens over time, well, everyone who can kinda draw gets into art school cuz after all it would be awesome to make big bucks and get to play around all day coming up with glamorous magazine ads. Thus there is an in-flux of thousands of kids wanting to live the dream. Essentially its a very flooded business. Problem is only a few are any good.

So the next time you wonder why our fees keep dropping its because the economy has people willing to save money and misguidedly do it themselves. Most have no care what it may look like, how it reflects on their business or how effective the campaign, after all they saved a few bucks. Remember you wouldn’t hire a neighbour to clean your teeth, hire the pro’s to do your advertising and invest the money you need to actually get the results you want.