What is a design retainer?
A design retainer is an agreed amount of design time each month, for an agreed monthly fee. Instead of briefing, quoting and approving every piece of work separately, you have a creative team ready for whatever your brand needs next.
It’s how we work with many of our longest-standing clients, as part of our brand development service. Bennetts began with a few email designs in 2015. Today an ongoing retainer covers their emails, direct mail, social content, event graphics and signage.
What a retainer can cover
- Campaigns across print, digital and social
- Website updates, new pages and improvements
- Social content, email and digital advertising
- Brochures, price lists, packaging and point of sale
- Presentations, documents and everyday marketing materials
- Signage, vehicle graphics and event graphics
If a piece of work needs expertise we don’t have in-house, we bring in one of our trusted partners.
Is a monthly design retainer worth it?
A retainer makes sense when you have a steady flow of design work, or several projects through the year. For a one-off project, a quote for that project is usually the better choice.
No quote for every job
Your design time is booked in advance, so once we have a brief we can get started, without preparing and approving a quote first.
Your work is planned in
We plan retainer work around your goals and calendar, so launches, events and seasonal campaigns aren’t a last-minute scramble.
Consistency across everything
One studio handling all of your design keeps your brand consistent. Every email, brochure and social post looks and sounds like the same company.
Knowledge that builds
The longer we work together, the better we know your business, your customers and your brand guidelines. Briefs get shorter, and the work gets better.
No employment overheads
You get an experienced design team without the salary, benefits, equipment, software and holiday cover of an in-house designer.
How it works
Immerse
We get to know your brand, your business and what success looks like.
Plan
We agree the design time you need each month, and a plan for the months ahead built around your goals and calendar.
Make
Campaigns, websites and print, delivered to agreed priorities and your brand guidelines.
Refine
What worked, and what didn’t, shapes the next round.
How much does a design retainer cost?
It depends on how much design time you need. Some clients need a few hours a month, others several days. We’ll talk through your plans for the year, suggest a monthly amount that fits, and review it with you as your needs change.
Retainer or design leadership?
A retainer covers the design work itself. If you need senior creative guidance for your own team and suppliers, take a look at design leadership.
Want to know whether a retainer suits your business? Get in touch and tell us what’s coming up.