Out of Scope Doesn't Mean Out of Luck

Why Cheating on Your Agency Isn’t Cheating at All

Out of scope. Those three little words can cost your business a lot of money when it comes to advertising agency fees. Obviously, they will happen when a project expands beyond its original parameters, and there’s often not much you can do about it — you’ve agreed to increase the breadth of the specific assignment. But what about when an entire project falls out of scope? You know the deal: we’re talking about one of those nagging situations where a marketing need crept up on you, it needs to be done quickly, but doing so will take you past your monthly retainer.

All of a sudden, those hourly rates and start adding up very quickly, and you’ve blown past your budget. You get great work, but at what cost? And worse, it’s a transaction you come to accept as the cost of doing business with an agency. Fortunately, there’s another way to get the same great work without having to pay the extreme overage costs of out-of-scope work: Cheat on your agency.

Is it really cheating?
No, not in our opinion. It’s just fun to say. When you’re paying one business for their professional services, it’s wholly acceptable to solicit the same professional services from another business. Especially when the reason is to save money on a smaller task. Look at it like this: Say you need to have the entire interior of your home repainted. That’s a big task, and if you want it done quickly, you’ll need to turn to a large painting company. But, if a few years down the road, you just need to have one room repainted, you don’t need to pay the higher price for a large painting company when an equally qualified small painting company can do the same job.

This certainly applies to your marketing needs. If you realize you need to send out a series of three emails highlighting a new product or service, but you’ve already maxed out your retainer, you don’t need to pay large agency fees to get them done. It’s okay to turn to a smaller creative collective that can deliver the same quality without the cost. It’s okay to turn to UpperNinety.

A New Scope
What’s out of scope for your agency is never out of scope for us. We work with your existing voice and brand guidelines when required. At the same time, we can help you step away from what you’re used to by delivering something completely unique to your brand. We’ll work with you to ensure the end result is exactly what you want while exceeding expectations.

The UpperNinety Difference
At UpperNinety, we can deliver high-quality work without the agency markup. Our roster of freelance professionals have decades of combined agency experience, and we can handle any client request at a cost that is far less than that dreaded out-of-scope price tag.

What’s more, we aren’t here to steal your agency’s business. You have an agency of record for a reason. But when you need to do something quickly that is budget conscious, we’re here to deliver the very best creative possible. Our main goal is to give you the kind of work that you come back for when you need it.

Have Your Cake and Eat It Too (Just Pay Less per Slice)
So if you find yourself with an out-of-scope project, consider cheating on your agency. We’ll deliver exceptional work, and you won’t have to pay those advertising agency prices. Just give us a call, and we’ll get to work.