Our Pitching, Pricing & Negotiation webinar brought together three expert voices from the industry -John Cornwell, Commercial Officer for a number of creative agencies; Tracey Shirtcliff, CEO/Founder, SCOPE Better; and Tia Castagno, CEO/Founder, UnlockYourBlock - to share their thoughts on the challenges of pricing and negotiations and discuss how finance leaders can help their agencies re-evaluate their approach to the pitching process and prepare for a future shaped by value-based pricing and AI.
A key concern raised by the panel was the continued reliance on time-based pricing — a model that places an artificial cap on value and limits scalability. As panellists noted, once pricing is tied to hours, agencies constrain their earning potential and open the door to commoditisation.
Compounding this issue is the tendency of agency teams to adopt a defensive posture during negotiations. Rather than leading conversations with the value of the solution offered, many fall back on justifying costs, headcount or hourly rates. This reactive approach allows procurement to take control, often to the detriment of the agency's margin and positioning.
Practical Approaches:
A critical insight from the webinar was that many agencies are still under-preparing for commercial negotiations, particularly during pitches. While creative and strategic work often receives significant focus, pricing and commercial planning are too frequently left until the last minute, a practice the panellists agreed must change.
This lack of planning undermines confidence, weakens negotiation positioning and creates internal misalignment. Our panel suggested planning should include:
Client research
Understanding the Client's underlying business needs
Role clarity within the pitch team
Pricing scenarios and managing "push-back"
Aligning internal teams: Bridging the gaps
There was a strong consensus that internal collaboration between commercial, finance and client teams needs to be established early, not retrofitted at the last minute.
All three views are valid, but they can be in conflict unless aligned from the outset. The panel emphasised the importance of bringing everyone into the scoping and pricing conversation early, so trade-offs can be openly discussed.
Tracey recommended every agency establish a “Pricing Council”, comprising key C-suite members and led by Finance.
Key characteristics of this council would be:
The discussion around pricing tools and technology highlighted the widespread reliance on outdated, manual tools - primarily Excel spreadsheets -for pricing decisions. Our panel argued that this approach is no longer tenable in a complex agency environment, especially as AI rapidly reshapes workflows and expectations.
Excel is Outdated and Inadequate
90–95% of agencies still rely on spreadsheets for pricing and scoping. These tools:
Need for a “Single source of truth”
It's important to have integrated platforms that serve as centralised hubs for pricing data and logic. These platforms must support diverse pricing models while enabling consistent, data-driven decisions.
AI-enabled tools offer multi-dimensional value
There's a need for tools that capture both tangible deliverables and intangible value (e.g., strategic input, innovation, access). Tia argued for moving beyond linear time-cost frameworks toward systems that reflect the true business value of agency work.
Value-based pricing requires Tech support
Traditional tools are not built to support value-based pricing. To achieve this shift, agencies must adopt tools that can quantify value as perceived by the client, not just track cost inputs internally.
Artificial Intelligence is already reshaping, and will continue to transform, how agencies price their services over the next 12–18 months. The key message: agencies must move fast to redefine pricing models in light of AI-driven efficiencies.
Suggestions from the panel:
Start monetising AI capabilities now
Treat AI not just as a tool for internal efficiency, but as a productised service you can charge for.
Develop AI-powered packaged offerings
Bundle AI tools, creative strategy, and delivery into defined service products with clear outcomes, moving away from labour-based models.
Move toward recurring revenue models
Explore subscription-style pricing for ongoing innovation, support or performance-based partnerships, aligning with SaaS-like structures.
Invest in intelligent pricing scenarios
Use AI to build pricing tools that dynamically generate pricing models based on client needs, scope and outcomes, not time spent.
Include Finance early to model profitability
Recurring and outcome-based pricing requires stronger forecasting, finance must be central in scenario planning and model design.
This evolution is fast-moving. Agencies that lead with value, AI innovation and strategic pricing will have a competitive advantage.
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