WHITO GLOSSARY · MEASURED DEFINITIONS
A recurring monthly fee reserving an agency’s ongoing work. UK marketing retainers typically cost £1,250 to £3,500 a month for a single channel and £3,500 to £16,750 for full service, both up more than 30% on 2023.
The number: UK Agency Retainer Benchmark.
What it means in practice
The mistake is signing a retainer without asking how many days of work it contains. A fee with no day count is a fee you cannot compare with anything.
Run the days-a-month test: divide the fee by a published day rate and see how many days it could possibly hold. Then ask the agency how many days you actually get.
Whito stage: Build. Buy this once the foundations are set, not before.
The numbers to hold onto
- Retainers are up more than 30% on 2023. UK Agency Retainer Benchmark.
- 47 of 50 UK agencies publish no price anywhere; published SME retainers run £999 to £2,500 a month. UK Agency Pricing Transparency.
- A UK freelance marketer averages £418 a day; the rare agencies that publish charge £895 to £1,125. Freelance vs Agency Day Rates.
Where to go next
Related: Day rate, Cost per lead, Marketing budget