Value-Based Pricing: Maximizing Impact and Aligning Investment with Outcomes

In digital marketing, the value-based payment model stands out as a beacon of strategic compensation. It correlates the agency’s fees with the significant influence and worth it provides to the client. This pricing package is commonly used to charge for specific services or an agency’s expertise, which have a significant impact on the client’s success.

value-based pricing

Advantages of Value-Based Pricing

for the agency

for the client

  • Rewards Expertise: Marketing agencies can demand higher fees that match the exceptional value they provide.
  • Strengthened Client Relationships: Agencies can build solid and lasting relationships by profoundly understanding their client’s business landscape.
  • Enhanced Profit Margins: When a marketing agency shows its worth, it can charge based on value instead of time or resources.
  • ROI-Centric: Clients feel more confident as their payments correlate directly with the expected value or ROI.
  • Simplified Budgeting: The value-based model simplifies budgeting, avoiding the fluctuations of hourly or performance-based fees.
  • Unified Vision: The client and agency are oriented towards achieving high value, leading to a shared vision for the project.

Challenges of Value-Based Payment Method

for the agency

for the client

  • Justifying the Cost: A healthcare agency must continually validate and articulate the delivered value, which can be a challenging task.
  • Revenue Variability: Agency earnings may decrease if the perceived value decreases or if they fail to deliver the promised value.
  • Scope Creep Risk: Vague deliverables may prompt clients to expect beyond the initial agreement, potentially leading to conflicts.
  • Higher Upfront Costs: Clients might perceive value-based pricing as costlier than other models at the outset.
  • Value Expectation Gaps: If expectations aren’t managed, clients might feel they’re overpaying for the results they receive.
  • Lack of Transparency: It might be easier for clients to understand how the pricing was determined with an hourly or performance metric.

Balancing Risks and Rewards of
Value-based Pricing

for the agency

for the client

risks

  • Cost Justification: If the client doesn’t acknowledge the value produced, it could damage the partnership.
  • Client Turnover: The digital marketing agency might face a cycle of one-time projects and a continuous search for new clients.
  • Value Delivery: There’s a gamble involved; if the agency underperforms, the client might spend a lot of money with very little return on investment.

rewards

  • Do What You Love: The agency can focus on quality and value over quantity.
  • Higher Earnings: Agencies are compensated generously for their most effective work rather than the volume of hours spent.
  • Highest ROI: The client gets tailored, value-oriented solutions that are expected to increase ROI.

Value-Based Contracting: Ideal Scenarios

  • Specialized Expertise or Unique Services: If the agency offers services that few others can or has particular expertise that can bring significant value.
  • High Impact Decisions: When the agency’s involvement or actions have a substantial impact on a client’s profitability, particularly regarding critical business strategies.
  • Tangible ROI: If the agency’s services can lead to heightened revenue, cost savings, or other measurable ROI for the client.
  • Solutions with Long-Term Benefits: When the agency’s work promises enduring benefits, such as a branding strategy that stands the test of time.

When to Avoid Value-Based Pricing Strategy

  • Ambiguous Value Metrics: Pricing disputes can arise when there is no straightforward method to quantify the value of services.
  • Multiple Stakeholders: With numerous stakeholders, establishing a universally satisfying price can be challenging.
  • High Risk, Uncertain Outcome: In projects where the outcome is uncertain or the risk is high, agencies may find it difficult to set a price that adequately compensates for their risks.

Case in Point: HealthVibe's Value Growth

client profile

HealthVibe is a distinguished player in health and wellness, with 10,000 monthly subscribers for their health boxes. Each subscriber pays $50/month, leading to a monthly revenue of $500,000 or an annual income of $6 million.

Project Details

After an in-depth review of HealthVibe’s current subscription model and subscriber behavior, Roman Agency estimates:

  • A potential 30% increase in new subscribers over the next year, amounting to 3,000 new subscribers.
  • An improvement in customer retention by 15% resulted in an additional 1,500 subscribers’ worth of annual revenue.

Value-Based Proposition by Roman Agency

Potential Revenue Increase:

  • New Subscribers: 3,000 subscribers × $50/month × 12 months = $1.8 million additional annual revenue.
  • Improved Retention: 1,500 subscribers × $50/month × 12 months = $900,000 saved from reduced churn.
  • Total potential additional annual revenue = $2.7 million.

Pricing Based on Value: Roman Agency proposes to charge 10% of the additional revenue they help generate in the first year, which would amount to $270,000.

Project Benefits

for healthVibe

for roman agency

  • Potential total revenue after optimization = $8.7 million ($6 million original + $2.7 million additional).
  • Even after paying Roman Agency’s fee, HealthVibe will net an additional $2.43 million in revenue.
  • Earning Potential: $270,000 from this project is significantly higher than a fixed-fee model might have yielded.
  • Demonstrable ROI: A precise case study showing they helped a client increase revenue by 45%.

Summary of Our Value-Based Pricing Example

Roman Agency improved HealthVibe’s subscription model, resulting in more new subscribers and fewer people canceling their subscriptions. At the end of the year, the results matched what Roman Agency predicted, and proved that the value-based marketing was successful. HealthVibe’s revenue rose significantly, and Roman Agency received a fee that matched the value they provided.

Connect Roman Agency Today!

If you are looking to improve your marketing approach with a value-based pricing strategy, let’s connect. We can help redefine your marketing goals and create a path for substantial growth and success.

roman zelvenschi
chief storyteller

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