FAQ 05: What does 40 hours of creative agency time get you?

So, let’s break it down

It’s not just hours, it’s outcomes
When you work with us on a retainer, you’re not buying time in a vacuum. You’re buying years of experience, a whole creative team, and a process that ensures those hours are focused, productive and results-driven. Between us, that’s more than half a dozen decades of agency life funnelled into every deliverable.

What’s included?
Unlike some agencies, we don’t nickel-and-dime you for the basics. Our hourly rate covers project management, creative direction and regular check-ins. We also include essentials like stock imagery and video so you don’t get hit with surprise add-ons. Meetings aren’t charged as extras either. They’re simply part of how we work together.

How it works month-to-month
Some months, your retainer might feel like it’s spread thin across smaller updates: copy refinements, SEO tweaks, a little batch of design assets. Other months, it might be double the workload: a campaign launch, a photoshoot, a website sprint. That flexibility is the point. We adapt to your needs, spreading the 40 hours across days or weeks in a way that keeps momentum without losing sight of your bigger picture. And yes – any unused time not used rolls over to the next month – no brainer!

Hidden costs
No, not here. We’re upfront about what’s included, and if something sits outside the scope, we’ll call it and we’ll agree on it with you. No creeping invoices, no awkward conversations, no “How MUCH!?” We also never, ever do “We-don’t-want-it-pricing” – you know, deciding we don’t want your work and pricing it so high that you go elsewhere. That just isn’t us. We embrace briefs of all shapes and sizes.

More than the sum of its parts

Forty hours might sound like a tidy block of time, but with our process, it goes a long way. That’s because you’re not just getting one person. You’re getting an entire Troop of strategists, designers, developers and writers who collaborate efficiently and bring complementary skills to every task. It’s not about watching the clock; it’s about seeing the results.

Even better: If you’re on a retainer, we’re ready and set to go, with no need for admin, bureaucracy or paperwork to get started. We can simply book in the work and get to it. While we’re not quite “on call” like a fire station, we are pretty darn responsive, and if you’re paying for hours, they’re on the table ready to be used.

So, what can you expect?

• If you’re still in the discovery and briefing phase, 40 hours will get you a very long way. That can easily cover discovery sessions, initial research and brainstorming, not to mention initial ideas.
• If you’re in the executional phase, then that’s when the well-oiled Silverback® machine is at full tilt. You can expect a healthy chunk of a firm stack of design assets, web development progress, or a solid first (or even second) edit of a video project.

With Silverback®, your creative partner, you can expect transparent pricing, consistent delivery and the reassurance that 40 hours with us is worth far more than 40 hours anywhere else. Whether you’re building a brand from scratch, refining your messaging, or keeping your communications sharp and consistent, your retainer gives you the peace of mind that we’re on it and swinging from all branches.

Forty hours with Silverback® isn’t just time logged. It’s energy, expertise and creativity applied where you need it most. And if you want to see how far those hours can really stretch, let’s talk!