Choose a PR retainer when you have a continuous stream of news (6+ moments per year), need on-call crisis capacity, value agency-learning-curve on your business. Choose project pricing when you have 1-3 specific PR moments per year, want to avoid paying for agency capacity you do not use, or want to trial an agency before committing longer-term.
Retainer advantages
- Agency develops deep understanding of your business over time.
- On-call capacity for reactive opportunities.
- Predictable monthly cost.
- Better for sustained press rhythm.
Project pricing advantages
- Pay only for specific outcomes.
- No commitment beyond the project.
- Agency has to deliver specific results to win repeat business.
- Better for businesses with discrete PR moments.
Hybrid approach
Many UK growth businesses run a small base retainer (£1,500-£2,500 per month) for ongoing expert-commentary and light-touch monitoring, plus project fees for bigger moments (product launches, funding rounds). This keeps the agency engaged without over-paying for idle capacity.