Hey there,

Im in the process of working up a contract for advertising work with a local restaurant group and I'm looking for some pricing advice.

They're basically looking for ads for some TV screens they have in the restaurants as well as some matching ads to be placed in the menus and on the tables.

The ads will rotate through every month or so, so it will be a regular thing. I also know the owners fairly well and want to give them a fair cost, while not giving away free work.

So I guess my question is, if you were going to do an ad for someone what would you charge as a general cost? Obviously it may be more/less depending on the complexity of the ad, if I need to purchase images, etc.. but in general, what would a good estimate be for one ad?

I've done work for them before and basically go on an hourly basis, but I'd like some feedback from others.

Thoughts?
Thanks!

Well, talking about ONE ad only here.
Depending of how many declensions (not sure is the right word) will come (i.e. A3, A2, portrait landscape, brochures, etc) might be thought in advance, even before planning the layout , this is extra work. But IF it's a simple ad, standalone, the charge depends on the customer as well, this is where your knowledge about his budget should help you. If you ask too less, you lose some credit, questions about your professionalism will rise (it happens), if you ask much too much will scary them away.

But i'd say the risk to lose a client is lesser when you ask above average than below. Once they liked your previous work they ready to negotiate. If you ask low, there will be no negotiations for sure .

Enough with theory, price can vary. Most of them are in range between 150-1500usd (not talking about very special campaign and special clients), and not mandatory the expensive ones were most artistic, more complicated or more time consuming.
I'd say the price factor depends like 80% on the client (and country).

Try to charge them as you charged other for similar work when you were pleased with the budget for the job and raise it with 20%, at first meeting.

Wish you good luck selling yourself well Not sure I helped you somehow, but , morally, I'm with you

Easy!

I tell them it's 100 Million Dollars!

I normally charge $100 for each ad when it comes to things like this, or $60 per hour

Thanks guys!

Big help!

Barter... Have them throw in some free meals.

I used to do a lot of menu work with added add for gravy.

I found the first time I used a set price there was a heap of changes and return work due to menu changes and price changes that I spent more time in the restaurant than at home. Go fo the hour price and a few meetings around lunch or dinner time for that free meal offer.

One thing I did learn speak t the chef if you are doing there menus, what the owner/manger thinks is in the meal aint always what IS in the meal.

Also, remember that most of the images will be seen at night in dim lighting so dont go to dark on you adds, I made that mistake once and it looked like the Monitor over the bar was not working just little flashes of light. On that note dont go over the top with in your face colour, unless thats what they want. I found that once I had a rough draft of what they want. I spent some time in the restaurant in different places to see what the images looked like from different points of view.

I still do a few now days but most are still using what I did for them before. Make sure you have a good photographer if you are doing food images for the menu, nothing says eat me like a good food photo and there are some good food photographers out there if you just look.

Hope that helps. I did not give you a money value cause Im in Aus and what we get paid is very different than you guys.