There’s a quiet frustration shared by boutique PR and brand communications agencies: prospective clients approaching for proposals without a clear budget or brief. After a decade of running a small agency in this industry, I’ve seen this play out repeatedly, and it’s time to address the elephant in the room.
If you don’t have a budget, you’re probably not ready to engage a serious PR partner. That’s not a dismissal, it’s merely a reflection of the real-world effort that goes into developing a meaningful proposal that is more than a price list. Proposals worthy of signing off are a blueprint for partnership, requiring time, expertise, and strategic thought.
Why budget talks are non-negotiable
Without a budget, agencies are left to guess what’s feasible, often spending hours crafting plans that won’t fit. This isn’t about squeezing you for money; it’s about ensuring that the proposed services align with your goals and that both sides are clear about expectations.
A budget doesn’t just help the agency; it helps you. It defines scope, prevents misalignment, and ensures a more tailored, efficient approach. If you can’t outline a budget, or even a ballpark, it signals that you're not yet ready to make a serious investment in PR.
Behind the scenes: What it takes to build a PR proposal
A solid PR proposal isn’t created in 20 minutes with the help of Canva or ChatGPT. It involves an understanding of the sector, a brand’s current market positioning, and the competitive landscape. It requires strategically creative solutions designed to meet a brand’s communication objectives, which means dedicating time to desktop research, planning, and liaising with multiple suppliers to obtain up-to-date costings.
Madelain Roscher of PR Worx articulated this quite well recently, saying: “We need to give potential clients the ‘what’, the ‘why’, and maybe even the ‘when’, but never the ‘how’. That’s the agency’s edge. If they want the full strategy, they must pay for it.”
But it’s important to recognise that even without revealing the full ‘how’, preparing a proposal that’s clear, insightful, and compelling enough to be signed off by decision-makers is a significant investment of time and expertise. The process demands a demonstration of the agency’s professionalism and capability.
For a boutique agency, developing a proposal can take a few days of unpaid work. Multiply that by several vague enquiries per month, and it erodes the very resources that make quality work possible.
Fishing without a budget? You’re not ready to partner
Some prospective clients request ideas to 'see what’s possible' or 'get a ballpark', only to walk away, or worse, ghosted entirely. While this might seem like exploring options, it undermines the process and sends a clear message: I’m not ready to invest, but I’m willing to take your ideas. This practice devalues expertise, drains resources, and makes it harder for agencies to deliver exceptional work for clients who are genuinely ready.
How to show you’re serious about PR
If you’re ready to engage a PR partner, here’s how to demonstrate commitment:
- Clarify your goals: Visibility? Crisis management? Thought leadership? Let us know.
- Be upfront about budget: Even a range (e.g., R10k – R40k/month) gives us a starting point.
- Outline your timeline: Product launch, event, or long-term positioning?
- Share your decision-making process: Are you comparing agencies? When will you decide? Who’s involved?
- Request a chemistry call, not a proposal: If you’re just exploring, ask for a quick discussion instead of a full proposal.
- Consider a paid scoping session: Many agencies offer these to deliver value and strategy upfront.
Why South African agencies value budget transparency
Local boutique agencies operate lean, fast, and highly personally without the buffers of large firms. We do this because we’re passionate about what we do. But we also need to protect our intellectual property, time, and the resources that fuel creative, impactful campaigns.
Budget transparency isn’t about being rigid; it’s about laying the foundation for a respectful and productive partnership. PR isn’t just about ideas or price lists. It’s about commitment and collaboration. Recognising the value of an agency’s expertise and effort is fundamental to fostering a professional relationship where both parties feel invested and aligned.
When these elements are respected from the outset, the process becomes less about transactions and more about shared understanding; an approach that benefits everyone involved.
