Priced Accordingly

Some fine dining restaurants boast a sign inside or a feature an asterisk on their menu that goes something like “our food is made to order and takes time to be made well” or something similar.

No one bats an eye, because the chances are good that people behind the scenes are working with scratch ingredients, taking time to do things the proper way and -most importantly- striving to make an excellent product thanks to their love of the craft and their desire to see their customers happy.

Like good food, engaging content that moves the needle requires thought, intention, and not relying on pre-fabricated ideas or store-bought substitutes.

Some of the more complex projects can require many hundreds of decisions to complete. Some are a 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzle with no borders and no picture on the front of the box to reference. And while the work is always joyful, it’s also expensive, time consuming, and mentally taxing. Moreover, no two projects are alike and there are no short cuts. If you want a good product you have to put in the hours. Every time.

Iteration #47

There’s a well-known saying in the industry that the client can pick just two of three options: good, fast, and cheap. That sounds nice, but it’s complete nonsense. The reality is that anyone who will give you a poor product in a hurry just to check a box and collect their fee is not worth working with. The maxim stands: you get what you pay for. Or, as I’ve seen it better put: “the bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”

As for Creative Means, the projects and products are priced accordingly - to the labor involved, the expenses, the constant mental work, and the hours of being attentive to detail and taking care of the client’s needs. Making certain that the tone is right, that the impact is maximized, and that the result will be outstanding are all paramount - to say nothing of the fact that it needs to be delivered on schedule. It is this level of diligence that is required to deliver excellent work that actually stands out and does what it was designed to do.

So… do it right, or do it twice. And for goodness sake, if you’re shopping around, caveat emptor.