Have you been wondering about the real costs behind a 90-day marketing sprint? Are you tired of vague pricing that leaves you guessing about budget requirements?
Unclear pricing destroys business confidence and leads to poor investment decisions. After delivering over 200 marketing sprints across diverse industries, the pattern is clear: businesses need transparent costs upfront, not surprise fees halfway through their transformation.
You'll get complete transparency about sprint investments in this article breakdown. I'll share exact cost ranges, what drives pricing decisions, and how to maximise your return from this intensive approach to marketing transformation.
A 90-day marketing sprint typically costs between £15,000 and £45,000 ($18,750–$56,250), depending on scope, deliverables, and the strategist's experience level.
The pricing varies significantly based on three key factors: the depth of strategy required, the number of marketing channels involved, and whether you need additional services like paid advertising management or custom development work.
Most businesses find the sweet spot around £25,000–£30,000 ($31,250–$37,500) for comprehensive sprint delivery. This covers strategy development, campaign execution, performance tracking, and optimisation across multiple marketing channels.
The investment includes dedicated project management, weekly progress reviews, and data-driven adjustments throughout the 90-day period.
| Service Level | Cost Range (£) | Cost Range ($) | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | £15,000–£20,000 | $18,750–$25,000 | Strategy + 2 channels |
| Comprehensive | £25,000–£30,000 | $31,250–$37,500 | Full strategy + multi-channel |
| Premium | £35,000–£45,000 | $43,750–$56,250 | Complete transformation + advanced tech |
The 90-day sprint divides into three distinct 30-day phases: discovery and strategy (30%), implementation and launch (40%), and optimisation and scaling (30%).
Phase one focuses on deep research, competitive analysis, and strategic planning. You're paying for expertise in market positioning, messaging development, and campaign architecture.
Phase two represents the largest investment portion because it involves intensive execution work. Campaign setup, content creation, system integration, and initial launch activities require the most hands-on time.
Phase three shifts toward performance analysis, conversion optimisation, and scaling successful initiatives. The focus moves from execution to refinement based on real performance data.
This phased approach ensures proper foundation-building before execution and allows for data-driven adjustments throughout the engagement.
Standard deliverables include comprehensive market analysis, competitor research, content strategy, campaign setup, creative assets, and detailed performance reporting.
Your sprint investment typically covers:
Additional services like paid advertising management, email automation sequences, or advanced CRM integration may increase the base investment by £5,000–£10,000 ($6,250–$12,500).
Some sprints include ongoing consultation periods beyond the initial 90 days, while others focus purely on intensive transformation within the timeframe.
Vague pricing structures often lead to scope creep, budget overruns, and misaligned expectations between clients and marketing professionals.
When pricing lacks transparency, businesses struggle to allocate proper budgets for marketing initiatives. You might discover halfway through a project that essential elements require additional investment, disrupting cash flow and strategic planning.
Unclear pricing also makes it difficult to compare different marketing approaches effectively. Without knowing what's included at each price point, you can't make informed decisions about which services deliver the best value for your specific situation.
This confusion frequently results in businesses choosing the cheapest option, only to find it doesn't include the elements needed for success. The result: wasted money and disappointing results that could have been avoided with upfront clarity.
Marketing sprints typically cost 20–30% more per month than traditional retainers but deliver concentrated results in a compressed timeframe.
Monthly marketing retainers average £5,000–£12,000 ($6,250–$15,000) per month for comprehensive services. A 90-day sprint might cost £25,000–£30,000 ($31,250–$37,500) total, working out to £8,300–£10,000 ($10,375–$12,500) per month.
The premium reflects the intensive nature of sprint work. You're paying for concentrated expertise, accelerated timelines, and the ability to see results within a specific timeframe rather than the open-ended approach of traditional retainers.
Sprints also include more strategic planning upfront and intensive optimisation work that might take months to achieve through regular retainer relationships.
For businesses needing rapid results or testing new markets, the sprint premium often delivers better ROI than slower traditional approaches.
| Approach | Monthly Cost (£) | Monthly Cost ($) | Timeline to Results | Focus Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Retainer | £5,000–£12,000 | $6,250–$15,000 | 6–12 months | Divided |
| 90-Day Sprint | £8,300–£10,000 | $10,375–$12,500 | 90 days | Intensive |
| In-House Team | £3,300–£5,000 | $4,125–$6,250 | 12–18 months | Learning curve |
Marketing sprints offer the expertise of agencies with the focused attention of in-house teams, typically delivering 2–3x faster results than traditional approaches.
Hiring a marketing manager costs £40,000–£60,000 ($50,000–$75,000) annually plus benefits and training time. A 90-day sprint provides similar value in concentrated expertise for roughly half that annual cost.
Traditional agencies often spread attention across multiple clients, diluting focus on your specific results. My sprint approach dedicates intensive resources to your business for the full 90 days.
In-house teams bring dedicated focus but often lack the breadth of experience across different industries and marketing channels. Sprints combine deep expertise with single-minded attention to your success.
The sprint model works particularly well for businesses testing new markets, launching products, or needing rapid transformation without long-term commitments.
Plan to allocate an additional 40–60% of the sprint fee for advertising spend, tools, and potential asset creation to maximise campaign effectiveness.
If your sprint costs £25,000 ($31,250), budget an additional £10,000–£15,000 ($12,500–$18,750) for supporting expenses. This ensures you have adequate resources for paid promotion, premium software subscriptions, and any required design or development work.
Advertising spend typically represents the largest additional cost. Whether testing Google Ads, Facebook campaigns, or LinkedIn promotion, you'll need budget separate from the strategic work to fuel campaign performance.
Tool subscriptions might include CRM systems, email marketing platforms, or analytics tools essential for campaign success. These typically cost £200–£500 ($250–$625) monthly but provide ongoing value beyond the sprint period.
Creative asset development—photography, video production, or custom graphics—might require additional budget if not included in your sprint package.
| Budget Category | Percentage of Sprint Fee | Example on £25,000 Sprint |
|---|---|---|
| Sprint Strategy & Execution | 100% | £25,000 ($31,250) |
| Advertising Spend | 30–40% | £7,500–£10,000 ($9,375–$12,500) |
| Tools & Software | 5–10% | £1,250–£2,500 ($1,563–$3,125) |
| Creative Assets | 5–10% | £1,250–£2,500 ($1,563–$3,125) |
| Total Investment | 140–160% | £35,000–£40,000 ($43,750–$50,000) |
The highest-performing sprints involve clients who provide rapid feedback, maintain weekly check-ins, and commit dedicated internal resources to support implementation.
Success depends heavily on your team's ability to respond quickly to requests for information, feedback, and approvals. Sprints lose momentum when decisions get delayed or feedback cycles stretch beyond a few days.
Appointing a dedicated internal point person who can make decisions and coordinate resources significantly improves sprint effectiveness. This person becomes your implementation champion throughout the process.
Regular communication maintains momentum and allows for quick course corrections. Weekly check-ins help identify potential obstacles before they become problems and keep everyone aligned on priorities.
The most successful sprint clients also prepare their teams for change. Brief your staff on what's happening, why it matters, and how they can support the initiative throughout the 90-day period.
Clear success metrics defined upfront help maintain focus and provide objective measures of progress. Rather than subjective assessments, you'll have concrete data showing whether the sprint is achieving its objectives.
Now you know exactly how sprint pricing breaks down and what drives the investment decisions. Unclear pricing derails marketing investments and leaves businesses unprepared for the full transformation process.
Your next step is preparing your team for rapid implementation. If you want additional support, I bring proven frameworks developed across 200+ sprints to ensure your investment delivers measurable growth within the 90-day timeframe. My approach combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution, eliminating the guesswork from your marketing transformation.