[ Digital marketing · Full playbook ]
// 08 / 20The buyer's playbook.
The working reference behind Digital Marketing Agency Pricing Guide 2026: what to ask, what to watch and how to run the first 90 days.
← Back to the guide[ RFP questions ]// 01
Questions that reveal real capability.
Ask for a relevant example, the decision made, the result or learning, and the person who would own the work.
- 01What is the growth constraint: demand, conversion, retention or sales capacity?
- 02How will budget move when marginal returns change?
- 03Which metrics are leading, diagnostic and financial?
- 04How will incrementality be separated from attribution?
- 05What testing cadence is realistic?
- 06How will marketing-qualified demand become sales outcomes?
- 07Which data and accounts will the client own?
- 08What will you stop when evidence is weak?
[ Risk ]// 02
Make failure visible before signature.
| Risk | Early warning | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Channel silos | Teams optimize different metrics | Shared funnel economics |
| Attribution theatre | Platforms claim overlap | Triangulate data and experiments |
| Rising acquisition cost | Spend outruns margin | Improve offer and retention |
| Lead quality drops | Sales rejects more | Fit definition and feedback |
| Agency dependence | Knowledge stays external | Ownership and transfer |
[ Value case ]// 03
Measure outcomes—not activity.
01Qualified leads and pipelineBaseline ________
90-day target ________
90-day target ________
02Gross profitBaseline ________
90-day target ________
90-day target ________
03Customer acquisition costBaseline ________
90-day target ________
90-day target ________
04Conversion by stageBaseline ________
90-day target ________
90-day target ________
05Incremental returnBaseline ________
90-day target ________
90-day target ________
06Brand and non-brand demandBaseline ________
90-day target ________
90-day target ________
[ First 90 days ]// 04
Move from evidence to operating rhythm.
01
Days 1–30
Baseline economics, audience and channel roles
Exit evidenceApproved baseline, owners, scope and risk log
02
Days 31–60
Launch priority tests and fix conversion paths
Exit evidenceWorking outputs, QA evidence and decision record
03
Days 61–90
Reallocate to marginal return and scale winners
Exit evidenceMeasured result, learning backlog and operating owner
[ Reference desk ]// 05
Speak the same language.
| Term | Plain-language meaning |
|---|---|
| CAC | Customer acquisition cost. |
| LTV | Expected customer lifetime value. |
| Incrementality | Outcomes caused beyond the baseline. |
| Marginal return | Return from the next spend unit. |
| Efficiency ratio | Revenue relative to investment. |
| Pipeline velocity | Speed of qualified value through the funnel. |
[ Playbook in hand? ]