Summary
Manchester Digital held a roundtable with digital agency leaders to discuss value-based pricing after members raised concerns about whether traditional billing models remain viable. The session, guided by Agency NXD's Richard Gregory, explored how agencies are adapting to changing client expectations, margin pressures and AI's impact on delivery timescales.
Attendees found broad agreement that AI is accelerating the need to review pricing models as efficiency gains shift the relationship between time spent and value delivered. However, moving to outcome-based pricing brings challenges around attribution, risk management and client readiness for different commercial conversations.
Rather than wholesale shifts to performance-based models, several agencies expressed interest in hybrid approaches combining fixed fees or retainers with performance-linked elements. The discussion highlighted that pricing changes require broader shifts in positioning, client relationships and how agencies describe their role—moving from selling time to selling outcomes.
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Common questions
- What is this article about?
- Manchester Digital convened agency leaders to discuss how digital firms are moving away from traditional time-and-materials pricing towards value-based and hybrid models, driven by AI efficiency gains and client pressure. The discussion revealed broad agreement that pricing models need rethinking, but moving to outcome-based approaches requires shifts in risk management, client relationships and c
- When was this published?
- This article was published on 14 July 2026.
- Who published this article?
- This article was published by Manchester Digital.