Answers

Answers to common founder questions about strategy, creative and campaigns from Narratiive.

• How should a 10-person company do marketing?

  A 10-person company should choose one clear customer, one clear message and two or three channels. Run them steadily for at least one quarter before changing anything. Budget as a share of revenue: Gartner's 2025 survey of 402 marketing leaders found budgets averaged 7.7% of company revenue. Give one person ownership of the plan, and bring in outside help only for work you cannot staff yourself.

• Is a marketing agency worth it under £10M revenue?

  Yes, when the agency solves a problem you cannot solve yourself and you can measure the result. In the UK, Whito's 2026 research puts typical agency retainers at £1,500 to £3,000 a month for businesses with £500k to £2m turnover, and £2,500 to £5,000 a month at £2m to £5m. An agency is not worth it yet if your customer, message or ownership of marketing is unclear. Fix those first.

• What does AI-led marketing cost?

  There is no standard price for AI-led marketing yet, because providers sell different things. The best way to judge it is to compare it with what you would otherwise pay. UK agency retainers run £1,250 to £3,500 a month for one channel and £3,500 to £16,750 for full service (Whito, 2026). A fractional marketing director runs £5,000 to £10,000 a month for 4 to 8 days. A UK marketing manager earns a median £40,000 a year (PayScale, 2026). AI-led marketing should deliver comparable output for a lower and more predictable cost. Check that a named person is responsible for quality.

• AI-led marketing vs traditional agency vs in-house: which is right?

  Choose by what you lack. If you need one skilled person full time and have steady work, hire in-house. If you need senior direction a few days a month, use a fractional marketing director. If you need strategy, creative and campaigns together, choose an agency or an AI-led subscription. AI-led providers are usually faster and more predictable in cost. Traditional agencies suit large, complex programmes.

• How do you choose a marketing agency?

  Choose the agency that can show a result for a business like yours, tells you who will do the work, and agrees scope and cost in writing before you start. Avoid long lock-in contracts in the first three months. Ask the eight questions below. A good agency will answer them clearly.