Reply To: I just need to vent. The market sucks and being in this industry has changed sooo much in just a couple years.

[s_hecking]

$2500 USD (or %) doesn’t seem too cheap but I guess it depends on who you’re serving and where.

At least in USA, small and mid-size companies I’ve talked to are struggling right now. Many have cut spending and/or stopped hiring. Their comps vs 2022-2023 are pretty bad. They’re all looking for value based pricing or reduced overall spend (including fees). I think agencies are finally coming around to this fact and have started adjusting rates to survive. I take it your agency is probably taking on some of these budget accounts to help with cash flow. Sometimes it’s hard to know without seeing their books.

The work is still out there and companies are still making money, just not at 2022-2023 levels. I’ve seen this cycle in 2008-2009, 2018, 2020. Usually short-term.