By Kate Wilson, Head of Community & Membership
At Manchester Digital, some of the most useful conversations start very simply - with a member raising a challenge they are facing in their business and asking, “Are others thinking about this too?”
That was exactly the case with our recent roundtable on value-based pricing in digital agencies.
The session came about after a conversation with one of our members, who was exploring how agencies are approaching value-based pricing models and whether others in the community were asking similar questions. It quickly became clear that this wasn’t an isolated issue. As more conversations followed, it was obvious there was a real appetite among agency leaders to come together, compare experiences and talk openly about what is changing.
So, as part of our commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for members to connect around shared challenges, we brought together a small group of agency leaders for an honest, practical discussion focused on pricing, commercial models and the wider pressures shaping agency businesses right now.
We were delighted to be joined by Richard Gregory (Agency NXD), who set the scene with a practical and thought-provoking overview of value-based pricing, drawing on his experience working with agencies and tech businesses.
Why this topic matters now
Value-based pricing is not a new concept, but it is becoming an increasingly urgent conversation.
As agencies adapt to changing client expectations, increased pressure on margins, and the growing impact of AI on delivery models, many are rethinking whether traditional time-and-materials pricing still reflects the value they create.
For some, the question is about how to move beyond charging for time. For others, it is about how to protect profitability as work becomes faster to deliver. And for many, it is about whether clients are ready for a different kind of commercial conversation altogether.
What made this roundtable so valuable was the openness in the room. There was no expectation of having all the answers. Instead, the discussion focused on real experiences, practical concerns and the different ways agencies are beginning to test new approaches.
Key themes from the discussion
Several themes came through strongly.
First, there was broad agreement that AI is accelerating the need to review pricing models. As agencies become more efficient, the relationship between time spent and value delivered is shifting, and many are questioning how sustainable traditional billing models will be in the years ahead.
Second, while value-based and performance-based pricing are appealing, they also bring very real challenges. As Richard highlighted, moving towards outcome-based models requires a shift not just in pricing, but in how agencies frame value, manage risk and engage in more commercially-led conversations with clients. Attendees echoed this, raising concerns around reporting, attribution and the many factors that sit outside their control.
Third, there was interest in hybrid models as a more realistic starting point. Rather than moving overnight to a fully outcome-based approach, some agencies felt there may be opportunities to combine fixed fees or retainers with performance-linked elements.
And finally, the conversation highlighted that this is about more than pricing alone. It is also about positioning, confidence, client relationships and commercial mindset. Moving from selling time to selling outcomes requires a different kind of conversation — and often a different way of describing the role an agency plays.
A practical example of member value
This roundtable is exactly the kind of member benefit we want to build more of.
It was shaped by a real member question, brought the right people together around a shared issue, and created space for candid peer discussion that might not happen in a larger event setting.
For us, that is an important part of what membership should offer: not just access to events, but access to relevant conversations, trusted peers and practical insight from others facing similar decisions.
It also reinforces the value of our community. When members are willing to share what they are seeing, testing and questioning in their own businesses, it creates opportunities for everyone else to learn.
What’s next
This session was the first in what we hope will become a wider series of focused discussions for agency leaders across our membership.
The conversation around value-based pricing has clearly only just started, and it also opened up a number of related topics we know members are keen to explore further — from AI’s impact on agency business models, to margins, positioning, specialisation and commercial growth.
We’d like to thank Richard Gregory (Agency NXD) again for his contribution in helping to frame and guide such a valuable discussion.
If you are a Manchester Digital member and there is a topic you would like to bring to the table, we would love to hear from you. Sometimes all it takes is one conversation to reveal a wider need across the community.
Feel free to reach out to me directly: kate.wilson@manchesterdigital.com
