PR Retainer Scope: What Is Included and What Costs Extra

To compare two PR retainers, turn each offer into the same list of line items: what is included, how much of it, who does it and what the agency bills separately. A retainer fee alone says little about scope. Costs outside the retainer, such as expenses, tools, events and crisis work, only become comparable once both offers are itemized.

Who needs to compare PR retainer scopes?

Compare PR retainer scopes when you hold two or more agency proposals that include different things, or when a renewal leaves the scope unclear. This guide gives no fees, because it cites no published rate source.

For Everything-PR's estimates, see the PR firm cost guide. For the choice between structures, see retainer versus project pricing. To weigh the finished proposals, use how to evaluate PR agency proposals.

Which work areas should a PR retainer comparison cover?

A PR retainer comparison should cover every work area in the table below, and you should ask each agency about every row. The right-hand column lists ways the work may be billed, so confirm with each agency which one applies. It does not describe what agencies typically do.

Work area	Questions to ask	How the work may be billed
Strategy and planning	How many sessions or plans, and how often are they updated?	In the retainer, or as a separate project
Media relations	How many pitches and targets, and how is a pitch counted?	In the retainer, or capped by quantity
Reporting	What format, how often, who prepares it and which metrics?	In the retainer, or extra for custom reports
Executive support	What briefings, media training and bylines, and who writes?	In the retainer, or per session
Content	Which formats, how many, and how many revision rounds?	In the retainer, or per asset
Crisis work	Does the retainer cover readiness only, or active response too?	Separately, or by an activation trigger
Events	Planning, attendance and staffing on the day	Separately, or by event
Travel	Who travels, who approves, and what are the class and per-diem rules?	As expenses
Monitoring tools	Which tools, whose license, and who keeps the data?	In the retainer, as expenses, or paid by the client
Distribution	Which wire or paid distribution, and who pays the provider?	As expenses, or paid by the client

How do you compare two PR retainers step by step?

Compare two PR retainers by building one master list of work areas and filling it in for each offer. Follow these steps in order.

1. Write one list of work areas, starting with the table above and adding anything specific to your business.
2. Fill in each offer: what is included, the quantity, the person responsible and whether it is billed extra.
3. Mark every blank. A blank means the proposal does not say, so ask the agency in writing.
4. Convert the units. If one agency counts pitches and the other counts outreach campaigns, ask both to restate in a common unit.
5. Ask each agency for the rate or approval process for every item billed outside the retainer.
6. Compare the total expected cost for the extras you expect to use, not the retainer alone.

What does a worked comparison of two retainers look like?

A worked comparison shows where two offers differ on the same work areas. The example below is hypothetical. It uses invented quantities to show the method and is not market data or a benchmark.

Work area	Agency A (hypothetical)	Agency B (hypothetical)
Media outreach	20 targeted pitches a month	"Ongoing outreach" with no quantity
Reporting	Monthly, standard template	Quarterly, custom
Crisis response	Excluded, billed hourly if needed	Readiness plan only
Events	Excluded	Up to two a year
Monitoring tools	Paid by the client	Paid by the agency

Agency B's offer cannot yet be compared on outreach, so ask Agency B to state a quantity. Agency A's crisis exclusion is a risk to price, not automatically a defect.

What documents do you need to compare retainers?

Collect each proposal and scope of work, your own list of needs for the next twelve months, and any past invoices that show expenses billed outside a retainer. Past invoices show what extras you have paid for before.

What should you check before you choose a retainer?

Run the checklist below on both offers before you decide.

• One master list of work areas covers every offer.
• Quantities and owners are filled in for every row.
• Every blank has gone back to the agency as a written question.
• Extras and expense rules are priced or capped.
• The comparison uses total expected cost.

Send the written questions to both agencies on the same day, wait for both answers, and choose only after every blank is filled.

Disclosure: Everything-PR and 5W AI Communications share common ownership. Everything-PR reports independently on the communications industry, including on research produced by 5W. Editorial decisions are made by Everything-PR's editorial team.