printing for ad agencies/other printers in your area?

[digi-eu]

Hi all I've been reading this forum for quite some time and finally decided to take part in a discussion
My company specializes mainly in digital printing and some of our clients are ad agencies and offset printers in our area.
I'm interested in knowing, do the other printers on this forum offer discounts to agencies/freelancers etc.? Is the discount based on volume or one % for all?
I'm interested in what other similar companies (to mine) have to say, because I'm considering taking away these discounts. In many cases we're catering to the same market (we can do all of the work in-house, including dtp and photography) and it seems like we're just making additional competition for ourselves.

 

[ondemandbindery]

Wow...........

Someone else an fill in the rest.

Good luck,

 

[gordo]

My company specializes mainly in digital printing and some of our clients are ad agencies and offset printers in our area.
I'm interested in knowing, do the other printers on this forum offer discounts to agencies/freelancers etc.? Is the discount based on volume or one % for all?
I'm interested in what other similar companies (to mine) have to say, because I'm considering taking away these discounts. In many cases we're catering to the same market (we can do all of the work in-house, including dtp and photography) and it seems like we're just making additional competition for ourselves.

Most places that I've worked with do not give discounts to agencies or freelancers just for the sake of giving a discount.

If you are billing the agency or freelancers directly then, you might give them a discount based on their giving you specific volumes of work. E.g. If they bring you $5,000 per month then X% discount, if they bring in $20,000 a month then X% discount.

Otherwise no discount.

If you are billing their customers directly then no discount for them. Unless of course you want to try and take the business away from the agency or freelancers using the cut out the middle man and save strategy.

best, gordo

 

[digi-eu]

Discount based on specific volumes of work is reasonable. The thing is that most agencies/freelance designers etc. in the area expect a discount solely based on the fact that they're an ad agency. It looks like I'm going to have to change this policy and see how it works out.

Most places that I've worked with do not give discounts to agencies or freelancers just for the sake of giving a discount.

If you are billing the agency or freelancers directly then, you might give them a discount based on their giving you specific volumes of work. E.g. If they bring you $5,000 per month then X% discount, if they bring in $20,000 a month then X% discount.

Otherwise no discount.

If you are billing their customers directly then no discount for them. Unless of course you want to try and take the business away from the agency or freelancers using the cut out the middle man and save strategy.

best, gordo

 

[digi-eu]

Wow...........

Someone else an fill in the rest.

Good luck,

sorry, but I don't quite understand your post.

In my area EVERY ad agency expects a discount, just because they're an ad agency. They're surprised every time we tell them that the discount we give depends on the volume of work they send in. I was just curious how these things are in other areas of the world...

 

[rbailleu]

Wow...........

Someone else an fill in the rest.

Good luck,

I think the Wow could go a lot of ways. Wow those jerks want a discount. wow someone actually wanting to be trade printer and complete with the likes of 4 over.

my favorite - wow, this professional ad agency/designer really did a good job in preflighting this microsoft publisher file.

 

[gordo]

In my area EVERY ad agency expects a discount, just because they're an ad agency. They're surprised every time we tell them that the discount we give depends on the volume of work they send in. I was just curious how these things are in other areas of the world...

The thing of it is that ad agencies get a discount when they buy media (e.g. TV time, magazine ad space, etc.) on behalf of their clients (e.g. Jo Bob's Pizza, Bro Ken Furniture, etc.). The media sells ad space to the agency at about 15% less than they would to Jo Bob's Pizza. Why? Because the ad agency buys more media than Jo Bob or Bro Ken Furniture does. I.e. It's a discount based on volumes. (Media buying is also where most of the agency's profits come from.)

So, if you bill the agency directly then it is fair to give them a discount not because they're an ad agency but based on volume rather than a per job discount.

Maybe they'll understand that.

best, gordo

 

[Luc St-Pierre]

Makes sense, Gordo. My ink supplier doesn't give me a discount because I am a printer. Their prices are based on volume always. Now we make a difference between agencies and print brokers. We decided a long time ago not to work with brokers. Brokers (we have experienced) are only vampirizing our industry and we end up working only to keep the lights opened.