Straight Answers to the Questions I Get Asked Most
Hey, I'm JOHN LUKE, founder of JOHN LUKE and Creative Director at Imagemme. People reach out often asking about pricing, process, why choose a boutique like us over big agencies, and what fractional CMO actually means in practice. I figured I'd lay it out plainly here, just what comes to mind based on 15+ years doing this.
Q: How much does branding actually cost with you?
Most projects land between $20k and $100k+. Startups usually hit the lower end, around $20k (4k+ per month). Bigger companies with lots of touchpoints, sub-brands, or heavier production push toward the higher end. Add deeper strategy, campaigns, video shoots, talent, or packaging sourcing and it can go past the $100k. We scope everything clearly upfront. No surprises.
Q: What's your hourly rate compared to big agencies?
We charge $150 an hour for the whole team, me included. That’s on purpose. We want high-end work without crazy markups. Big places like McCann or Havas? They’re often $750 to $1,000 an hour for similar stuff. They need those rates to cover overhead and subsidize pro bono or award projects. We’ve done work where they quoted $500k+ and we delivered at $50k to $100k with equal or better results. You get founder-level attention, no layers of bloat. Plus we usually work at 5x the speed. Remember it's those companies that outsource to us to produce the work.
Q: Are you actually hands-on, or do juniors do most of it?
I’m hands-on in every single project. I lead strategy and creative direction from day one to final delivery. No bait-and-switch. You talk to me directly the whole way. That’s the main difference with a founder-led studio.
Q: What about fractional CMO or growth marketing?
This is huge for growing brands right now. Hiring a full-time CMO costs $150k to $300k+ a year, plus benefits and overhead. Bring me and the team in fractionally instead. We cover brand strategy, campaigns, creative, measurement, optimization. You get exec-level marketing at a fraction of the cost, usually 40 to 70% less than a full hire. High-quality creative tied straight to growth and revenue. No need to build an in-house team from zero. It scales with you.
Q: How much should a company budget for marketing overall?
For B2B, I usually tell people to aim for 2-5% of revenue. That keeps things steady and growing without overdoing it. For B2C, startups in growth mode, or brands pushing hard into new markets, 5-10% or more makes sense. Branding is normally the foundation of that budget. Start with a clear number and it compounds fast. Under-investing here is one of the fastest ways to stall.
If this clicks or you’ve got follow-ups, just reply or grab a quick call.
Cheers,
, JOHN LUKE
Direct answers on pricing, process, why choose a boutique agency, and what fractional CMO work entails in practice.
Get the next note in your inbox.
One email when a new note or episode ships. No drip, no upsell.
Brand Recall: How Brands Get Remembered Before the Buyer Is Ready
Get hungry. Properly hungry, where you cannot concentrate. What chocolate bar just showed up in your head? For a lot of people it was Snickers. Now it is three in the afternoon and you are fading. What do you reach for?
Ethos, Pathos, Logos: How Brands Actually Persuade
Ethos, pathos, and logos are the three appeals Aristotle named almost two and a half thousand years ago. Ethos is character, and whether people believe who you are. Pathos is emotion, and how you make people feel.
What Are Brand Archetypes? The Character Your Brand Agrees to Play
A brand archetype is a recurring character pattern that people recognize across every culture and every story. Nike is a Hero. Harley-Davidson is an Outlaw. The archetype is not what a brand says about itself.