We already know how to define a brand, how to approach it, and how to share it. We know where our company is heading in three, five, or fifty years. We have analyses, boards behind us, and we have agreed on what we want to say. And now someone raises their hand and asks: "Friends, how much will this cost?" Ondra, that question is for you. I know we can't just throw out one specific number, but what kind of effort and financial difficulty does it involve?

Not small. The moment this logical question about cost comes up, we try to have a strategic discussion with the client. The price is not primarily determined by how much a web developer, a photographer, or a copywriter costs.

So what is it determined by?

The price is determined by how much it will cost me if I don't do it. That is the key moment. In the project phase, we need the company's management—whether the owner, the management team, or the board of directors—to realize the importance and possibilities of that change. Whether it is brand innovation or a change in marketing strategy, only at that moment can we talk about the price it has for them. So, in fact, the company itself tells us how much it will cost.

That is an interesting perspective. It is probably good to mention that the price is not only financial. It also involves emotion, intellect, time... and likewise, the profit that results from it will not just be about money.

Exactly. Although many things can be quantified—we can measure the increase in positive brand relationship after certain activities, which is a research matter that costs more money, but it is possible. However, the investment is hugely capacity-intensive on the client's side. Management must be actively involved. Any change at this level means they have to "play the tune" with us. They must provide their time, ingenuity, and mental capacity so that the people in the company believe that the brand is exactly what it should be.

So is it the client who determines it by how much they are willing to invest not only money but also themselves?

A little bit, yes. The whole thing together forms a package that companies typically fear for two reasons: its size and its unmanageability. But both can be managed and capped to a certain extent. The most important thing is to realize what will happen if I don't do anything.

So when I know the strategic brief and I know what we are going to fight with, what happens next?

At that moment, I realize what is on the scale. We are no longer talking about whether a website costs 150 or 200 thousand. We are talking in millions in the sense that if we don't manage something, we lose potential business that would bring those millions. Only when the company clarifies this and says: "Yes, it pays for us to invest, say, 2, 5, or 10 million in our strategic plan over the next two years," then it is our turn.

And what is your role in this phase?

It is the responsibility of the marketing world to respond to this relevantly. To say: "Certainly, for this amount, this amount of work can be done at some standard prices." Then we start talking about the details. But the main thing, that takes place at the highest strategic level. It is not just fun, especially when we talk about specialized content that originates directly inside the company. Marketers and copywriters then "just" rewrite it so that it is understandable for the given media and target groups. But the essence, the involvement of people who understand it—that is the other major investment the company must make.