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Story
For a brand starting with one strong story.
$2,700 a month with a 3-month commitment
Flexible monthly $3,000
- One PR campaign, start to finish
- Angle audit and media map
- Direct pitching to matched reporters
- Coverage and mentions report
Pricing · USD
Adult PR pricing, in writing
Adult PR pricing at BrandAfterdark is a monthly retainer in US dollars, reduced for clients who sign for a fixed term. Any extra cost that belongs to your campaign is quoted first and passed on at cost. We never charge per placement.
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Newsroom
For brands with news every month.
$4,800 a month with a 6-month commitment
Flexible monthly $6,000
- Monthly angle planning
- Pitching, exclusives and expert comment
- Spokesperson preparation
- Monthly report and call
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Reputation Desk
For brands whose founders are in the public eye.
$7,500 a month with a 12-month commitment
Flexible monthly $10,000
- Everything in Newsroom
- Brand and founder search audit
- Removal requests where policy allows
- Monthly search and AI answer check
Monthly prices in US dollars. If sales tax applies, it appears on the quote you approve, never later.
What the retainer covers, and what it does not
Included
- Strategy, angles and the media map
- Writing every pitch, release and briefing
- Pitching, follow-up and reporter relations
- Spokesperson preparation
- Reporting against your baseline
Quoted separately, at cost
- Survey panels for a data story
- Travel for interviews or events
- Specialist media databases for a narrow beat
- Paid placements or advertorials: we do not sell them
How this compares
Published 2026 pricing guides give these typical monthly retainer ranges for US public relations.
| Type of firm | Typical monthly retainer |
|---|---|
| Freelance publicist | $1,500 to $3,500 |
| Boutique PR firm | $3,000 to $7,000 |
| Mid-market PR firm | $8,000 to $15,000 |
| National or global firm | $20,000 and up |
Our packages sit in the boutique range. The same guides note that extra costs often add 10 to 30 percent to a base retainer, which is why ours are listed and approved in advance. What each package involves is set out on adult PR, digital PR, media outreach and brand reputation.
A month on each package
| Package | A typical month |
|---|---|
| Story | One story developed, evidence gathered, a focused list pitched, coverage report |
| Newsroom | Monthly pitching, expert commentary, a data story each quarter, coverage and mentions report |
| Reputation Desk | Everything in Newsroom, plus search monitoring, removal requests and spokesperson preparation |
Choosing a package
Story suits a brand with one strong story to test PR before committing further. Newsroom suits brands with news or expertise to share every month. Reputation Desk suits brands whose founders are in the public eye or whose search results need steady, active work. The free review usually points to one; when Story is enough, we will tell you so.
Billing and notice
Fees are invoiced monthly and in advance, in the amount fixed by your statement of work. Flexible plans run month by month and end at the close of a billing month once either side has given notice; any engagement can be ended with one month's written notice. The terms contain the full wording, including what happens after a serious breach.
Costs outside the retainer
Some campaigns need costs beyond our time: a research firm's fieldwork for a survey, photography, or travel to an event. Each is quoted and approved in advance and passed on at cost, with no markup and the supplier's invoice attached.
What you keep
Press lists, story briefs, data sets, spokesperson notes and coverage reports produced for you remain yours after the engagement ends, in formats your own team can use.
Pausing
On flexible plans, PR can pause during quiet periods and restart with notice; relationships with reporters keep.
On the record
Because it rewards the wrong things: easy, low-value outlets and pressure on reporters. A retainer pays for the work, and the report shows exactly what that work produced.
Only costs that belong to your campaign, such as a survey panel for a data story, travel, or a paid media database for a specialist beat. Each is quoted and approved before we spend anything, and passed on at cost.
2026 pricing guides put boutique PR retainers at about $3,000 to $7,000 a month and mid-market firms at $8,000 to $15,000. Our packages sit in the boutique range.
The flexible price runs month to month. The lower prices come with a three, six or twelve month commitment, because press relationships take time to show results.
For immediate release
Your brand has a story. Let us find the reporter who wants it.
The PR opportunity review is free. Tell us about the brand and any news coming up, and we reply with the angles we would pitch, the outlets that cover them, and what to leave alone.
Request a PR opportunity review