Behind Boxman Studios’ Price Tag
October 11, 2016
What is most important to agency account executives when planning events or tradeshows for clients? Customer service? Creativity? References?
All of these answers are correct on some level, but ultimately, AEs need to know what’s on the price tag. And every day, vendors sink or swim based on the agency’s comfort level with that number.
We know that you expect to see results when you invest your marketing money. So out of respect for your time and budget, we make sure to stay completely transparent when presenting our estimates. Here are a few factors that go into our pricing equation:
Design
For Boxman, design isn’t limited to your fits and finishes. It extends beyond colors, textures, and the final branding applications. Design is how your structure will look upon delivery and that means deciding where outlets will go, how your plumbing will fit into the mix, structural and architectural drawings, and which materials need to be used so your event space arrives in pristine condition. The time and consideration we put into designing your brand immersion experience is so much more than deciding where to cut holes and which paint colors match your logo.
Because the size and scope of a project heavily impact our design team, we charge by the hour. This fee includes every aspect of design from the conceptual ‘feel’ of the space to the literal nuts and bolts of your space. This is very good news, because it means you will never have to pay a cent more than exactly what it takes for us to generate your final design and plans.
Develop
Again, the size and scope of your project will affect your final numbers. Additional considerations include: Are we modifying a shipping container or purpose-building a container based on your needs and specs? What level of finish are you looking for fits and finishes (i.e. high end or lower level of finish)? Are you buying furniture and cabinetry off-the-shelf or will our custom carpenter be adding his spice into the mix?
Ultimately, we are a custom shop. That means that every project is different, has different goals, and has different costs associated with the materials and labor. When clients ask us what a typical build cost, the answer is usually, ‘it depends’ because many of our projects are unique. We can, however, give you a range to expect based on our best practices and similar past projects.
Deploy
This line item includes all things transportation and activation. All logistics are run through our own trucking company, which deploys and provides the equipment necessary to activate our structures. The cost of an experiential tour will be determined by the length of your tour, the distance you’re going, and the number of activations. A price tag on delivering a permanent structure has similar variables, but added cost as it relates to your permitting, and the function of the structure. Regardless of the kind of structure, your savings are maximized because we use our own trucks, provide our own experienced drivers/activators, and handle the entire set-up and break-down of your shipping container environment.
The price is still out of my range. Now what?
With big-ticket items like brand immersion experiences made from shipping containers, sticker shock isn’t uncommon. We’ve seen it enough to know how you’re feeling and we’ve pivoted plans enough to know how to do it quickly, while still delivering the same caliber experience. Here are some tips for cutting cost:
- Be honest with us about your budget.
- Let us know if we’re competing.
- Listen to us when we tell you where budget can be cut and where it’s absolutely rigid.
- Be open to new ideas from our design and engineering team.
- Explore our fleet of leasable designs.
For more information, contact us here.
