Creative Content Retainer
A creative content retainer is a fixed monthly block of my time producing films, key visuals and social content for one brand, with the strategic judgment of a creative director attached to every piece. I run it myself, as a creative director based in Sofia, for brands across the EU and US, using the same AI film pipeline and design craft as my project work.
Retainers start from €1,800 per month with a three-month minimum.
- Heineken
- Mastercard
- National Geographic
- UNHCR
- BILLA
- Zagorka
- Postbank
- OMV
- JTI
- Philips
- AVON
The question
How much of your content calendar is filled by people who have never read your strategy?
The answer, in 6 parts. Open any part for what it actually covers.
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01Monthly content planning
A short monthly session to decide what gets made and why, mapped to your launches, seasons and campaign beats. No content for content’s sake.
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02AI brand films and cut-downs
One or more short films per month, from concept to final cut, with all platform versions. See AI brand film for how the pipeline works.
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03Campaign and social key visuals
Static and animated visuals for paid and organic channels, designed inside your identity and campaign, delivered in every format your media plan needs.
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04Creative direction on your content
Review and direction of work produced by your team or other suppliers, so everything published looks like one brand.
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05Asset library and templates
A growing library of masters, templates and rules built from the monthly output, so the brand gets stronger and more efficient over time.
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06Priority access
Retainer clients get first call on my calendar, faster turnarounds and a lower effective rate than project work.
Fit
Who this is for
- Brands with a continuous need for film and visual content and no in-house creative director to hold the quality line.
- Startups and scale-ups that would rather have one senior person on a fixed monthly cost than a rotating set of freelancers.
- This isn’t for you if you need daily volume across five channels. That is a content team, and a retainer with one person will not replace it.
Timeline
| Month 1 | Onboarding, strategy review, asset audit, first content plan and first pieces delivered. |
|---|---|
| Month 2 | Full monthly cadence: plan, produce, review, publish. Templates and library started. |
| Month 3 | Review of what performed, adjusted plan, decision on continuing or resizing the retainer. |
| Ongoing | Rolling monthly, with 30 days’ notice either way. |
Per month, three-month minimum, then rolling. The block size is agreed up front and the deliverables per month are defined in the plan, not left open.
Proof
Some of my favourite content retainer projects
Nearby
Related services
FAQ
Content Retainer: questions I get asked
What does a creative content retainer include?
A fixed monthly block of my time: content planning, AI brand films, campaign and social visuals, creative direction of other suppliers, and a growing asset library. Deliverables per month are defined in the plan.
How long is the retainer commitment?
Three months minimum, then rolling monthly with 30 days’ notice. Three months is the shortest period in which a content system actually starts to show results.
How much does a content retainer cost?
From €1,800 per month. Larger blocks are priced at a lower effective day rate than project work.
Do you work with businesses outside Bulgaria?
Yes. Retainers are fully remote, with one planning call a month in your time zone and everything else asynchronous.
What is the difference between a retainer and a project?
A project has a start, an end and a fixed deliverable. A retainer is continuous capacity with a plan that changes month to month. If you have one thing to make, book a project.
Can the retainer include design work as well as film?
Yes. The block is time, not a media type. Most retainers mix film, key visuals and social assets, and some include direction of your in-house designers.
What happens to unused hours?
The block is planned to be used. If a month runs light, we pull forward work from the next plan. Hours do not roll over indefinitely, because that is how retainers turn into arguments.
Can we pause the retainer?
Yes, after the first three months, with 30 days’ notice, for up to two months. Longer than that and we restart with a new plan.
Next step
Book a 20-minute call
Bring the brief, or just the problem. I will tell you on the call whether this is the right service for it.
Two slots open for October.