Focus on results, not costs

Should the First Question to Your Agency Be “What’s Your Fee?”

Akin Güngör, who served as the CEO of Garanti Bank for nine years, once said:

“If you view advertising expenses and the work of your agency merely as costs — like any other operational expense — you’ll try to minimize them, and in doing so, compromise quality. This mindset harms not only the output but also the investment in the people behind it.”

Güngör, a legendary leader, understood the true value of advertising and how a great agency can transform a brand. Under his vision, Garanti Bank became one of the most important financial institutions in Türkiye. His secret? Knowing the difference between an expense and an investment.

Advertising should never be weighed alongside your stationery costs. It’s as vital as investing in machinery, employee training, or advanced production systems. You can’t measure ROI on office supplies, but the short- and long-term impact of advertising is visible immediately.

So, what makes a bad investment in advertising? It’s when the money you spend doesn’t deliver returns. That’s why the real question isn’t “How much will it cost?” but rather “What will this bring to my brand?”

To the advertisers who choose agencies solely on fees: remember — ads can be made for free. YouTube is filled with “how to run digital ads” tutorials. But if you want an objective evaluation of your brand, backed by experience from diverse industries and markets, you need to ask the right questions — not just negotiate price.

If your revenue grew from €83,000 in 2023–2024 to €650,000 in 2024–2025 with your agency’s campaigns and guidance, you can’t deny their impact. At that point, the right question isn’t “What’s your fee?” but “What’s our next year’s target?”

For a first meeting built on the right questions — and the right answers — Brosch Digital is here.

With respect,

Brosch Digital