By Sabrina Ortega Marengo, CEO & Client Services Director, NSB Agency

For years, the value of creative services was calculated based on the team's estimated working time: the famous Labor-Based Calculator model, built on man-hours.

But this system, however widespread, comes with several problems:

  • How do we know precisely how long it took a person to develop an idea?
  • What happens if the time invested doesn't produce the expected results?
  • And what if the task was executed with the support of AI, cutting down time but requiring equal or greater professional judgment to ensure quality?

Today, we could be assigning many hours to a deliverable whose strategic contribution is low, or devoting very little time to a piece that transforms a brand's positioning.

The man-hours model doesn't reflect the true value of creative work.

We need a different approach

A quality service doesn't depend on time alone: it depends on the depth of brand knowledge, on ongoing work and on the team's ability to turn insights into relevant creative decisions.

We also need to find a compensation system that's fair for both parties: one that values the impact of the work, not just its duration.

Creative Credits Plan: our solution

At NSB we developed a new way to measure creative contribution: we call it the Creative Credits Plan, a proprietary, transparent and flexible, results-oriented system, where each deliverable is measured in units of strategic-creative contribution, making it possible to know the value of every project clearly from the outset.

For example:

An integrated communications campaign may require a certain number of Creative Credits, and each piece that makes it up represents a proportional fraction of that total.

A Creative Credit is our unit of measure.

It reflects the experience, the strategic and creative capability of the team, and the real added value each piece brings to the brand ecosystem.

What benefits does this system offer?

It's designed to fuel ongoing work, deepening the relationship and the knowledge of the brand.

    • The more credits contracted per month, the lower the unit value.
    • Unused credits can roll over for up to two months.
    • You don't need to define every project up front: together we adjust the most relevant deliverables according to each stage.
    • Our specialized team's time is reserved, with guaranteed dedication.
    • We keep limited slots to ensure quality, focus and personalized follow-up.
    • Our team is made up of professionals with more than 20 years of experience in communication, branding and strategic marketing.

How are the credits calculated?

The number of credits is defined according to:

  • The level of complexity of the project.
  • The conceptual depth required.
  • And the strategic-creative contribution each deliverable represents.

The greater the depth, the greater the impact. And therefore, the greater the added value for your brand.

Designed for brands that are building, evolving or scaling.

If your brand is in a stage of growth or transformation, having a creative structure that understands the business and translates it into effective communication decisions is essential.

At NSB we work to bring ideas that work, that represent, that connect and that project forward. Because the value of a brand isn't measured in hours — it's built with creativity, strategy and sustainable results.