What are typical salary ranges and costs for hiring marketing managers, production managers, and marketing agencies for a growing drinks brand?

Members report the following ranges for key hires and services:

**Marketing & Brand Management:** - **Brand Manager (in-house)** — £40–45k for decent candidates; £50–60k+ for strong performers.

**Marketing & PR Services:** - **PR Agency** — Starting around £3–5k for passable service, though members note this is often not worth the investment. - **Freelance PR Expert** — £1–2k per month, often preferred over agencies as they offer flexibility and can be highly effective. - **Social Media Agency** — Around £4–5k, though members note these struggle to combine strategy, copywriting, and design well. - **Freelance Social Media Specialists** — More difficult to find as a single person rarely combines all required skills (strategy, copywriting, design); members suggest dissecting your priorities and finding specialists in those specific areas rather than expecting one person to do it all.

**Key Caveat:** Members emphasise that "cheap" agencies (£1–2k) will be "pointless" — quality work requires appropriate investment. The fractional/freelancer route is often more cost-effective than full-service agencies, provided you can clearly define what you need.