Insurance for a marketing / creative agency: what you need + typical cost.

For your business: A BOP is the standard package for agencies — bundles GL + Property and is cheaper than buying separately.

What it covers in general: A Business Owners Policy bundles General Liability and Commercial Property into a single, discounted policy. Often includes business interruption insurance as well.

Typical annual cost: $750–$1,800 (median $990) · Insureon, Small Business Insurance Cost

For your business: Client-facing work, office visitors, and advertising injury (copyright/defamation claims) are all covered.

What it covers in general: Covers claims of bodily injury or property damage that your business causes to others — a customer slipping in your shop, or a contractor accidentally breaking a client's window.

Typical annual cost: $500–$1,560 (median $540) · Insureon, General Liability Cost

For your business: If a campaign underperforms and the client claims your strategy caused losses, E&O is your defense.

What it covers in general: Covers claims that your professional advice, service, or work product caused a financial loss to a client — also called Errors & Omissions (E&O) or malpractice insurance.

Typical annual cost: $700–$1,500 (median $876) · Insureon, Professional Liability Cost

For your business: Required for W-2 staff in most states.

What it covers in general: Pays for medical expenses and lost wages if an employee is injured or becomes ill because of their job. Also protects your business from employee lawsuits over workplace injuries.

Typical annual cost: $1,200–$8,000 (median $2,500) · Insureon, Workers Compensation Cost

For your business: If you own significant equipment (cameras, studio gear), property coverage is worth adding.

What it covers in general: Covers your physical business assets — building (if you own it), equipment, inventory, and furniture — against fire, theft, vandalism, and certain weather events.

Typical annual cost: $970–$1,570 (median $1,270) · Insureon, Commercial Property Cost

For your business: Agencies handle client brand assets, customer data, and ad account credentials — breach exposure is real.

What it covers in general: Covers losses from data breaches, ransomware attacks, and cyber fraud — including notification costs, credit monitoring for affected customers, legal fees, and regulatory fines.

Typical annual cost: $1,440–$2,160 (median $1,800) · Insureon, Cyber Liability Cost

For your business: Not typically needed unless you operate a company vehicle for client shoots or deliveries.

What it covers in general: Covers vehicles used for business purposes — work trucks, vans, cars driven to client sites — against accidents, liability, and damage. Personal auto policies specifically exclude commercial use.

Typical annual cost: $1,760–$2,940 (median $2,350) · Insureon, Commercial Auto Cost

For your business: Worth considering if you have large-budget clients where a single campaign dispute could be significant.

What it covers in general: Adds an extra layer of liability coverage above your GL, Professional Liability, and/or Auto limits. Pays claims that exceed your primary policy limits.

Typical annual cost: $750–$1,500 (median $1,030) · Insureon, Umbrella Liability Cost

If a client sues us because their campaign underperformed, does E&O cover that?

Yes, this is exactly what E&O is for. The trigger isn't whether you did anything wrong — it's whether the client claims you did. E&O pays for the defense even on frivolous claims, which is most of them. Settlement amounts vary, but $50K-$200K legal defense costs are common even when the agency wins.

What about copyright claims on imagery our team sourced from a stock library?

Standard E&O policies cover advertising injury including copyright/trademark infringement, but read your policy carefully — some exclude 'intellectual property' claims unless you add the IP rider. Most agencies should pay the small upcharge for IP coverage.

Do I need cyber insurance if we don't host client data, just access their dashboards?

Yes — possession isn't the only trigger. Most cyber policies cover claims arising from access to client systems, including credential theft, accidental exposure, and 'cloud service provider' incidents on tools you use (Slack, Asana, etc.). For an agency with 5-15 employees, expect $1,200-$2,000/year for a baseline cyber policy.