What is a fractional CMO?
A Fractional CMO is the same thing as a full-time CMO, but only working part-time on retainer basis. A Fractional CMO becomes an integrated part of your team as a your executive leader. They will set the strategy, build the team (hiring and managing specialists and agencies), and guide results. They are not a one-person marketing department, they are the leader that will build and guide your strategy & team.
Why fractional vs. full time?
Having a full-time CMO or head of marketing is great.. if you can afford one. To get access to high-quality leadership, it could cost you well over $250,000 per year in base pay, not including payment for healthcare, employment taxes, bonuses or equity. That makes access to high quality talent for small startups extremely difficult. Hiring a fractional CMO allows you to bring that leadership and strategy in house quickly with relatively low risk. ​
Why fractional vs. agency?
Make no mistakes about it.. agencies and consultant specialists are great. In fact, they are necessary. However, if you want to really scale beyond $2 million in annual revenue, they are probably not sufficient. To get to the next level, you will need to build internal capabilities to scale your organization for the long term. A fractional CMO will help you do just that - hire, build, and manage your marketing & sales team. A Fractional CMO is a real, integrated part of your team, however by design are a lot cheaper and less risky than hiring a full-time CMO. ​
What is the scope of a Fractional CMO?
Below are some of the key buckets that a fractional CMO covers.
Set your company
vision, strategy, and KPIs
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Setting the overall vision that helps keep your company on track
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Developing and executing brand, product, and go-to-market strategies.
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Leading competitive and market analysis to inform strategic decisions.
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Communicating marketing strategy to executives, investors, and stakeholders.
Build & sell in your innovation pipeline
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Leverage the strengths of your brand along with the unmet needs identified in market research to unlock a winning pipeline
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Teach how to qualify concepts before spending money creating products consumers do not want or need​
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Refine concepts to ensure in market success
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Create compelling sell stories for buyers with real data that results in placement again and again
Position your brand for success
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Helping ensure your creative positions you to a specific target with a specific benefit, a real point of difference and reasons to believe you are the best.
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Owning brand positioning, messaging, and customer perception.
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Ensuring a seamless and engaging customer journey across all touchpoints.
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Leading creative, storytelling, and content marketing strategies.
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Managing PR, reputation, and crisis communications.
Build your
marketing & sales teams
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Hiring, mentoring, and developing a high-performing marketing team.
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Defining team structure and ensuring alignment with business goals.
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Managing agency and vendor relationships.
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Driving a strong marketing culture that fosters innovation and collaboration
Understand your consumer via market research
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Helping you identify who is your core consumer now and who it could be in the future
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Understanding what is making you successful today to leverage in the future
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Identify roadblocks that can unlock growth
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Establishing the correct methodologies, performing scrappy research, and finding research partners for sustained success
Manage budget, forecasts, P&L, and tech stack
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Setting and managing the marketing budget to maximize ROI.
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Forecasting revenue impact from marketing initiatives.
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Balancing brand-building efforts with short-term revenue-driving tactics.
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Managing P&L accountability for marketing investments.
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Help you setup your tech stack to automate, track, and manage your processes as efficiently and amazingly as possible.