Fractional CMO & Part-Time Marketing Director

Q: What is a fractional CMO?

A fractional CMO, sometimes called a part-time CMO, is an experienced Chief Marketing Officer who works with a business on an ongoing basis, often one to three days a week. They lead marketing strategy and the marketing team, and report to the board.

Q: How much does a fractional CMO cost?

Fractional CMOs are usually engaged on a day rate or a monthly fee for an agreed number of days. The cost depends on their experience, the complexity of the business and the time required. The total cost is usually lower than a full-time CMO, because the business pays only for the days it needs.

Q: What is the difference between a fractional CMO and a marketing agency?

An agency delivers marketing activity. A fractional CMO is a senior leader inside the business who sets the strategy, leads the team and holds agencies to account.

Q: When should a business hire a full-time CMO?

Usually when marketing needs senior leadership every day, for example after significant investment, rapid growth or expansion into several new markets. A good fractional CMO will flag when that point is approaching and help shape the brief for a permanent hire.

Fractional CMO Executive Search

Many growing businesses reach a point where marketing needs senior leadership, but a full-time Chief Marketing Officer is not yet the right investment.

Growth has stalled, or the next stage needs a different approach. Spend is rising but nobody can say clearly what it returns. The team is busy, but nobody is setting the strategy or making the case for marketing at board level.

A fractional CMO gives you that leadership part time, often one to three days a week. They set the marketing strategy, lead the team and agencies, and report to the board on what marketing is delivering.

Novo identifies fractional CMOs and Marketing Directors across the UK with experience of businesses at your stage and in your market, and the judgement to know when a full-time appointment makes sense.

Considering other fractional roles? Read our overview of fractional leadership.

Marketing Leadership Specialist

Dale Perrett

Founding Director

Considering a fractional CMO?

Talk to us about where marketing needs to take the business next.

Call now

Email now

Marketing Leadership Specialist

Jon Hollier

Founding Director

Considering a fractional CMO?

Talk to us about where marketing needs to take the business next.

Call now

Email now

Senior marketing leadership without a full-time appointment

Book a confidential discussion with one of our Executive Search Directors

Discuss a Fractional CMO

What a Fractional CMO Does

A fractional CMO is a senior marketing leader, accountable to the CEO and board.

Typical responsibilities include:

Marketing strategy and positioning
Go-to-market planning for new products, markets or segments
Leading the marketing team and agencies

Setting budgets and measuring return on marketing spend
Brand and proposition development
Board reporting on marketing performance

The time commitment is agreed at the start. It can increase around a launch or rebrand, and reduce once the plan and team are in place.

When a Fractional CMO Makes Sense

Common situations include:

A founder is still running marketing personally
Growth has slowed and the current approach needs resetting
Investment has raised expectations for growth

A rebrand or repositioning is planned
The business is entering a new market
The marketing team needs senior direction and coaching

For PE-backed businesses, a fractional CMO can lead the marketing and growth elements of the value creation plan without the cost of a full-time executive. See our page on leadership for PE-backed companies.

Fractional CMO, Interim CMO or Permanent CMO?

The right model depends on how much senior marketing time the business needs.

Fractional CMO: Part time and ongoing. Suits businesses that need senior marketing leadership but not every day.

Interim CMO: Full time for a fixed period, with a defined outcome. Suits a sudden departure, a major launch or a turnaround.

Permanent CMO: Full time and ongoing. Suits businesses where marketing needs senior leadership every day. See our CMO recruitment page.

Testimonials

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Catalina Marketing

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World Sailing

You have done a fantastic job. Your work gets taken for granted a lot but you really have found a special candidate for us, so really well done.

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Thank you very much for your involvement in identifying our new Product Development Director and managing a very smooth process. This was a significant recruitment process for our business, and I am very pleased with how it has gone from start to finish.

Animalcare

How We Find Fractional CMOs and Marketing Directors

The best fractional CMOs are selective about the businesses they work with. Most are not visible on job boards, and many already work with one or two other companies.

Brief: We agree the stage of the business, what marketing needs to deliver and how many days the role needs.

Search: We approach marketing leaders who have built brands and pipelines in your sector at a similar stage.

Fit: We assess how each candidate will work with the founder, CEO and board, as well as their record of delivery.

Review: We check in as the plan beds in, so the days can increase around a launch and reduce once the team is established.