Marketing budgets for growing businesses: How to think about investing in leadership and execution

Marketing budgets for growing businesses: How to think about investing in leadership and execution

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZOfHUzAeGk Video Transcription Great question about how you should think about the activation budget to do the things that marketing will require? In our scopes of work, we can only propose and price the services we directly provide, which are for fractional CMO services. As a management consulting firm, however, all of our clients do need activation and their budgets are as diverse as the clients that we serve.  A good rule of thumb for the businesses we work with, who of course, as I explained, are generally between five and 100 million in annual revenue. For those organizations. The…
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What Is An Outsourced CMO? What Does An Outsourced CMO Do?

What Is An Outsourced CMO? What Does An Outsourced CMO Do?

Sometimes hiring a full-time marketing executive isn’t the right move for your business, and an outsourced CMO may be a better option. Keep reading to find answers to questions such as “What does an outsourced CMO do?” and “How can you hire one?” A chief marketing officer (CMO) leads a company’s marketing department. Large businesses usually have an in-house CMO, but smaller businesses may not need a full-time CMO or have a budget that supports a full-time hire. An outsourced chief marketing officer may be a better fit for these companies. Learn more about CMO outsourcing to determine if it’s…
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Marketing + Finance: An unlikely match, or a love story written in the stars?

Marketing + Finance: An unlikely match, or a love story written in the stars?

We’ve all heard it said that opposites attract. This time-tested sentiment holds true in the C-Suite, where leaders balance roles between risk aversion and growth investment. Opposite perspectives are valuable to inform decision-making. But opposing priorities are deadly to team culture and corporate health. The rubber often meets the road in the relationship between Marketing and Finance. Should the company invest in strategic, but often unpredictable (risky), marketing initiatives? Or should the business limit its spend to programs already proven to generate measurable results? What is the right ratio of risk vs. caution, reward vs. stability? There is no one-size-fits-all…
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Augurian: Client Story

Augurian: Client Story

Digital marketing agency Augurian engaged Authentic to develop a targeted marketing strategy for the upcoming year.  “[Our Authentic Fractional CMO] helped us get what we intuitively might have understood or had in the back of our minds onto paper in a more organized way.” Josh Becerra, co-Founder & CEO, Augurian https://youtu.be/4uahV_2PlZA Augurian at a glance Company size: 28 employeesBusiness type: Digital marketing agencyCategory: B2BHeadquarters: Minneapolis, MNKey initiatives: Marketing strategy, marketing roadmap, ideal customer profile, content marketing, messaging & differentiation The challenge Augurian, a digital marketing agency based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was faced with a common challenge that many other marketing…
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Marketing ROI: Return on Investment or Really Obscure Information?

Marketing ROI: Return on Investment or Really Obscure Information?

Marketing ROI: Return On Investment or Really Obscure Information? Every founder, CEO, CFO and investor wants to know their return on marketing investment. And rightly so. But getting to ROI is not always a straight-forward “dollars in, dollars out” calculation. Businesses are spending money, investing in a variety of marketing activities, yet unsure of how (or even if) those tactics are moving the needle.  To reach healthy, sustainable brand and business growth, organizations must move beyond Really Obscure Information to measurable Return On Investment.  This webinar features a panel of experienced B2B and B2C marketing leaders, who bring some clarity…
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Crafting Your Competitive Edge: The Power of Employer Branding

Crafting Your Competitive Edge: The Power of Employer Branding

For many industries, recruiting and staffing remain the biggest barriers to growth following the pandemic. And for companies in highly competitive fields, finding and keeping the attention of qualified candidates is continuing to take more time, creativity and resources.  More than ever, the reputations of the company and its leadership matter during a candidate’s search. According to a recent survey conducted by Randstad, 86% of workers would not apply for, or continue to work for, a company with a bad reputation with former employees or the general public. So, how do you attract candidates to your organization to help fuel…
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5 Lessons in Building Community, a Brand, and Entrepreneurship

5 Lessons in Building Community, a Brand, and Entrepreneurship

One of the core tenets of Authentic’s company vision is that we believe when executive marketers are supported by a diverse community of like-minded peers, who share common values, experiences, and resources, they become more impactful leaders. Building this type of community requires a lot of collaboration and support along the way.  Finding those who share in the vision of community, conversation, and connection is so incredibly special and important in living a purpose-driven life. Authentic’s founder & CEO, Jennifer Zick, was recently invited to speak at Purpose Driven Coffee, an event for these like-minded people who seek significance, meaning,…
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Part Time CMO, Full Marketing Accountability

Part Time CMO, Full Marketing Accountability

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BftIq1uQtk Video Transcription Your growing business needs experienced marketing leadership but the last thing you need is an outside strategist providing you with more ideas and leaving you and your team to figure out how to execute those and achieve results.  I'm Jennifer Zick, Founder and CEO of Authentic®. Our community of fractional CMOs helps growing businesses to Overcome Random Acts of Marketing® and confidently take the next right step to build revenue. We do this as dedicated, retained CMOs and as a member of your executive team while our CMOs work on a part-time flexible basis. They assume full…
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4 fractional CMO models: Which is best for you?

4 fractional CMO models: Which is best for you?

A fractional CMO is a contract Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), retained on a part-time basis to provide executive marketing leadership for a growing business. A fractional CMO is a great solution for organizations that need experienced, strategic marketing guidance, but aren’t yet ready to fund a full-time CMO hire.  Demand for fractional CMO leadership is growing quickly, and several models of fractional CMO services are emerging: some offering short-term or interim leadership, and others — like Authentic — providing longer-term leadership and integration of every aspect of an organization’s marketing team and program. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfdcUbmiliI The concept of fractional leadership isn’t new.…
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