Fractional CMO

A fractional CMO is a part-time Chief Marketing Officer hired on a contract basis to provide executive marketing leadership for a growing company.

A fractional CMO is an excellent option for companies that require seasoned, strategic marketing direction but are not yet ready to invest in a full-time CMO.

Learn more about what a Fractional CMO is, and how Authentic’s Fractional CMO role is unique.

Authentic Fractional CMOs sit on the leadership team as the head of marketing, and are fully accountable for leading marketing strategy through to results. The CMO works part-time, over a longer-term engagement, with a focus on building a strong marketing foundation, a high performing team, and measurable growth results.

A fractional CMO ensures that the go-to-market strategy aligns with the overall business plan, and that marketing execution is effective. As the head of marketing, the CMO leads the overarching marketing plan, program, and team.

Read about 15 specific things that an Authentic fractional CMO does.

Authentic has set a high bar for fractional CMO talent – and we set the standard for fractional CMO excellence. All of our CMOs go through a rigorous screening and qualification process, which begins by meeting many upfront criteria:

• Passionate about helping small and mid-sized businesses thrive and succeed
• Over 15 years of marketing leadership experience, with at least 5 years in senior roles such as Sr. Director, VP, or CMO
• Modern marketer skilled in digital strategies and creating omnichannel marketing programs
• Extensive in-house marketing leadership experience (beyond agency or consulting roles)
• Strong track record of success in marketing leadership, supported by references
• Lifelong learner who embraces new experiences, opportunities, and challenges
• And more.

Explore our CMO role here to fully understand the criteria by which we screen and hire fractional CMOs.

Various fractional CMO models offer different levels of engagement, expertise, and pricing structures – so it can be hard to make an “apples to apples” comparison.

Based on our experience with numerous executive-level marketers, we’ve determined that the typical hourly rate for a fractional CMO ranges from $200 to $375. Some fractional CMO providers charge on an hourly basis, while others (like Authentic) work on a retainer for a set number of hours per week or month.

Most fractional CMO service providers highlight cost savings as their main value proposition. This is understandable, as a full-time chief marketing officer is expensive.

Hiring the same level of expertise on a part-time basis is certainly more affordable. However, the value of a fractional CMO goes far beyond the cost savings.

Learn more about what a fractional CMO costs, as well as what value they provide.

Authentic Fractional CMOs are retained based on the client’s business size, current marketing program, growth goals, budget, and appetite for change / momentum.

Our fractional CMOs are engaged on retainers that span from 6 to 20+ hours per week. Our retainers are flexible, and can scale up or down as the client’s team evolves, the business grows, or there are new dynamics driving growth.

Read about our flexible fractional CMO retainer model and approach for supporting your organization’s unique needs.

Authentic’s fractional CMOs may serve anywhere from 1-4 clients at any given time, depending on the retainer level of each (from 4-20+ hours per week per client).

In other fractional CMO models, consultants may carry up to 10-15 clients at a time, providing hourly / project / retained support as an outside advisor.

At Authentic, our CMOs are proactively retained and deeply embedded as leaders within our client teams. As such, they serve a smaller book of client accounts, for longer-term, immersive engagements.

Dedicated marketing leadership makes a difference. Explore our client success stories for real-world examples of Authentic Fractional CMO impact.

The good news: Businesses have so many options for accessing marketing talent and expertise. The bad news: Businesses have so many options… and they are not easy to compare on an “apples to apples” basis.

Searching for the right marketing expertise for your growing business can be really challenging. “Marketing” is a very broad term, and there are hundreds of micro-disciplines that require specific expertise: from holistic leadership, to very niche agency or specialist capabilities.

It’s important to understand the unique role of a fractional CMO, the criteria that makes a CMO a true executive leader, and the difference between a fractional CMO and other marketing models.

This article helps to delineate some of the important differences between a fractional CMO, a marketing consultant, and a marketing agency, so that you can make the right choice for your business.

While these terms sound similar, they are actually very distinct.

An interim CMO is an executive marketing leader that is filling a key leadership gap – usually during periods of transition. An Interim CMO is a great solution for mid-market and larger businesses who already have an established marketing team, but are in transition with their marketing leadership role.

For instance, their marketing leader has quit, been let go, or is out on personal or medical leave for a period of time. The Interim role fills the leadership gap: usually on a full -time, short-term basis. The goal is stability and retention of the team, and continuity of existing programs until a new full-time CMO is onboarded.

A fractional CMO is an executive marketing leader that is building foundation and scaling teams, programs, and execution for SMBs and lower middle-market companies. A fractional CMO is a great solution for businesses who have begun building a marketing capability, and need the wisdom and experience of an executive marketing leader – but don’t yet need that role on a full-time basis.

A fractional CMO becomes a member of the executive team on a part-time basis, with a focus on strategic growth and development of the marketing team and program. The fractional CMO initiates strategic marketing leadership for the organization: usually on a part-time, long-term basis. The goal is foundation building and strategic scale, hiring functional roles within the team until the business can justify a full-time executive marketing leader.

We’ve created this guide to further demonstrate the differences between an interim CMO, fractional CMO, and independent marketing consultant.

If you reached our website because you are exploring fractional CMO services, that is a good first indication that you’ve recognized “random acts of marketing” in your organization – and that you likely have a gap in experienced marketing leadership.

There are a lot of potential solutions for filling your strategic marketing gap, so it’s important that you take time learning about the differences in marketing leadership options, the wide variety of fractional CMO models, and the criteria that makes a true executive marketing leader.

Still wondering about the right solution for your marketing leadership needs? This article spells out 9 sure signs that your business is ready for a fractional CMO.

Authentic’s CMO match process is unique, because our model is unique. Instead of asking clients what they want in a marketing leader and then starting a search (or handing them several bios to screen themselves), we pre-hire thoroughly vetted, experienced executives from various industries and business models. We then match the most suitable CMO to the client, which means our process takes days instead of months.

We are so confident in creating ideal fractional CMO-client matches that we provide every client with a Right-Fit CMO Guarantee.

Learn more about our CMO match process and guarantee, and discover how we simplify and strengthen the marketing leadership fit for your business.

Most of our clients work with a Fractional CMO for 12–24+ months, during which time they build a strong marketing foundation, mature their function, and achieve measurable results. When it’s time to transition out of the executive seat, we help guide that process with care.

Your Fractional CMO may:

• Help you make a right-fit full-time marketing leadership hire
• Mentor and elevate an internal team member into the role

But the relationship doesn’t end there.

Your CMO often transitions into an Authentic Growth Guide — continuing to support your team as an Authentic Growth® implementer, marketing coach, and strategic advisor. In this new capacity, we:

• Lead quarterly workshops and planning sessions
• Coach your internal marketing leader for continued success
• Engage our Mindshare and Ally Network as needed
• Apply tools, frameworks, and surveys from the Authentic Growth® Operating System

This ensures your team continues to evolve — and doesn’t regress — even through leadership changes or business transitions.

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