What you get for the money
A fractional CMO is a senior marketing leader who works with you part-time. A good one should:
- Own your marketing plan and budget
- Build your retail, Amazon and pricing plans
- Prepare and join buyer pitches
- Direct your agencies and freelancers so they work to one plan
- Report on the numbers that matter: sales, velocity, margin and repeat
Common ways fractional CMOs charge
- Monthly retainer. The most common. A set number of days a week, usually with a minimum term.
- Project fee. A fixed price for a set piece of work, such as an audit or a launch plan.
- Performance-based. A lower monthly fee plus a share of the results. My Retail Launch is $3,500 a month plus 7% of net sales at the retailers we open, for 24 months.
Fractional CMO vs full-time CMO vs agency
| Fractional CMO | Full-time CMO | Agency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | $5K to $15K a month | $250K+ a year all in | Varies by scope |
| Time | 1 to 2 days a week | Full-time | Set hours on set tasks |
| Best at | Strategy, retail, leading the team | Building a large in-house team | Doing the work: ads, design, social |
| Owns results | Yes | Yes | Usually only their channel |
Most brands I work with use both: a fractional CMO to set the plan and an agency or freelancers to run it.
When a fractional CMO makes sense
Running a pet brand? See what a fractional CMO does for pet brands.
- You're between about $2M and $25M in sales and growing
- You're about to pitch or launch with a big retailer
- A launch didn't go to plan and you need to fix it
- The founder is still running marketing alongside everything else
- You have agencies but no one senior directing them
If you only need posts, ads or design done, a freelancer or agency will cost less.
Questions to ask before you hire one
- Have you run brands in my category, and which retailers have you sold into?
- What results can you show, with numbers?
- Will you do the work yourself, or hand it to a junior?
- How will we measure success in the first 90 days?
- What's the minimum term, and what happens after it?
Want to start smaller?
My Growth Audit is $6,500, one-time, over three weeks. You get a review of your retailers, Amazon and pricing, where you're losing margin, and a 90-day plan. The fee is credited if we keep working together.
Common questions
How many hours does a fractional CMO work?
Usually 1 to 2 days a week. My Fractional CMO service is about 1.5 days a week.
Is there a minimum contract?
Most fractional CMOs ask for 3 to 6 months, because real results take that long. Mine is a 6-month minimum.
Can a fractional CMO help me get into retail?
A fractional CMO with retail experience can build the pitch, the pricing and the sell-through plan. My Retail Launch adds the retail brokers on my team for buyer access.
More guides
- How to get your pet brand into PetSmart, Petco and Walmart
- How to grow Amazon Subscribe & Save for a pet brand
- Fractional CMO for pet brands: what one does and when you need one
- How to launch your CPG brand in Canadian retail
- Pet supplement marketing: how to grow beyond the vet clinic
- How to grow a pet brand on Chewy
