Four ways to lead your marketing, compared on cost, commitment, and who owns the outcome.
How do the four options compare?
| Fractional CMO | Full-time CMO | Agency | Consultant | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owns strategy and results | Yes | Yes | No, executes your brief | Advises only |
| Does the execution | With Full-Service Execution | Through their team | Yes | No |
| Cost | Monthly retainer $7,500–$15,000 | Six-figure salary plus benefits, equity, and search | Retainer or project fees | Hourly or project fees |
| Time to start | Weeks | Months (search and onboarding) | Weeks | Days to weeks |
| Commitment | No minimum term, month to month | Long-term employment | Contract term | Per project |
| Best for | Growing companies that need senior leadership now | Larger orgs needing daily leadership | Teams with a clear plan that need hands | A specific problem or decision |
| Watch out for | Needs real authority to work | Long, costly search, and hard to reverse | Optimizes its own deliverables, not your strategy | Advice without ownership of results |
Which one fits?
- Fractional CMO — You have traction and a team or vendors, but no one senior steering.
- Full-time CMO — Marketing is central to growth and you’re building a multi-role team.
- Agency — Your strategy is set and you need production capacity.
- Consultant — You need an expert answer to one question, like pricing or a platform choice.
New to fractional leadership? Start with the guide to fractional CMOs, or see what a Fractional CMO engagement covers.
