Fractional CMO Services
Senior marketing leadership, two days a month.
Start with a $2,950 CMO Diagnostic. We assess your marketing leadership gap, team structure, funnel and plan, then hand you a prioritised roadmap. Keep it whether or not you continue.
$250k+
Typical full-time CMO package before benefits and equity
2 to 8
Committed days a month, agreed up front
30 days
Notice period, not a twelve month lock-in
Signals
You probably need one if any of these are true.
- Marketing runs on whoever is loudest that week, not a plan
- You cannot say which channel produced last quarter’s pipeline
- Agencies and freelancers report activity, nobody owns outcomes
- A full-time CMO is six months and $250k away
- Your team is capable but has no senior direction
- Board or investors are asking questions you cannot answer with data
The maths
A CMO you can actually afford.
A full-time chief marketing officer costs $250,000 to $400,000 a year once salary, bonus, benefits and equity are counted, plus three to six months to recruit and another six to ramp.
A fractional engagement gives you the same seniority for a fraction of that, starting in weeks rather than quarters, with thirty days notice instead of a hiring bet you cannot unwind.
Scope
What a fractional CMO actually owns.
Not advice you have to implement yourself. Ownership of the four things that decide whether marketing works.
01
The plan
A written marketing strategy tied to a revenue number, with channel priorities, budget allocation and a quarterly sequence. Reviewed monthly, not filed and forgotten.
02
The numbers
Definition of the metrics that matter, the tracking behind them, and a single monthly report the board can read without translation.
03
The team
Direction for in-house staff, freelancers and agencies. Briefs written, work reviewed, underperformance addressed rather than tolerated.
04
The budget
Where the money goes and why. Spend rebalanced when a channel stops returning, with the reasoning documented for you.
How it runs
The shape of an engagement.
Week 1 to 2
Diagnosis
Interviews with you and the team, review of the funnel, channels, tracking and pipeline data. Nothing is proposed before it is understood.
Week 3 to 4
The plan
A written strategy with priorities, budget allocation and targets. Agreed with you before anything is executed.
Month 2 onward
Direction
Standing sessions, briefs written, work reviewed and the plan adjusted against real numbers.
Every month
Reporting
One report against the metrics set at the start, written for a board rather than an agency review.
The model
Priced in days, not hours.
Hourly billing rewards showing up. Day commitments reward getting the work done, and they let you plan the cost exactly.
You choose two, four or eight days a month. Those days are held in the calendar, split across standing sessions, deep work and reporting. Unused days do not roll over, and we tell you when the tier is wrong for what you actually need.
Pricing
Day commitments, published.
Retainers are billed for the first month at checkout and invoiced monthly after that, with a three-month minimum and thirty days notice. The diagnostic has no minimum.
CMO Diagnostic
One-time
$2,950
Leadership gap assessment, team review, funnel audit and a prioritised roadmap. No commitment, delivered in ten business days.
Advisory
2 days a month
$4,950
Strategy, prioritisation and monthly review alongside your existing team. Best where you have people who execute but no one setting direction.
Operator
4 days a month
$9,950
Owns the plan, the numbers and the team direction. Standing weekly session, briefs written, agencies managed. The most common choice.
Embedded
8 days a month
$16,950
Acts as your marketing leader across planning, hiring input, budget and board reporting. For companies scaling across markets or product lines.
All prices in USD. Ad spend, tooling and third-party costs are separate and always visible to you.
Fit
When this is the wrong answer.
A fractional CMO solves a leadership gap. It does not solve an execution gap, and it will not rescue an offer nobody wants.
Right fit
- You have people or agencies executing, but no senior direction
- Revenue is real and repeatable, the marketing is not
- A full-time CMO is not justified yet, or not affordable
- Board or investors want a coherent marketing narrative
- You want someone accountable for numbers, not activity
Wrong fit
- You need hands on the tools rather than direction
- Nobody internal can execute what gets decided
- You want a figurehead for investor decks
- The product has not found a market yet
- You expect a strategy deck in week one
Questions
Common questions.
What is a fractional CMO?
A fractional CMO is a senior marketing executive who leads your marketing part-time, usually for a set number of committed days each month. They own strategy, priorities, budget allocation, team direction and reporting, without the cost or permanence of a full-time executive hire.
How much does a fractional CMO cost?
Fractional CMO retainers generally run between $5,000 and $20,000 per month in 2026, with the market average around $10,000 to $12,000. marive publishes fixed pricing: $2,950 for a one-time CMO Diagnostic, then $4,950 for two days a month, $9,950 for four days, or $16,950 for eight days.
How is that different from hiring a full-time CMO?
A full-time chief marketing officer costs $250,000 to $400,000 a year once salary, bonus, benefits and equity are included, takes three to six months to recruit and a further six to ramp. A fractional engagement starts within weeks, costs a fraction of that, and can be ended on thirty days notice.
How many days a month do we actually need?
Most companies start at four days. Two days suits businesses that already have a functioning team and need direction and review only. Eight days suits companies operating across multiple markets or product lines. If the tier is wrong for what you need, we will say so rather than sell you more.
Is a fractional CMO different from a marketing consultant?
Yes. A consultant advises and hands over recommendations. A fractional CMO takes ownership of the plan, the numbers and the team, and is accountable for whether the marketing works. The difference shows in who is responsible when a quarter misses.
Do you also execute the work?
The fractional CMO directs rather than executes. Where you need delivery as well, marive can supply the specialist teams through a full-service engagement, or direct the freelancers and agencies you already use.
What happens in the first month?
Interviews with you and the team, a review of the funnel, channels, tracking and pipeline data, then a written strategy with priorities, budget allocation and targets. Execution starts only after the plan is agreed.
Is there a minimum term?
The CMO Diagnostic has no minimum. Retainers carry a three-month minimum, because a marketing plan cannot be judged in less time, and then continue month to month with thirty days notice.
Related services
Adjacent options.
Leadership is one gap. These cover the others.
Full-Service Digital Marketing
When you need execution as well as direction.
Marketing Strategy & Roadmap
A plan without the ongoing retainer.
Brand Strategy & Positioning
When the message is the problem, not the channels.
Start with the diagnostic.
$2,950, ten business days, and a written assessment of your marketing leadership gap with a prioritised roadmap. If a fractional CMO is not what you need, the diagnostic will say so.