Fractional CMO Services • Astute Fractional CMOs
Astute Fractional CMOs develop and implement FULL-SCALE marketing programs to realize growth potential CMO ConsultationFractional CMO Services for Growth
Small and mid-market businesses rely on our Fractional CMO Services to overcome the complexities of marketing and appreciate profitable growth while yielding a strong Return on Marketing Investment (RoMI). An Astute Fractional CMO will empower your business with the strategic planning, execution, leadership, and development expertise that you would expect from a highly experienced marketing executive.
The expertise needed to seize your competitive advantage and
- Drive demand
- Increase sales
- Gain market share
- Achieve goals
A New Perspective for Marketing
Marketing is often viewed as a necessary evil, an operational requirement driven by tactical activities. Which usually leads to haphazard attempts that lack strategic planning with calculated goals. Any returns generated by this marketing “experimentation” are celebrated as a win. Unfortunately, any revenue earned creates a false belief that marketing is being effectively utilized. However, the revenue earned by these experiments represents only a small portion of the market’s opportunities and the potential increase in sales revenue.
Astute Fractional CMOs will provide a new perspective and clear guidance to navigate your business to achieving its goals and realizing profitable growth. We provide all of the benefits of a full-time Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for a fraction of the cost. Your CMO will hit the ground running and integrate into the executive team to fully grasp the vision for the business and its goals. While also leading the marketing function to develop your marketing system for sustainable growth.
Growth Achieved
Client Growth Revenue
Clients Served
Years of Service
Executive Caliber Fractional CMO Services
What is a Fractional CMO? Logical reasoning would conclude it is an experienced marketing executive that outsources their expertise on a fractional basis.
Yet somehow advertising, content, and temp agencies, freelancers, college professors, and digital marketers are now suddenly Fractional CMO service providers. These so-called Fractional CMOs do not have the executive leadership experience necessary to take your business into new markets, launch new products, or develop highly effective marketing programs that are needed to generate substantial growth.
Strategic Planning
Results are driven by strategy, not creativity. Developing powerful strategies requires deep insight coupled with a broad perspective, focused on a goal. Our strategies are integrated from end-to-end to accelerate results.
Execution
We do not just develop strategies, we implement with best in class technology, talented people, and proven processes to ensure proper execution and achieve greater ROI.
Leadership
Instantly gain the expertise and guidance of an senior marketing executive that integrates into your organization. Working closely with executives while leading the marketing department.
Development
Marketing requires extensive resources and various talent working together as a team. We help source that talent, mentor management, and improve skills to develop your high performance marketing system.
Client Challenges
- Lack of strategic leadership for marketing
- Declining revenues and loss of market share
- Growth rates below industry averages
- Inability to exceed prior growth peaks
- Unreliable and sporadic results from marketing efforts
- Lack of clarity on expansion or development
How We Help
- Provide cost effective access to executive leadership and innovative marketing strategies
- Implement proven fundamental marketing principles used by successful brands
- Convert marketing from an expense into a high-yield investement
- Relieve the stress caused by marketing experimentation and sporadic growth
- Develop your highly effective, extremely efficient marketing system for sustained growth
A Fractional CMO Will Seize Your Competitive Advantage
What’s your why factor?
Your competitive advantage, the reason(s) why your brand is a better choice, the right choice. Clients are often surprised to hear why their customers buy from them. The greatest value driver that differentiates your brand or products may not be what you think it is.
In today’s extremely competitive global marketplace, a strong competitive advantage is critical. However, markets are dynamic and competitors are aggressive, if that advantage can be duplicated, it will be. That’s why your why factor needs to evolve.
We can help with annual planning to keep you ahead of the curve. An Astute Fractional CMO will assess current marketing conditions and your competitive landscape to identify value drivers and new opportunities. Then provide a strategic plan to seize those opportunities and keep it clear why your brand is the right choice.
Stay Ahead of the Curve
Our Fractional CMOs don’t stop with seizing your advantage, they keep you ahead of the curve. Our exclusive STOMP™ Method is the framework we use to help your business grow. It begins with scalable strategies, and integrates agile practices, along with periodic analysis and constant monitoring of external factors, to ensure your lead is not lost.
Strategic Differentiation
Develop and implement marketing strategies that create a strong competitive advantage. Then seize that advantage to generate demand and drive sales.
Demand Generation
Create strategies to drive demand through highly effective awareness and promotion campaigns that increase sales revenues.
Brand Perception
Create a brand identity that increases perceived value and connects with target audiences and drives loyalty.
Product Market Alignment
Identify opportunities in markets that fit best with your products and services to make it clear why this is the right choice.
Leadership and Mentoring
Oversee all aspect of marketing, provide clear direction to align focus. Source, mentor, and inspire marketing team.
Analytical Assessment
Develop and manage budgets, regularly measure performance with KPI focused analytics to verify results.
Operational Excellence
Identify and implement the right marketing resources (budget, people, technology, and process) to gain the best balance between efficiency and effectiveness.
Continuous Improvement
Evolve to keep your competitive edge with scalable plans and agile practices.
More Than A Fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
Today’s business environment is digitally driven and highly customer focused. This creates a need for the Chief Marketing Officer to expand beyond marketing, to incorporate other skills, and lead other functions. Your Astute Fractional CMO will fill that void and empower your business with expertise and leadership in other relevant and critial functions. It is like having a Fractional Chief _______ Officer as well.
Chief Growth Officer
Your Fractional CMO will function as the “Head of Growth”. They will develop strategies and implement proven tactics to drive,
- customer acquisition
- customer retention
- lead generation
- accelerated sales cycles
While focusing on ROI to grow the bottom line as well as the top.
Chief Customer Officer
The primary function of every business is customer acquisition, customers are the core of any business. We will be the “voice-of-the-customer” to keep your business in touch with its most important asset.
- customer loyalty
- customer brand experience
- customer satisfaction
- referrals and reviews
Chief Communications Officer
Its not just what you say, its how you say it. Especially in today’s extremely diverse digital world.
Communications must be tailored to the target audience; this includes the message and how it is delivered. A “Baby Boomer” and a “Millennial” may have the same view or opinion but require a totally different message delivered across a different medium, to realize it.
Chief Digital Officer
A businesses digital presence can have greater impact than its actual physical presence. Having the right digital strategy is crucial. A strategy that ultimately develops a connection between the brand and the buyer. Rely on us to help with the strategies, and implementation of,
- online/virtual communities
- mobile applications
- website development
- user experience
Fractional CMO Engagements
Our Fractional CMO services are available through various engagements, designed to fit your needs, not the other way around. Each engagement is tailored specifically to your goals, resources, and challenges.
No more excuses, an Astute Fractional CMO will hit the ground running. Providing the bandwidth needed to develop a high-powered marketing system that generates growth. Rely on our strategic expertise, executive leadership, and wisdom that is developed over years of experience to solve your marketing challenges. Enabling you to focus on running your business, while we focus on growing it.
Part-Time CMO
A Continual Chief Marketing Officer available for as long as you need them
Temporary CMO
An Interim Chief Marketing Officer to fill the gaps
Advisory CMO
A Chief Marketing Officer on-call, available as needed
Turnaround CMO
The emergency responder that revitalizes growth
Virtual CMO
Eliminate physical barriers and get the CMO services your business needs
CMO Coach
A marketing blackbelt to train, develop, and mentor management and executives
STOMP™ - Our Exclusive Method
How we deliver superior Fractional CMO services
STOMP™ is our exclusive method for delivering Fractional CMO Services that achieve optimal results. It provides a scalable framework to develop and implement solutions that give our clients a strong competitive advantage. STOMP™ incorporates agile practices that drive continuous improvement to keep your business ahead of the curve.
Strategies
Tactics
Oversight
Metrics
Progression
A Good Fractional CMO is a CEOs Greatest Asset
Clear Guidance from a Marketing Expert
Reaching higher revenue goals requires identifying and seizing new opportunities. The challenge is identifying those opportunities and determining which ones are right for your business, then knowing how to make the most of them.
You could experiment with trial-and-error marketing. Which often involves spending more than necessary and wasting precious time, only to experience sporadic results and minimal growth. Otherwise, bring in a highly experienced marketing expert, an Astute Fractional CMO, to drive definitive growth and reach your revenue goals.
- Develop and implement marketing strategies that create a strong competitive advantage
- Identify opportunities in markets that fit best with your product and service offerings
- Position the brand to optimize perceived value, convert customers and drive brand loyalty
- Create demand through highly effective awareness and promotion strategies
- Identify and implement the right marketing resources (people, technology, and process)
- Convert marketing from an expense into a revenue driver
- Lead the marketing department – align focus, coach, and inspire personnel
- Evolve to maintain a competitive advantage with scalable plans and agile practices
What Makes a Good Fractional CMO?
Not all Fractional CMOs are equal
There are three factors that we suggest considering when looking for a Fractional CMO
1. Experience – A high-caliber Chief Marketing Officer will have at least 10 years of senior marketing executive experience at a mid-tier business or larger, including the Vice President (VP) of marketing or Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). They will have experience managing 6 figure budgets or greater and be responsible for generating millions of dollars in growth revenues.
2. Education – A Master’s Degree, preferably an MBA, or Master of Marketing. A Fractional CMO that is committed to their trade will also obtain certifications and stay abreast of industry trends.
3. Results – The right Fractional CMO for your needs should have measurable results to exemplify their skills and abilities.
The issue is that many of these “Fractional CMO” service providers do not have actual experience in developing comprehensive marketing plans, and growth strategies, they have not managed at the senior executive level, or developed an entire marketing department.
Furthermore, most lack the big-picture perspective and knowledge of Geo-Economical factors that are critical in today’s digitally connected and highly volatile global marketplace. (Gain deeper insight with our Fractional CMO FAQs)
Services a Professional Fractional CMO Provides
Fractional CMO has become a very popular buzzword in the marketing industry, one that has attracted numerous impostors that claim to be experienced marketing executives. Everything from college professors to temp agencies, and specialty marketing services providers such advertising agencies, digital marketing firms, and freelance consultants are now claiming to offer Fractional CMO Services.
The problem is that you, the client, are not receiving what you are paying for. If your paying Fractional CMO hourly rate for these services, you are throwing money away by overpaying for day-to-day operational activities. If you hire a low priced impostor, you are paying an immeasurable cost, lost opportunities.
Chief Marketing Officer Does
- Formulate innovative strategies for your Brand, Products, Digital Presence, Markets, and Promotion
- Devise and implement strategic marketing plans including Go-To-Market, Digital Marketing, and Product plans.
- Provide a new perspective, focused on the big picture with guidance to achieve goals and sustainable growth.
- Develop a strong competitive advantage to position for optimal perceived value and seize profitable opportunities
- Imporve marketing operations, identify and implement the right people, processes, technology and metrics to efficiently, yet effectively market your business
Chief Marketing Officer Does Not
- Design graphics
- Manage your social media
- Write blogs
- Run ads
- Write emails
- Create videos
or any other day-to-day marketing activities.
The Difference Between A Fractional CMO and Other Marketing Talent
There are many facets to marketing, and numerous resources available. Understanding how it all fits together is critical to optimizing marketing and achieving goals.
CMOs are the primary strategists and the drivers of customer acquisition, increased sales and revenue growth. Savvy executives know the ultimate purpose of marketing is driving growth. Our Outsourced CMOs drive growth.
Consultants, agencies, and marketing operations managers are limited in scope. They contribute pieces of the marketing puzzle, but its the CMO that sees the big-picture and fits it all together.
Results – Fractional CMO Services
A regional telecom service provider experienced three consecutive years of declining revenue. During that period they hired an industry veteran Sales VP, as well as an experienced marketing manager, yet the decline in revenues continued. We provided a complimentary consultation that uncovered the real issue: a lack of strategic planning and executive caliber leadership. Our CMO developed a highly targeted marketing plan which resulted in 24% growth in year two, as well as a very lucrative offer for acquisition.
Fractional CMO Insights
Watch Out For Fractional CMO Impostors
A Fractional CMO impostor is any service provider claiming to offer Fractional CMO services without having actual experience working as a Chief Marketing Officer or Marketing Vice President for a mid-market business or larger. Be wary of service providers that do not have real-world experience as senior marketing executives and label themselves as a CMO, a self-assigned title in their own firm, or a firm that brokers out their services.
The outsourcing trend created by the gig economy has made “Fractional CMO” a very popular marketing industry buzz-term. One that has been adopted by advertising agencies, consultants, digital marketing firms, temporary employment agencies, and many other service providers that have never been responsible for managing every aspect of marketing in a profitable and growing enterprise.
These impostors ultimately create a losing scenario for clients by providing,
Underperforming Strategies
Impostors strength is in one function of marketing, which may generate some level of growth. Achieving optimal growth and Marketing ROI requires a big-picture perspective, vast marketing expertise, and executive level experience to devise integrated strategies that help your business realize full potential.
Overpriced Services
Paying a CMO to perform day-to-day marketing functions like creating ads or posting on social media should be a crime.
If your paying CMO rates for marketing administrator level work, your being overcharged. The CMO devises the strategies and manages execution, thats where they provide the greatest ROI.
Fractional CMO Expertise That Fuels Growth
Marketing is the engine that drives growth, and strategy is the fuel that drives marketing. The conception of any business begins with marketing strategies that determine what to offer, why the offering is superior to competitors, where to provide the products or services, and how to create awareness.
But that’s just the beginning. A business must profitably grow in order to sustain, that’s the real challenge. Conquering that challenge requires innovative strategies, marketing expertise, and experienced leadership. That’s exactly what an Astute Fractional CMO provides your business.
Strategic Planning
Highly effective marketing is driven by strategy, not creativity. Every Fractional CMO project begins with research to gain deep insights and develop a strategic plan. One that identifies objectives, and incorporates highly effective marketing strategies, such as brand positioning, Go-To-Market, pricing, product, and promotion, to provide clear guidance and make the most of your marketing.
Marketing Expertise
Marketing is extremely diverse and complex. To make the most of marketing requires the right combination of brand, product, market, promotion, and digital strategies. It takes expertise that is developed through years of experience as a marketing executive, advanced education, and consistent monitoring of industry trends. Beware of Fractional CMO impostors that cannot provide this caliber of service.
Dedicated Leadership
Your Fractional CMO from Astute Group, is just that, yours. They are dedicated to your business and its prosperity. Our Fractional CMO engagements are tailored to your needs, we go beyond advising, we manage execution to ensure optimal results are achieved.
Astute Fractional CMOs are hands-on, they will integrate into your executive leadership team and marketing department, working hard to deliver on the commitments we make.
End-to-End Integration
Because our Fractional CMOs are true marketing executives with extensive experience and advanced marketing expertise, they are able to provide a holistic solution to your marketing challenges. We know that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, that’s why our Fractional CMOs integrate marketing strategies into a comprehensive marketing plan. One that unites brand, product, promotion, digital, and market strategies to generate greater returns as a whole, by developing a cohesive plan that augments the effectiveness of each strategy.
Analytical Reporting
What gets measured gets improved. Unfortunately, many Fractional CMOs measure volume, not results. The volume of activity is not what matters at the executive level. Actually, reporting on volume metrics creates confusion and clutters reporting. We developed Astute Analytics™, our exclusive executive dashboard. A clear and concise summary report of critical KPIs that ultimately measure the top and bottom-line growth. It’s also how we validate Return on Investment our Factional CMO Services generate for your business.
Resource Development
To effectively implement marketing strategies and achieve a high Marketing ROI requires the right people, processes, and technology. Your Astute Fractional CMO will develop or identify the best resources to achieve your goals while adhering to your budget. We begin by optimizing existing staff, technology, and processes, then we fill the gaps with efficient, yet effective solutions.
Strategic Marketing Expertise
Market
Brand
Product
Growth
Digital
Tampa, FL office will provide a Fractional CMO in any city within the following states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas.
- Austin, TX
- Atlanta, GA
- Birmingham, AL
- Charlotte, NC
- Charleston, SC
- Dallas, TX
- Ft. Lauderdale, FL
- Houston, TX
- Memphis, TN
- New Orleans, LA
Detroit, MI office will provide a Fractional CMO in any city within the following states: Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin.
- Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati, OH
- Cleveland, OH
- Columbus, OH
- Minneapolis, MN
- New York, NY
- Philadelphia, PA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Washington DC
Fractional CMO Services
Insights
Results
Blog Posts
Testimonials
Fractional CMO Services are available in:
Albuquerque
Atlanta
Austin
Baltimore
Boston
Buffalo
Charleston
Charlotte
Chicago
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Columbus
Dallas
Ft. Wayne
Grand Rapids
Hartford
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Jersey City
Lansing
Los Angeles
Louisville
Miami
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
New Orleans
New York
Newark
Orlando
Philidelphia
Phoenix
Pittsburgh
Raleigh
Richmond
San Diego
St. Petersburg
Traverse City
Washington DC
Canada
Windsor
Toronto
Montreal