A CMO/
Without the hire.
You get a senior marketing lead who owns the plan, runs the budget, and holds every agency to a number. Part-time hours, flat monthly fee, full accountability for results.
The seat/
Filled.
A fractional CMO is a senior marketing executive you share with a few other companies. You get the judgment of someone who has run budgets, teams, and agencies, for a fraction of a full-time salary.
Most companies at your size already pay for marketing. They pay an agency, a few tools, and maybe a coordinator. What they don't have is someone on their side of the table who can tell whether any of it works. That's the seat I fill.
I've spent 17 years in marketing and communications, most recently as Chief Operating Officer of Leadhub, a San Antonio marketing agency. I know what a client can reasonably ask an agency for, and how to tell a real plan from a padded one, because I spent years on the agency side of that table. Now I sit on yours.
The job/
Done weekly.
Plan/Owned.
Budget, channels, and priorities, set with you and owned by me. Every line has a target tied to revenue.
Agencies/Managed.
I set their targets, review their work, and run the monthly review. If they miss, I tell you and we fix it or replace them.
Score/Every week.
One page: what you spent, what it produced, and what came back. Clicks and impressions stay in the appendix.
Tracking/Fixed.
Calls, forms, and bookings tied back to the campaign that produced them, so the score is real.
Three games/
One scoreboard.
The discipline is the same everywhere: spend has to answer to revenue. The number changes by industry.
Home services
HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and energy. The score is booked jobs and cost per job.
Home services →Higher education
Colleges and universities. The score is applications, deposits, and cost per enrolled student.
Higher education →Sports
Teams, leagues, events, and foundations. The score is tickets, renewals, and sponsorship revenue.
Sports →Your options/
Side by side.
| AYOTTE fractional CMO | Marketing agency | Full-time CMO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works for | You and your P&L | Its retainer | You |
| Monthly cost | From $5,000, flat | Retainer, often plus a share of spend | Salary, bonus and benefits |
| Grades its own work | No. Grades the agency's | Yes | Sometimes |
| Time to start | This month | A few weeks | A months-long search |
| Easy to exit | 30 days' notice after 90 days | Contract terms vary | Severance |
Fractional CMO/
Answered.
What does a fractional CMO do?
A fractional CMO owns your marketing strategy and budget part time. I set the plan, manage your agencies and vendors, fix tracking, and report results against revenue every week.
Is a fractional CMO the same as a marketing consultant?
Close, with one difference. A consultant advises; a fractional CMO owns the outcome and runs the work each week. If you want advice without the ongoing role, see marketing consulting.
How many hours does a fractional CMO work?
It varies by month. I price by the job, not the hour, so you're never billed for time spent on a slow week, and a busy week doesn't cost extra.
Do you work with companies outside Texas?
Yes. I work with clients across the United States, remotely, with on-site visits when the work calls for one. Travel is billed separately, at cost, and only with your written approval.
How much does it cost?
From $5,000 a month, flat, for companies spending $25,000 to $60,000 a month on marketing. Full details are on the pricing page.
It either is/
Or it isn't.
Send me your last agency report. I'll tell you which.