Outsourced CMO
Outsource the leadership. Keep the ownership.
Outsourcing marketing usually means hiring an agency to do the work. An outsourced CMO is different: an outside executive who leads the function, decides what the work should be, and answers for whether it moves revenue.
01 What Is an Outsourced CMO?
An outsourced CMO is a senior marketing executive from outside your company who leads your marketing function on contract. They set the strategy, direct the team and the agencies, own the budget and report on results to the CEO and the board, without joining the payroll.
Most firms call this a fractional CMO. The word "outsourced" is useful because of what it rules out: you are not outsourcing the thinking to a vendor. You are bringing an executive in, and keeping ownership of the plan, the data and the team.
02 Outsourced CMO, Agency or Outsourced Marketing Department
| Outsourced CMO | Marketing agency | Outsourced department | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you buy | Executive leadership | Execution in its specialty | A team that does the work |
| Sets the strategy | Yes | Within its scope | Usually follows yours |
| Owns revenue results | Yes | Owns its channel metrics | Owns its deliverables |
| Works for | Your business | Its roster of clients | Its roster of clients |
| Manages the others | Yes, including the agencies | No | No |
The longer version: Fractional CMO vs agency and when to hire one or the other.
03 When Outsourcing the Seat Makes Sense
04 What Makes It Work
05 Beyond the Seat
An outsourced CMO from Mahdlo is backed by seventeen services across four practice areas, from demand generation and brand development to CRM and marketing automation. When the plan needs execution your team cannot cover, it is staffed inside the same engagement rather than through another vendor search. See all practices.
06 Questions
What is an outsourced CMO?
An outside marketing executive who leads your marketing function on contract: strategy, team, agencies, budget and results, without joining the payroll.
Is an outsourced CMO the same as a fractional CMO?
Effectively, yes. Both describe an outside executive in the marketing seat part of the time. Fractional is the more common term.
How is an outsourced CMO different from a marketing agency?
An agency executes within its specialty and works for many clients. An outsourced CMO leads the whole function for your business, sets the strategy and manages the agencies.
Will an outsourced CMO replace my marketing team?
No. They lead the team you have, develop it, and fill gaps where they exist. The goal is a stronger team, not a smaller one.
Who owns the strategy and the data?
You do. The plan, the CRM and the analytics stay with the business, so nothing leaves when the engagement ends.
How much does an outsourced CMO cost?
It follows the hours and the scope. Most fractional CMOs in the US cost $8,000 to $25,000 a month; the Mahdlo blog post on fractional CMO salary breaks down what moves the number.
07 Related Reading
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