Fractional CMO Rates & Pricing

I think transparency is important, I’ve listed out my rate card below. Rates will vary based on length & volume of the engagement, I value long-term relationships.

The advantages to this model are clear & more details on why below:

  • Immediate start (no recruitment delays or fees)

  • Flexibility to scale up or down as needs change

  • No long-term employment commitments

  • Only pay for days worked

  • No hidden costs (NI, pension, sick leave, holiday cover)

Day Rates

1) Fractional CMO on retainer: £896-1100 per day (£128-£157 per hour)

2) Consultancy/ Project work: £1250-1500 per day (£175-200 per hour)

3) Interim CMO: dependent on duration & length & travelling needs.

Monthly Rates / Packages

Monthly rates vary according to the rates listed above.

Retainers start at £1k per month for those who simply want ongoing check in and support on an ad-hoc basis. Usually to a maximum of £15k a month on the upper end.

Hiring a full-time CMO

At face value this should be cheaper, but let’s break it down:

  • CMO base salaries range from ~£130k (For someone stepping up) to ~£200k

  • Even at the very low end (£130k + bonus)

Let’s just take the £130k salary. True cost: ~£835 per productive day

  • Base salary: £130,000

  • Bonus: £10,000

  • Employer NI: ~£17,300

  • Employer pension (6% of base): £7,800

  • Equipment, HR & overheads: ~£10,000

  • Recruitment fees (amortised): ~£10,000

  • Total annual cost: ≈ £185,000

Effective working days:

  • 260 working days

  • Minus 33 holiday/bank holidays

  • Minus 5.7 sick days (UK Average)*
    = ~221 productive days

  • Minus 2 days for Training/ Internal events

£185,000 ÷ 219 = ~£845/day (A few % saving)

  • You’ll have a recruitment process which will take months & if you have hired the wrong person, another 3-6 months of wait time.

OK, so what about other external options?

The main issue with these models is that there are middlemen, who need to mark-up costs to make money & which adds limited value to you:

Using Marketing Agencies

A top-tier marketing agencies typically operate with a cost structure that includes three layers:

  1. Headcount Costs
    Agencies need to pay full-time salaries, national insurance, and competitive benefits. They also factor in underutilisation, which gets built into your fees. Not to mention, as teams grow, you’ll be paying for functions like ‘account management’.

  2. Overheads
    This is often the most significant cost. Overheads can be as high as the headcount cost itself (70-110%). If you are paying £1 for talent, you are likely paying another £1 in overhead. This covers office space, IT infrastructure, internal marketing, HR, Finance, sales teams, and general running costs.

  3. Mark-up
    After covering headcount and overheads, agencies add a margin for profit. This is usually between 10 and 25 per cent.

To make rates more appealing, agencies often include junior staff in the mix. While this lowers the day rate, it also reduces the senior input you receive.

Using Marketing Consultancy Firms

The cost model is similar to agencies; however, it’s mainly project-based. They’ll be pricing a larger premium for headcount who are on the bench & overheads are likely to be higher due to client churn.

They are also consultants; they don’t lead a team, usually have limited experience executing & will have a limited understanding of your business.

Using a Fractional CMO Agency

Fractional CMO agencies may not hire full-time staff, but they still carry significant sales and marketing overheads.

From experience and peer conversations, many of these agencies take around 20-50 per cent of the fee paid for freelance fractional CMOs. That’s a markup you can avoid.

Why Hire Directly?

When you hire a fractional CMO directly, you remove the middlemen & substantial overheads. No fancy office, no ‘IT’ person and limited marketing costs.

You remove the risk of a full-time headcount. Immediate support, no national insurance, healthcare or any benefits.

You get more direct access, more senior input, and better value. You’re paying for clear value-add services & time from a senior expert without all the crap in between..

How does this compare against alternatives?

FAQs

  • My rates vary depending on the nature and length of engagement. Long-term relationships get better value. If we work together consistently, I will adjust the day rate downward to reflect that.

  • My time: You get hands-on senior input. I operate on a hybrid model within London or remote with visits outside of London/ in Western Europe.

    My network: Depending on your engagement I may pull in freelancers who are specialists in particular areas. This will be done transparently and upfront.

    Resources: I will also distribute templates and best-practice frequently during engagements.

  • The Competition:

    Yes, against other fractional CMOs my rates are competitive. Against CMO salaries at an enterprise-level, my rates are low.

    Typically I’ve seen rate-cards which are 50-70% higher. With hourly rates at £200-£300.

    I’ve adjusted my rates to be viable for smaller businesses that I’d like to work with.

    Are they actually at CMO level?

    Half the “CMOs” that brand themselves as fractional CMO don’t have any C-suite experience. Often, this is where you can get cheaper rates for more junior people.

    Country Dependent:

    Salaries of course, vary from location to location. When comparing my rates to a CMO in Switzerland / North America, I’ll be 50-60% cheaper.

    Against other cost models, like agencies and fractional CMO companies, I'll be significantly cheaper, as I have limited overheads & don't need to mark-up headcount costs.

  • I’m a board trustee at charities. I’m open to supporting other charities pro-bono, as a trustee however it needs to align with my values & interests.

    In general, I offer discounts for non-profit & charities that need CMO support.

  • At times, yes, however needs to be assessed case by case. I’d usually ask for a combination.

Interested?

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