One of the things that compounds the problem is a lack of senior marketing leadership. Hiring a full-time Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) isn’t usually realistic for early-stage or scaleup businesses. It’s expensive, high-risk, and often unnecessary before you hit a certain size. But the absence of strategic direction still slows you down.

Enter the shared or ‘fractional’ CMO. It’s a model that gives startups access to an experienced marketing leader on a part-time basis, usually just one or two days a week, providing the experience, focus and commercial thinking needed to scale. And for founders looking to turn momentum into sustainable, predictable growth, it’s becoming one of the smartest investments they can make.

Why startups hit a growth ceiling

In the first phase of growth, you don’t need a CMO, you need customers, sales, and feedback. But as your business evolves, a number of things can happen. Firstly, your messaging becomes unclear: as competitors increase and your offer broadens, your value proposition gets diluted. Secondly, your marketing becomes busier but not better. You might fall into the trap of simply doing more of the same and performance stalls. Thirdly, your in-house or agency team lacks direction – they can deliver, but no one is setting the strategy.

A fractional CMO resolves these problems by doing what founders rarely have time to do: step back, diagnose the issues, and build a strategic route forward.

What a shared CMO actually does

Unlike freelancers or agencies, a fractional CMO doesn’t just execute tactics. They lead your marketing function at a senior level without the full-time price tag. This can include:

• Building a marketing strategy linked directly to revenue goals
• Identifying your highest-value audiences and the most effective channels to reach them
• Creating clear positioning and messaging
• Improving lead volumes or quality
• Introducing robust KPIs, dashboards and reporting discipline
• Developing or restructuring your marketing team

Their job is to make marketing work harder rather than simply do more. If you feel momentum building but don’t know how to harness it, a shared CMO adds strategic rigour and prioritisation.

A fractional CMO can quickly identify what’s working, what’s wasted, and what needs to change. If you’re entering a new market or launching a flagship product, the experience of a sector specialist can be invaluable, helping with pricing, positioning and go-to-market strategy. A great fractional CMO can also transform an underperforming team into a high-performing one through mentoring and coaching.

Why the model works for startups ready to scale

A shared CMO offers senior expertise at a fraction of the cost. It also provides an immediate solution, versus a costly hire in a role that could take months to fill. A fractional CMO can hit the ground running and will be highly focused on adding value in both the short and longer term. And because their time is limited, the work becomes ruthlessly prioritised. The question is always ‘What will move the needle this quarter?

Importantly, a fractional CMO isn’t simply a short-term fix. At The Marketing Centre, we have CMOs who have worked within client businesses for many years, adapting their role as the organisation evolves.

Is a shared CMO right for your startup?

If you know something’s not working but you’re too close to get to the root of the problem, then a fractional CMO brings immediate clarity. If you’d like to assess where your marketing really stands, The Marketing Centre offers a free Marketing 360 workshop – a practical way to pinpoint strengths, gaps and opportunities. If you’re a startup ready to scale, levelling up your squad through senior marketing leadership could be more accessible than you think.

For more startup news, check out the other articles on the website, and subscribe to the magazine for free. Listen to The Cereal Entrepreneur podcast for more interviews with entrepreneurs and big-hitters in the startup ecosystem.