Fractional marketing director
A fractional marketing director in Toronto, without the full-time salary.
Senior marketing leadership for a quarter, a launch or the gap before a full-time hire. Strategy, budget, paid media and measurement under one person.
What a fractional director does.
Plan and priorities
A marketing plan tied to revenue, with what to stop doing as clearly stated as what to start.
Budget and measurement
Spend allocated across channels and tracked against leads and sales.
Team and vendor direction
I brief, review and manage your team, freelancers and agencies so the work meets the standard.
Paid media
Google Ads, Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn and programmatic planned and run or directed.
Agency reviews
A senior second opinion on your current agency, with the facts to renew, renegotiate or replace.
Handover
Documented process and a hiring brief, so a full-time hire can start well.
When fractional makes sense.
You need senior judgment without a full-time executive hire: a launch, a rebrand, a missing marketing lead, a founder who is still doing the marketing, or an agency relationship that needs adult supervision.
Engagements run a quarter or longer and can be a set number of days a week.
Who is doing the work.
I have led marketing and paid media at Edelman, Porter Novelli, Golin, Subway and Viral Nation, working in Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Toronto and Dubai, with budgets from $500K to $80MM across my career.
I started consulting independently in 2017 and work with brands and agencies across Canada and the United States.
How it works.
A 30-minute call
I learn the goal, the team, the budget and what has been tried.
A fixed-fee proposal
Days per week, deliverables and price in writing before work begins.
The work
I lead, run or direct the work with weekly reporting and a clear handover.
Questions.
What is a fractional marketing director?
A senior marketing leader who works with you part time, usually a set number of days a week, for a quarter or longer. You get strategy, direction and accountability without a full-time executive hire.
How much does a fractional marketing director cost?
I price engagements as a fixed monthly fee based on days per week and scope, agreed in writing after a 30-minute call.
How is this different from an agency?
An agency sells you a team and its capacity. I give you one senior person who directs your team and your agencies, and answers to you.
Can you also run the ads and analytics?
Yes. I run or direct paid media and fix measurement as part of the engagement, so strategy and execution stay connected.
How long does an engagement last?
Most start at a quarter. Some end when a full-time hire is in place and others continue as a monthly advisory retainer.