Your business is growing. Marketing has outgrown the spare hours between other tasks, and you can feel it. You need a real senior head to run it.
Two roads open up. Hire a full-time marketing director, or bring in a fractional CMO, senior leadership on a shared schedule. Let's see which one holds up for a growing company, with the numbers to back it.
Same job, a different model
A marketing director and a fractional CMO bring you the same thing: senior direction. Someone who sets the strategy, drives the execution, and owns the results.
The difference is in the model. The director is a full-time employee, in your organization five days a week. The fractional CMO gives you that same level a few days a month, exactly when you need it.
What it really costs
In Quebec, a senior marketing director with 10+ years of experience earns CAD 140,000 to 185,000 a year. Add payroll costs, benefits and recruiting, and the real first-year cost clears 220,000 without trouble.
A fractional CMO works on a monthly retainer, scaled to the days you need. You pay a fraction of a director's salary for the same senior experience. For a company without a full-time load of marketing work, the gap is real.
Time, the cost everyone forgets
Hiring a good marketing director takes time. 3 to 6 months to find the right person, then a few more for them to learn your market. All that while, your marketing runs without direction.
A fractional CMO starts in 2 to 4 weeks. For a growing company, six months of drift means missed campaigns and missed windows. Time weighs as much as money in this call.
So which one
Here's my take, after 20 years in the field.
A fractional CMO is the right choice when:
your marketing needs senior direction, but not 40 hours a week;
you're launching a brand or rethinking your positioning;
a full-time salary would be heavy to carry right now.
An in-house director becomes the right choice when:
your marketing runs at full tilt, every day;
you have the volume and the budget for a dedicated person long term.
For most growing companies, starting fractional is the smarter move. You get the senior head right away, without the commitment of a hire. And the day the volume justifies a full-time role, you hire knowing exactly what you need.
At a glance
Fractional CMO
Cost: monthly retainer, a fraction of a salary
Time to start: 2 to 4 weeks
Commitment: flexible, scaled to your needs
Best for: a growing company that wants senior direction now
In-house director
Cost: CAD 140,000 to 185,000 a year, plus costs
Time to start: 3 to 6 months (hiring and onboarding)
Commitment: permanent, full-time role
Best for: an organization with a full-time marketing load
Frequently asked
Can a fractional CMO become permanent?
Often, it's a natural transition. You start fractional, and when the volume justifies it, you move to a full-time role. Sometimes with the same person, sometimes with someone they helped you hire.
How many days a month?
It depends on your stage. Usually 2 to 6 days a month. We shape it together.
Can I start fractional and hire later?
Yes, and it's often the best sequence. The fractional CMO sets the strategy, structures your marketing, and lays the ground for the hire when the time comes.
Let's talk
If you're weighing the two for your business, let's talk. A first 30-minute call, no strings, to see what fits your situation.
