Growth Insights for CEOs
Advice for CEOs on Growth and Scaling

Should I Hire a Fractional CMO?
Fri, May 8, 2026 | Posted by Vickie Sherman
Executive Takeaways
- A full-time CMO can cost $1M in year one — before the first campaign ships.
- Full-time CMOs optimize for tenure. Fractional CMOs optimize for outcomes.
- Fractional CMOs bring cross-industry pattern recognition that deepens with every engagement.
- Fractional leadership wins in specific, definable contexts. The next article maps exactly when.
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