Get a senior marketing brain (and the team to execute) without hiring a full department.
Why You’re Here
- You need a real plan, not random tactics.
- You want someone who can own marketing, but a $180k salary plus benefits is not happening.
- Your team is great at doing, but no one is steering the ship.
- Agencies have pitched you execution without strategy. Strategy without execution. You need both stitched together.
Narwhal Creative gives you strategy, leadership, and hands-on execution in one package. Think: CMO-level thinking at a fraction of the cost, backed by a creative and media team that can actually build what the plan calls for.
What A Fractional CMO / Strategy Engagement Looks Like
Diagnose
- Deep dive into your current marketing, sales pipeline, messaging, and data
- Competitive and audience research (fast but effective)
- Identify what is working, what is not, and where the real growth levers are
Plan
- Annual or quarterly marketing roadmap tied to business goals
- Channel mix, campaign calendar, offers, budgets, KPIs
- Clear roles: what we own, what you own, what needs to be outsourced
Lead
- We run weekly or bi-weekly check-ins like an in-house head of marketing would
- Align sales and marketing so leads do not fall into a black hole
- Hold vendors (and ourselves) accountable to results
Execute (as much as you need)
- Our team handles creative, media, web, and content production
- Or we manage your internal team and other partners
- Launch, measure, iterate. Repeat.
Deliverables You Actually Get
- Marketing strategy document (plain English, not a 60-slide snoozefest)
- Budget and channel plan with timelines
- Campaign briefs and quarterly priorities
- KPI scorecards and simple reports
- Creative and content playbooks your team can follow
Pricing & Engagement Models
- Strategy Sprint (4-6 weeks)
- Audit, roadmap, and initial campaign plan. Great if you need direction fast or want to test the waters.
- Fractional CMO Retainer
- Ongoing leadership and oversight. Weekly calls, quarterly planning, vendor management, plus execution hours baked in.
- Project-Based Strategy + Build
- Launching a new product, entering a new market, rebranding. We create the plan and execute the rollout.
We scope based on complexity and how much execution you want us to own. Straight numbers, no mystery fees.
Why Not Just Hire In-House
| In-House Marketing Lead | Narwhal Fractional CMO | |
| Cost | $150k-$250k plus benefits | Flexible monthly fee |
| Breadth of skill | One brain, limited bandwidth | Strategy + a full execution crew |
| Speed to impact | Onboarding, building processes | We plug in fast with proven systems |
| Scalability | Need to hire more staff as you grow | Scale scope up or down per quarter |
If you truly need a full-time CMO, hire one. If you need the outcomes of one without the overhead, hire us.
FAQs
“How long is a fractional engagement”
Most clients commit to 6-12 months. Strategy needs time to work. We set review points to adjust or expand.
“Will you work with our internal people”
Yes. We love teams that execute. We provide direction and fill gaps.
“Can we start with just the strategy”
Absolutely. We can hand you the roadmap. Just know execution quality is 90 percent of results.
“Do you take equity or performance deals”
No. We are pay to play. We price the work because it lets us stay objective, move fast, and make the right calls without gaming a bonus structure. You get clear costs, we stay focused on doing what works, not what pads a percentage.
“How much of my time will this take”
Expect upfront discovery time, then a steady cadence of short, focused check-ins. We keep it tight.
Ready For A Real Plan (And Someone To Drive It)
If you are done guessing and ready to align marketing with revenue, let’s talk.
