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An Introduction 

Marketing Leadership as a Service

Part-Time Senior Marketing Leadership for SMEs That Need Growth, Not Activity

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Marketing Leadership as a Service gives SMEs access to board-level marketing leadership on a flexible, part-time basis — delivering strategy, execution oversight, and commercial accountability without the cost or risk of a full-time CMO.

If your marketing feels busy but revenue impact is unclear, this model puts one senior owner in charge of growth.

Best For 

Marketing Leadership as a Service is best for SMEs that:

  • Are spending £50k–£500k+ per year on marketing with unclear ROI

  • Rely on agencies, freelancers, or junior teams with no senior owner

  • Have outgrown founder-led marketing

  • Need pipeline, CAC, and revenue accountability, not more activity.

  • Can’t justify a £120k–£180k+ full-time CMO

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The table to the left refers to 12 areas an SME in the UK can benefit from a part time CMO, such as:-

  • Cost efficiency 

  • Speed to impact 

  • Accountability 

  • Strategic Clarity 

  • ROI Visibility

  • Flexibility 

  • Team Effectiveness 

  • Board Confidence 

  • Reduced hiring risk 

  • Scalability 

  • Focus on Outcomes

What Is Marketing Leadership as a Service?

Marketing Leadership as a Service (MLaaS) is a modern alternative to hiring a full-time CMO or relying solely on agencies.

Instead of buying execution or campaigns, you buy experienced leadership.

A senior marketing leader (typically a Fractional CMO or Fractional Marketing Director) is embedded into your business 1–3 days per week to:

  • Own marketing strategy and performance

  • Align marketing to commercial goals

  • Manage agencies, suppliers, and internal teams

  • Build measurement, dashboards, and governance

  • Report to founders, boards, and investors

One accountable leader. One commercial plan. One set of numbers.

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The table over the right hand side summarises the benefits of Marketing Leadership as a Service for UK SMEs.

Marketing Leadership as a Service vs Traditional Models

What’s Included in Marketing Leadership as a Service

1. Strategy That Connects to Revenue

  • Clear positioning & go-to-market strategy

  • Funnel design from demand to revenue

  • ICP, channels, and prioritisation

2. Commercial Accountability

  • Pipeline contribution tracking

  • CAC / LTV visibility

  • ROI by channel and campaign

3. Execution Oversight

  • Agency & supplier management

  • Internal team leadership (including interns)

  • Output quality control

4. Measurement & Governance

  • Live dashboards (GA4, CRM, PPC, SEO)

  • Monthly board-ready reporting

  • Clear KPIs and decision frameworks

 

Outcomes in the First 90 Days

Within 30–90 days, SMEs typically gain:

  • A clear marketing strategy aligned to revenue

  • Full visibility of where spend is working (and where it isn’t)

  • A single accountable owner for marketing performance

  • Reduced waste across agencies and channels

  • Board-level confidence in marketing decisions

Cost: What Does Marketing Leadership as a Service Cost?

Compared to a £10k–£15k per month full-time CMO (plus risk), Marketing Leadership as a Service delivers senior impact with flexibility.

 

Who Uses Marketing Leadership as a Service?

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  • Founder-led SMEs (£1m–£20m revenue)

  • VC-backed or investor-scrutinised businesses

  • B2B, SaaS, Professional Services, Industrial firms

  • Businesses preparing for scale, exit, or investment

 

When Marketing Leadership as a Service Is the Right Choice

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You should consider this model if:

  • Marketing performance can’t be clearly explained at board level

  • Agencies are running without senior challenge

  • Growth has plateaued despite increased spend

  • You need leadership now, not after a 6-month hire

 

Marketing Leadership as a Service vs Fractional CMO

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Marketing Leadership as a Service is the delivery model.
A Fractional CMO or Fractional Marketing Director is often who delivers it.

Think of it as leadership on demand, not a job title.

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Marketing Health Check

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Not sure if Marketing Leadership as a Service is right for you?

Start with a Marketing Health Check — a fast, board-level review of:

  • Strategy

  • Spend

  • ROI

  • Team & agency effectiveness

Book a Marketing Health Check

Marketing Leadership as a Service FAQs

1. What is Marketing Leadership as a Service?

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Marketing Leadership as a Service provides ongoing access to senior marketing leadership — strategy, execution oversight, governance, and accountability — without hiring a full-time CMO.

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2. How is Marketing Leadership as a Service different from a marketing agency?

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Agencies execute tasks. Marketing Leadership as a Service owns outcomes, sets direction, manages agencies, and reports on commercial performance.

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3. Who is Marketing Leadership as a Service best suited for?

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It’s best for SMEs where marketing activity exists but results are unclear, agencies dominate execution, or leadership bandwidth is stretched.

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4. Do we still need agencies if we use Marketing Leadership as a Service?

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Often yes — but they’re managed, measured, and aligned. Leadership improves agency performance rather than replacing it by default.

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5. Is Marketing Leadership as a Service the same as a Fractional CMO?

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Marketing Leadership as a Service is the delivery model. A Fractional CMO is one of the senior leadership roles delivered through that model.

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6. How quickly does Marketing Leadership as a Service make an impact?

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Typically within the first 30–60 days through clearer priorities, better governance, and improved focus on what drives growth.

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7. How is success measured?

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Success is measured through revenue-linked metrics such as pipeline contribution, lead quality, CAC, conversion rates, and growth efficiency.

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8. Can Marketing Leadership as a Service work alongside internal teams?

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Yes. It provides senior direction, structure, and accountability to help internal teams perform more effectively.

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9. Is this a long-term commitment?

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No. Engagements are flexible and can scale up or down as the business grows, changes, or prepares for a permanent hire.

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10. What’s the first step before starting?

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A structured assessment to understand leadership gaps, performance issues, and priorities — before committing to any engagement.

A Marketing Health Check takes just two 45 minute sessions and 2 days of research and you will know:-

Where you stand? 

How five competitors are fairing?  

What the opportunity is for you?

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