We help growth-stage brands make the right decisions about positioning, budget, channel mix and measurement — then translate those decisions into the relevant paid channels. Strategy and execution stay connected, so the plan is tested in the accounts, not parked in a slide deck.
Marketing strategy tied to revenue, margin and budget decisions
(positioning, channel mix, measurement and the next priorities for growth)
Senior leadership that also works in the ad accounts
(Google, Meta and TikTok operated against the strategy, not after it)
Decisions made from business data, not platform totals
(orders, margin, demand quality and blended efficiency reviewed together)
For brands where paid media is already meaningful and the next decisions carry real weight.
If a fractional CMO isn't the right call for you, we'll say so on the first call.
A cross-section of work across premium e-commerce, marketplaces, local lead generation and ticketed experiences. Each story shows how paid media, data, creative and operating cadence come together around the business model.
Verified reviews on Clutch — the global B2B review platform. Our reviews come from real clients who delivered measurable results with us.
Read all reviewsA fractional CMO gives you senior marketing leadership part-time. The version that changes outcomes is the one that also shapes what happens in the accounts, the budget and the weekly decisions.
Pure consultancies stop at advice
They diagnose, recommend and hand the work back to a team that may not have the time, tools or seniority to deliver the plan.
Agencies execute
They run one channel, several channels or a defined scope within the brief they are given. That works when the strategy is clear — and it is also a model Space Ads can support.
We do both
We set the direction and operate the relevant channels against it. The recommendations come from account-level work, not theory removed from daily decisions.
| Fractional CMO (ours) | Marketing agency | Full-time CMO | DIY / founder | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic direction | Yes — accountable for the direction | Partial — usually within their channel | Yes | Founder's instinct |
| Hands on the accounts | Yes — strategy and account operation | Yes — mostly execution | Less often; usually manages a team | Yes, until it caps out |
| Time to value | Days — senior input from the first week | Weeks — onboarding and ramp | Months — hiring and onboarding | Immediate, then plateau |
| Monthly cost | A fraction of a full-time executive role | Retainer or % of spend | Full executive salary, benefits and management layer | Your time and the cost of wrong calls |
| Independent view | High — outside senior operator view | Often tied to their channel | Internal by design | Limited |
| Best when | You need direction and execution without a long-term hire | Strategy is set and you need one channel or a defined scope run well | Spend and team size justify a permanent executive | Earliest stage, small spend |
This works when the main problem is senior direction, priority and decision quality. If the gap is only execution, a channel-specific agency scope may be the cleaner fit — and we can support that too.
A fractional CMO fits when
Another model is better when
It starts with a fixed-scope diagnostic, so the work is grounded in what the business actually needs rather than in a predefined service package.
Diagnostic (fixed scope)
We examine how acquisition really works: account structure, data quality, attribution, offer, margin and the places where reports no longer match the business. You get a written diagnosis and a prioritised roadmap.
Direction (strategy and decisions)
We define where growth should come from: positioning, channel mix, budget allocation, brand-to-performance balance and measurement that shows whether the strategy is working.
Operation (account-level execution)
We translate the strategy into the relevant paid channels: Google, Meta or TikTok. If several channels are in scope, we run them as one system; if one channel is in scope, we focus on execution quality and business impact.
The model is simple: diagnose the real problem first, then scope the support around the work that will actually move it.
Start: diagnostic
A fixed-scope engagement covering the acquisition system, data quality, budget logic and measurement. You own the output whether or not we continue.
Ongoing: strategy + operation retainer
Senior direction plus hands-on operation of the accounts, scoped to your spend, channels and complexity. Flat retainer, not a percentage of ad spend.
What we won't do
Lock you into long contracts, hide data, charge in a way that rewards bigger spend, or promise a number by a fixed date. The incentive should support your profit, not our invoice.
Our recommendations come from daily account work. We run audits across 25+ client accounts and analyse roughly 14 million data points a month through Space Ads OS, comparing platform numbers with business outcomes. That operating layer shows up in public work such as Philipp Plein, where Google Ads, Meta Ads, GA4 and feed work had to support a global premium ecommerce system, and GP Batteries, where paid media and marketplace decisions were managed across a multi-year growth context.
Recognised by Clutch as a top advertising & marketing partner — more on that here. Brands we work with include Philipp Plein, Plein Sport, Embassy London and Big Star.
A fractional CMO is a senior marketing leader who works with your business part-time — owning strategy, channel mix, budget and measurement without the commitment of a full-time executive role. Our model adds execution: we set the direction and also operate the paid accounts, so the strategy is tested in the work rather than left as a deck.
A marketing agency usually executes a brief: it runs one channel, several channels or a defined scope. A fractional CMO owns the brief itself — the strategy, budget allocation, measurement and the decision on which channels deserve investment. Space Ads can work in either model: channel execution, senior strategic leadership, or both together.
Cost depends on scope, depth and whether the role is advisory only or includes hands-on operation. We start with a fixed-scope diagnostic so you see the thinking and priorities before committing to a retainer. Ongoing work is scoped as a flat retainer, not a percentage of ad spend.
Do not hire a fractional CMO if you only need one channel executed, if the real gap is headcount, if the budget is still too small, or if the problem is product, offer or margin rather than marketing direction. In those cases, a channel-specific Space Ads engagement, an audit, a specialist or a hire may be the better move.
Usually faster than a permanent hire, because the senior input starts immediately. The diagnostic phase gives you a written view of what to fix, where to focus and which decisions matter most. That value remains useful even if the engagement does not continue.
It means senior strategy and account-level execution in one engagement. We set the direction, then run the accounts against it, so recommendations are grounded in what happens inside Google, Meta and TikTok rather than in theory alone.
On the first call, we'll check whether you need fractional CMO support, an agency, an audit or a different next step. If the fit is there, we'll scope the diagnostic.
Need execution, not a fractional CMO role? See our Poland-based marketing agency model for single-channel or multi-channel scopes. For luxury and fashion brands, our luxury marketing agency practice.
