Fractional CMO & Marketing Director.
Senior marketing leadership. Without the full-time commitment.
Growth businesses need experienced marketing leadership, but don't always need the cost of a permanent hire.
Built To Rise gives ambitious founders access to senior-level marketing expertise, bringing the strategy, leadership and hands-on support needed to turn marketing activity into meaningful commercial growth.
No unnecessary overheads. No additional layers. Just experienced leadership that cares about your business as much as you do.
What is a Fractional CMO?
A Fractional CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) is an experienced marketing leader who works within your business on a part-time, flexible basis, providing the expertise and accountability of a senior marketing hire without the commitment of a full-time employee.
You might also know the role as a Fractional Marketing Director, Fractional Head of Marketing or Part-Time Marketing Director.
The principle is the same: you get experienced leadership, embedded within your business, for the time and support you actually need.
But it's about more than saving money.
The right fractional leader brings clarity, commercial accountability and confidence to your marketing decisions. Someone who understands the bigger picture, knows where to prioritise investment and takes ownership of helping your business grow.
Your business is growing. But is your marketing keeping up?
There comes a point in the growth of a business when marketing becomes too important to manage without experienced leadership.
Perhaps you're recognising some familiar challenges.
You're still making all the marketing decisions.
You've successfully built the business, but marketing has become another significant demand on your time.
You're investing in marketing, but struggling to connect it to revenue.
Budgets are growing, yet you're not entirely confident which channels, campaigns or customers are driving profitable growth.
You have a team or agencies, but nobody leading the bigger picture.
There's plenty of activity, but not enough alignment, accountability or direction.
Growth has started to plateau.
What got your business here isn't necessarily what will take it to the next stage.
You need senior expertise, but a permanent hire feels premature.
You can see the need for experienced leadership, but the salary, recruitment commitment and associated risk feel difficult to justify.
If any of these sound familiar, fractional marketing leadership could be the answer.
What can a Fractional CMO do for your business?
The exact remit will depend on your business, its challenges and where you want to take it.
At Built To Rise, that support can span the full marketing function.
Marketing Strategy & Growth Planning
Build a commercially grounded marketing strategy with clear priorities, realistic budgets and a defined plan for growth.
From positioning and customer understanding to channel selection and long-term growth planning.
Customer Acquisition & Revenue Growth
Bring greater focus and accountability to how marketing investment translates into customers, revenue and profitability.
Review acquisition performance, channel effectiveness, conversion, customer economics and the opportunities to scale sustainably.
Brand, Customer & Retention
Understand who your customers really are, what motivates them and what keeps them coming back.
Develop stronger propositions, improve customer experiences and build acquisition and retention strategies that work together.
Team Leadership & Development
Bring senior leadership into your existing marketing function.
Whether that's managing and developing your team, supporting recruitment, establishing accountability or creating a clearer operating structure.
Agency & Partner Management
Make sure your external partners are delivering against the right objectives.
From agency selection and onboarding through to performance management, strategic direction and commercial accountability.
Reporting, Budgets & Commercial Performance
Connect marketing performance to the metrics that matter.
Move beyond reporting activity to understanding customer acquisition cost, lifetime value, revenue contribution, profitability and return on marketing investment.
Why choose fractional over full-time?
Hiring a senior marketing leader is a significant investment.
For many growing businesses, the challenge isn't recognising the need for that expertise. It's committing to the cost and risk of acquiring it permanently.
A fractional model changes that.
You gain access to experienced marketing leadership, scaled to your requirements, without committing to a permanent salary and the associated employment costs.
Experienced expertise. Access senior marketing capability without committing to a full-time executive appointment.
Flexible commitment. Bring in the level of support your business needs, adjusting as your requirements evolve.
Faster access to expertise. Avoid potentially lengthy recruitment and notice periods.
Commercial focus. Invest in the leadership and expertise required to improve growth, rather than adding permanent overhead before it's needed.
An extension of your team. Benefit from someone who understands your business, leads from within and takes ownership of delivery.
Fractional isn't necessarily the right solution for every business. But when you need experienced leadership without five days of executive-level resource, it can be a much smarter way to grow.
Built on experience. Driven by care.
Bring senior leadership into your existing marketing function.
Whether that's managing and developing your team, supporting recruitment, establishing accountability or creating a clearer operating structure.
Built To Rise was founded on a straightforward belief: ambitious growth businesses deserve access to senior marketing leadership, without the cost and complexity of a permanent senior hire.
With over 15 years of experience across eCommerce, digital marketing and senior leadership, I've helped businesses navigate the challenges of acquiring customers, building teams, managing significant investment and delivering sustainable growth.
My experience includes leading marketing at musicMagpie, supporting a business generating over £100 million in annual turnover, and leading growth at FuelHub during a period of significant commercial expansion.
But experience alone isn't enough.
I recognise how much founders invest in building their businesses. The time, energy, sacrifice and belief it takes to get something off the ground and turn it into something meaningful.
That's why Built To Rise takes a different approach.
Not another supplier to manage. Not someone who simply tells you what you want to hear.
A commercially accountable partner who genuinely cares about your business, gets involved and helps you build what's next.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a Fractional CMO and a Fractional Marketing Director?
In many growth businesses, the roles overlap significantly.
A Fractional CMO will typically take responsibility for the overall marketing strategy and its contribution to commercial performance, while a Fractional Marketing Director may have a greater focus on leading the function and delivering the strategy.
At Built To Rise, the remit is tailored to what your business actually needs, rather than constrained by a job title.
How much does a Fractional CMO cost in the UK?
Costs depend on the experience required, the scope of responsibility and the number of days of support.
Most engagements work through a monthly retainer, giving you access to a defined amount of senior marketing leadership without the costs associated with a permanent appointment.
Built To Rise structures support around your requirements, with a clear agreement on time, responsibilities and commercial objectives.
How many days a week do I need?
That depends on your business, the existing marketing function and the challenges we're addressing.
Some businesses benefit from one day a week of senior leadership and strategic oversight. Others require two or more days of embedded support.
We'll agree the appropriate commitment together, making sure it's commercially sensible.
Is a Fractional CMO the same as a marketing consultant?
Not quite.
A marketing consultant will often provide specialist advice, recommendations or project-based expertise.
A Fractional CMO or Marketing Director becomes part of your leadership function, taking ongoing responsibility for marketing strategy, people, investment and performance.
Built To Rise offers both fractional leadership and specialist consultancy, depending on your needs.
Can you work with our existing marketing team and agencies?
Absolutely. In fact, this is often where fractional leadership can add significant value.
I can support the development of your internal team, manage agency relationships, establish clear responsibilities and ensure everyone is working towards the same commercial objectives.
Do you only work with businesses in Manchester?
No. Built To Rise is based in Cheshire, supporting businesses across Manchester and the North West, as well as UK-wide clients through remote and hybrid engagements.
What if we're not ready for a Fractional CMO?
That's absolutely fine.
Sometimes a business needs a clearer understanding of its challenges before committing to ongoing leadership support.
Our Growth Diagnostic is designed to provide exactly that: an objective assessment of your current position, key opportunities and the most appropriate next steps.
We won't recommend ongoing support unless there's a genuine need for it.
Ready to Rise above the rest?
Let's talk about your next stage of growth.