The thinking behind it
Strategy first. Marketing that follows.
Most businesses aren't starting from scratch. Some parts of their marketing are working better than others. The useful conversations usually begin by understanding what's working, what's missing and where to focus first.
Before deciding where your marketing should show up, it's worth making sure it is built on the right foundations: what your business stands for, who you really want to reach and what you want to be known for. Without that clarity, even good marketing activity can feel busy without taking the business anywhere.
That's why I help with both the strategic direction and the practical marketing support that brings it to life. Depending on where you are and what you need, this typically takes one of four forms:
25+
Years of senior marketing experience
18
Years leading marketing at Kantar
Small
Roster — every client gets proper attention
01
Fractional CMO
For businesses that need an ongoing senior marketing leader
Someone embedded in the business, working regularly alongside the leadership team, accountable for direction and output. This often starts with getting clarity on positioning, brand direction and what the business is actually trying to achieve, before looking at where the marketing needs to show up.
- Marketing strategy and commercial direction
- Go-to-market planning and positioning
- Agency and supplier oversight
- Regular leadership team involvement
Best for businesses that need direction, not just more activity.
02
Strategic Projects
For businesses with a specific challenge that needs thinking through properly
A defined piece of work, a clear brief, a clear outcome. For when you need something delivered well rather than an ongoing relationship.
- Vision, values and brand positioning
- Marketing communications planning
- Marketing strategy reviews and audits
- Go-to-market planning
- Buyer journey mapping using the G.R.O.W. framework
Best for when you have a specific problem and want someone who can bring both strategic clarity and practical momentum.
03
Marketing Leadership Support
For businesses that have some marketing activity but need senior oversight
Less embedded than a Fractional CMO, more like a trusted advisor who's regularly in the conversation — sense-checking that things are heading in the right direction.
- Regular strategic check-ins
- Content and editorial direction
- Campaign and activity review
- Practical guidance your team can act on
Best for businesses that need ongoing marketing direction without the full commitment of a fractional role.
04
Board Advisory
For founders and senior leaders who want a strategic thinking partner
Not a marketing supplier. The conversations here are broader than marketing alone — positioning, growth strategy, commercial direction, decisions that need a senior outside perspective. This is the lightest touch engagement but often the most strategic. I work with a small number of founders in this capacity on a long-term basis.
Best for founders who want someone genuinely in their corner at a strategic level.
A focused strategic project
Marketing Direction Sprint
Clearer direction before more marketing activity.
The Marketing Direction Sprint is for B2B startups and growing businesses that are already doing some marketing but aren't sure it's focused on the right things.
Over three to four weeks, we look at the foundations—your customers, market and positioning—before deciding where your marketing should focus.
It starts with a conversation. I'll listen to where the business is, what you're trying to achieve and which assumptions may need challenging.
Together, we'll focus on:
- Who your best-fit customers are and what matters to them
- What triggers a need and how they look for a solution
- Where you have the strongest opportunity to stand apart
- What your positioning and key messages need to communicate
- Where to focus your marketing first—and why
You'll finish with a clear set of priorities and a practical focus for the next 90 days—something the leadership team can understand and act on, not a long strategy document that gets put in a drawer.
The Sprint is fixed-price and scoped upfront. It's about getting the direction right and agreeing the immediate priorities before investing more in marketing activity.
If ongoing support would be useful, I can then provide fractional marketing leadership and practical support to help bring those priorities to life.
Talk to me about a Marketing Direction SprintNot sure what some of these terms mean? The Jargon Decoder cuts through the marketing acronyms and buzzwords in plain English.
How I approach it
How I approach it
All engagements start with a conversation — no pitch, just an honest discussion about where you are and what might help. Fractional CMO and Marketing Leadership Support operate on a rolling monthly basis. Strategic Projects are scoped and agreed upfront. Board Advisory is flexible by nature. I work with a small number of clients at any one time to make sure each one gets proper attention.
Not sure which fits? Book a free 30-minute call and we'll work out together what makes most sense for where you are right now.