And Why the Right Answer Depends on the Problem
If you ask ten business owners who they should hire for marketing, you will get three common answers.
“We need an agency.”
“We need a consultant.”
“We probably need a CMO.”
All three can be right.
All three can also be completely wrong.
The confusion usually comes from assuming these roles do the same thing. They do not. They solve different problems at different stages.
The real mistake is choosing based on title instead of need.
What an Agency Is Best At
Agencies are execution machines.
They are great when you know what needs to be done and you want it done consistently and professionally.
Agencies excel at:
- Running ads
- Creating content
- Designing assets
- Managing channels
- Executing campaigns
A good agency will work hard, move fast, and deliver what is asked.
What agencies are not designed to do is decide what the company should do in the first place.
That is not a flaw. That is just not their role.
An agency without clear leadership will still produce work. It just may not move the business forward.
What a Consultant Is Best At
Consultants are clarity providers.
They step in, analyze what is happening, and tell you what they see. They are excellent at diagnosing problems and recommending solutions.
Consultants are great when:
- Leadership needs perspective
- Decisions feel stuck
- Strategy needs to be clarified
- An outside viewpoint is valuable
Most consultants stop there.
They give you insight, frameworks, and recommendations. Then they step away.
That can be incredibly helpful, but only if someone inside the company is able and willing to execute what was recommended.
Advice without ownership is still just advice.
What a Fractional CMO Actually Does
A fractional CMO sits in the middle of all of this.
They provide leadership, not just ideas or output.
A fractional CMO:
- Sets strategy
- Makes decisions
- Prioritizes initiatives
- Aligns sales and marketing
- Leads teams
- Manages agencies
- Owns outcomes
They are not replacing your agency or your team.
They are making sure everyone is rowing in the same direction.
Why Companies Get This Wrong So Often
Most companies do not have a marketing problem.
They have a leadership gap.
They hire an agency hoping it will create direction.
They hire a consultant hoping they will fix execution.
Neither of those roles is designed to do that.
Without leadership, agencies execute without context and consultants advise without accountability.
That is how companies end up busy, confused, and frustrated.
Where I Fit Into This
This is the part where I will be very direct.
I am comfortable wearing any of these hats.
I have operated as:
- A fractional CMO providing executive leadership
- A consultant providing strategic clarity
- An agency partner overseeing execution
The difference is not what I can do.
The difference is what your business actually needs right now.
Sometimes a company needs a full strategic reset and leadership to carry it through. That is fractional CMO work.
Sometimes a company needs a clear diagnosis and direction before committing resources. That is consulting work.
Sometimes a company already has direction and simply needs execution support and oversight. That can look more like agency leadership.
I am not attached to the title. I am attached to the outcome.
The Real Question You Should Ask
Instead of asking:
“Should we hire an agency, a consultant, or a fractional CMO?”
Ask this:
- Do we lack direction?
- Do we lack execution?
- Or do we lack leadership tying it all together?
Direction points to consulting.
Execution points to an agency.
Leadership points to a fractional CMO.
And sometimes, the answer is more than one.
Why This Flexibility Matters
Businesses change faster than contracts do.
The ability to shift between strategy, leadership, and execution oversight matters.
That flexibility is often what keeps companies from overspending, overhiring, or committing to the wrong structure too early.
Marketing does not need more activity.
It needs alignment.
Sometimes that comes from an agency.
Sometimes it comes from a consultant.
Sometimes it comes from a fractional CMO.
My job is to help you figure out which one actually solves the problem in front of you.
And sometimes, that means being honest enough to say I am not the only piece you need.
That is usually where things start working again.