--- title: Do You Really Need a Full-Time CMO? The (very short) Case for Fractional Leadership description: Fractional leaders are what SMBs need the most. We think they are more important than who you pick to execute on those marketing strategies and plans. image: https://www.pickup-studios.com/hubfs/iStock-1784616580-1.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://www.pickup-studios.com/blog/do-you-really-need-a-full-time-cmo-the-very-short-case-for-fractional-leadership#main-content) [![Pickup-LogoAsset 1@4x](https://www.pickup-studios.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Pickup-LogoAsset%201@4x.png?width=165&height=49&name=Pickup-LogoAsset%201@4x.png)](https://www.pickup-studios.com) - [Services](https://www.pickup-studios.com/services) - [Insights](https://www.pickup-studios.com/blog) - [Field Notes](https://www.pickup-studios.com/field-notes) - [About](https://www.pickup-studios.com/about-us) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Services](https://www.pickup-studios.com/services) - [Insights](https://www.pickup-studios.com/blog) - [Field Notes](https://www.pickup-studios.com/field-notes) - [About](https://www.pickup-studios.com/about-us) - Contact us Contact us [All posts](https://www.pickup-studios.com/blog/all) September 23, 2025 # Do You Really Need a Full-Time CMO? The (very short) Case for Fractional Leadership ![Picture of John Fischer](https://www.pickup-studios.com/hs-fs/hubfs/John%20Fischer%20Black%20and%20White%20Headshot.png?width=50&name=John%20Fischer%20Black%20and%20White%20Headshot.png) By  John Fischer  ·  1 minute read Picture this: you hire a full-time CMO. Big salary. Big ideas. Big… empty calendar because, honestly, do you have 40+ hours of work for them every week? Enter: **Fractional Leadership.** It’s like renting a Ferrari instead of buying one — you get the speed and expertise without the garage bill. Why it works: - **Strategic Brain, Smaller Budget** – You don’t need to pay six figures to get six-figure thinking. - **Fresh Perspective** – Outsiders see things insiders miss. - **Flexibility** – Scale up or down as your needs change. - **Execution Support** – Not just theory. Fractional leaders (the good ones anyway) actually dive in and help implement. In short, most small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) don’t need a full-time CMO (or even a full time marketing team/partner). They need a part-time expert and strategic advisor. And that’s exactly what fractional leadership brings to the table. And yes, it is also one of the things that the team at Pickup Studios is very good at. So maybe this very short case for Fractional Leadership is actually more of a very short commercial? Yes, maybe. 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