Fractional lead, agency, or a hire?
Three different answers to the same problem: nobody senior is steering the marketing.
Hire full time when there is enough sustained work to fill a role and you can afford to be wrong for six months. Use an agency when you need execution across channels and someone internally can brief and judge it. Use a fractional lead when you need the judgement rather than the hands, and cannot yet justify a salary.
The failure mode we see most often is an organisation retaining a capable agency with nobody internal able to brief it or assess the work. The agency gets blamed for an outcome it was never set up to deliver.
How they compare
| Full-time hire | Agency retainer | Fractional lead | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | €60k to €100k plus | €2k to €10k per month | Two to four days a month |
| Commitment | Permanent, with notice | Usually 3 to 12 months | Rolling after three months |
| Strategy | Yes | Sometimes, at a price | The whole point |
| Execution | Yes | Yes, at volume | No, that is the trade |
| Time to productive | Two to three months | Weeks | Days |
| Risk if wrong | High and slow to fix | Contained | Low |
| Best when | The work is permanent and full | You can brief and judge | You need the thinking |
The verdict
Hire if there is more than a full-time job of work and you know what the role is.
Retain an agency if you need channel execution at volume and have someone able to brief and challenge them.
Go fractional if the gap is judgement: what to do, who to hire, what to stop paying for, and whether the agency is actually any good.
Common questions
Is a fractional lead just a consultant?
The difference is accountability. A consultant produces a recommendation and leaves. A fractional lead owns the outcome on a retained basis, sits in your meetings, and manages the vendors.
Can a fractional lead manage our existing agency?
That is one of the most common reasons to bring one in. A good agency performs considerably better with a client who can brief properly and check the work.
What size organisation does this suit?
Typically those spending enough on marketing for a mistake to hurt, but not enough to justify a marketing director. Charities and membership bodies are a frequent fit for the same reason.
Not sure which you need?
Tell us the situation. If the answer is that you do not need us, we will say so.
- A reply within one working day
- Fixed price, agreed in writing
- No obligation, and no hard sell