Activity without a plan
Things get done. Whether they should have been is never asked.
Problem
Everyone contributes. Nobody owns it.
The most expensive gap in a growing organisation, because it makes every other spend less effective.
The short answer
When nobody owns marketing, the symptoms are predictable: activity without a plan, agencies briefed by whoever is free, decisions made by the loudest opinion, and no one able to say whether any of it worked.
The three realistic fixes are hiring, retaining an agency with someone internal to steer them, or bringing in a fractional lead. The wrong one is expensive in a way that takes a year to become obvious.
Agencies briefed badly
A good agency briefed poorly produces poor work and gets blamed for it.
No institutional memory
What was tried, what failed and why is in nobody's head.
Decisions by opinion
Usually the most senior person's instinct, which is not a strategy.
Budget spread thin
A little of everything, not enough of anything.
Nobody to say stop
The hardest and most valuable job in marketing.
FAQ
Common questions
Should we just hire someone?
If there is genuinely a full-time job and you know what the role is, yes. The common mistake is hiring a junior because it is affordable, then having nobody senior to direct them.
What does a fractional lead actually do?
Sets the strategy, picks and manages vendors, holds delivery to a standard, and reports in language a board understands. Typically two to four days a month.
Start a project
Recognise this?
Tell us what is happening. If the answer is simple, we will just tell you what it is.
- A reply within one working day
- Fixed price, agreed in writing
- No obligation, and no hard sell