The questions
everyone
asks first.
Honest answers to the things you're probably already wondering. If yours isn't here, send it. We'll write it back as plainly as we can.
Why us
and not
the others.
Why not just hire someone in-house?
You can, and one day you probably will. But a senior marketer costs £70k+ before you've paid for tools, freelancers, or specialists. Until you can afford the whole team, one person carries it alone — usually badly. We're the bridge.
Why not freelancers?
Freelancers are great at one thing each. The hard part is knowing which freelancer, in what order, doing which work, accountable to whom. That's the bit nobody pays a freelancer to do — and it's most of the job.
How is this different from a normal agency?
No pitch theatre, no junior account managers, no project minimums, no surprise invoices. One fixed monthly fee. The senior person you meet is the senior person on your account, every month.
What about a fractional CMO?
A fractional CMO writes the plan and leaves you to deliver it. We write the plan and deliver it too. Same brain, with hands.
The shape
of the relationship.
Who actually does the work?
A senior partner owns your account and does the strategic work themselves. Behind them, a production team of specialists executes. You only deal with the partner — they manage the rest.
What's the contract?
A three-month minimum to get going properly. After that, rolling monthly with thirty days' notice. We don't believe in twelve-month lock-ins.
What if it isn't working?
You tell us, early. We re-plan or we part. We've never made a client stay; we don't intend to start. Our average engagement runs years because the work is good, not because the contract is tight.
How quickly do we see results?
Honest answer: small wins inside ninety days, real momentum by month six, serious traction by year two. Anyone promising faster is selling you something else.
What's in,
what's not,
what changes.
What does the price actually include?
Everything in the plan you signed up to. Senior strategy, the production team, tooling we use, ad management, content, reporting. The only things we bill on top are direct media spend and specialists we bring in for you (always with your sign-off).
Specialist work outside your scope?
PR, video production, trade shows, niche technical work. We bring in trusted partners, manage them, and fold them into the plan. You see one quote, one timeline, one accountable person.
Can we move between plans?
Yes. Most clients start on Bedrock, step up to Fieldstone, settle into Cornerstone, and move up to Keystone as the business grows. Down works too. Thirty days' notice in either direction.
What about media spend?
Your money, your accounts. We never mark up media or hold spend on our side. You see exactly what's spent and where, every month.
Do you sign NDAs?
Routinely. Send yours over.
What about IP and assets?
Everything we make for you is yours. Working files, source code, ad accounts, analytics — all in your name, all handed over if we ever part ways.
Got a question we missed?
Send it. We'll write you a plain answer, usually the same day. If it turns out we can't help, we'll say so and try to point you to someone who can.
What the thirty minutes covers: what you're trying to grow, what's worked so far and what hasn't, and an honest view on whether we're the right team to own it.