I’ve recently read a few articles that claim companies don’t need a Chief Marketing Officer, that they can substitute a “Head of Marketing.” I don’t believe that this is correct. The main point in these articles is that some companies are too small for a CMO – and I totally agree. But a direct substitution? That’s overreaching and bad advice. These are two very different roles.
Of course, company leaders/owners need to determine which role is more suitable for their current needs, especially if they cannot afford both. Sometimes you can afford a Fractional CMO and a lower-level Head of Marketing on a full-time basis. That may make the most sense. Fractional CMOs are less expensive than a full time CMO, but just as knowledgeable, so you’d get the best of both worlds.
The Head of Marketing role is described in these articles as a department-focused role which is not much different from the role of a Director of Marketing, if at all. It’s definitely below the level of a VP of Marketing. The described responsibilities include things like managing marketing projects and teams, designing campaigns, and managing the budget they are given. Their main objective is revenue generation. They drive campaign success and develop department-level strategy. In my opinion, a Head of Marketing may just be a more expensive version of a Director.
The CMO’s role is broader and requires business-level strategy. Their focus is not only on revenue generation. They are responsible for leading innovation in product/service development and improvement, driving growth, building marketing capability, understanding the target market and watching for changes that could impact business growth, and integrating the efforts of marketing, branding, and sometimes sales, to align them with the overall business growth plan and messaging strategy.
A CMO would have the experience that a Director/Head of Marketing has – and then some. If I found myself in need of both but could only hire one, I would hire the Director and contract with a fractional CMO. Some CMOs are also willing to be more hands-on in smaller companies, and that may be the best of all options. However, asking someone who has never been a CMO to perform all the duties of a CMO would be a mistake.
In case it was not clear, experience in any role is critical for your success if you are a small enough company and don’t have anyone above this position with marketing expertise. And you should not be afraid to ask every person you hire or contract with where they held the role – besides, of course, in their own company. And, as with everything else in business, this is a “buyer beware” scenario.
What are your thoughts on this subject? Do you believe a small company should have a CMO? Is there a size – perhaps in ARR – below which a CMO does not make sense and a Head of Marketing does? I’d love to hear from you on the subject. Email me to let me know what you think.
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