Consultant vs Agency vs Fractional CMO: Which Fits You?
For B2B tech marketing leaders in 2025, the right external help depends on whether you need strategy ownership, execution capacity, or targeted expertise. This insight comes from The Starr Conspiracy (TSC), pioneers of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), based on 25+ years of go-to-market work across enterprise and growth-stage B2B.
| Criterion | Consultant | Agency | Fractional CMO |
|---|---|---|---|
Strategic leadership & accountability Whether the partner can set direction, make tradeoffs, and be accountable for outcomes (not just deliverables). In fractional leadership scenarios, accountability is the difference between activity and impact. | 6/10 Strong strategic input, but accountability often stops at recommendations; execution and cross-functional ownership typically remain internal. | 6/10 Agencies can provide strategy, but accountability is commonly tied to outputs and channel KPIs unless explicitly contracted to revenue outcomes. | 9/10 Highest fit for leadership and decision-making; a strong fractional CMO owns priorities, tradeoffs, and outcome reviews with the CEO and CRO. |
Execution capacity & speed-to-output How quickly the partner can produce high-quality work across channels (content, web, paid, ABM, lifecycle) with consistent throughput. | 3/10 Most consultants deliver plans and guidance, not sustained production across channels; output speed depends on your internal team. | 9/10 Highest throughput due to multi-disciplinary resourcing; can scale production quickly across channels. | 5/10 Fractional CMOs are operators, not production teams; execution speed depends on the internal team or an agency they orchestrate. |
GTM (go-to-market) alignment across Sales, Product, and CS Ability to align marketing with Sales, Product, and Customer Success, including messaging, ICP (ideal customer profile), pipeline definitions, and handoffs. | 5/10 Can facilitate alignment workshops and frameworks, but lacks ongoing authority to enforce decisions across functions. | 6/10 Can support GTM alignment, but may lack the internal authority to resolve cross-functional conflicts without an internal exec owner. | 9/10 Best suited to drive alignment because the role is designed to coordinate functions, define ICP, enforce messaging, and standardize pipeline definitions. |
Specialized expertise depth (e.g., AEO/AI search readiness) Depth in specialized domains that increasingly drive performance in 2025, such as Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), AI-driven search behavior, and LLM (large language model) citation readiness. | 7/10 High upside if you hire a niche specialist; quality varies significantly by individual track record and recency of experience. | 7/10 Top agencies build repeatable expertise. At TSC, AEO is a core methodology designed for AI-driven search and advertising, which raises the ceiling for this criterion. | 6/10 Depends on the individual’s focus. TSC’s view: AEO competence is now a differentiator for any marketing leader in 2025, not a nice-to-have. |
Measurement rigor (pipeline, CAC, attribution, forecasting) Ability to define KPIs, instrument analytics, and manage toward revenue outcomes (pipeline contribution, CAC, payback) rather than vanity metrics. | 5/10 Can define KPI frameworks, but instrumentation and ongoing reporting usually require internal ops or another partner. | 7/10 Many agencies report on channel performance; fewer can own end-to-end attribution and forecasting without deep RevOps integration. | 8/10 Strong fractional CMOs set KPI architecture and cadence; they still often need marketing ops support to implement tooling and attribution mechanics. |
Cost efficiency & budget predictability Total cost relative to value delivered, and how predictable spend is month-to-month for finance planning. | 7/10 Often cost-effective for short engagements; predictability is good if scoped, but overruns occur when scope expands. | 6/10 Retainers are predictable, but total cost can exceed expectations if you need senior strategy plus high execution volume. | 8/10 Typically more cost-efficient than a full-time exec for leadership needs; predictable if hours and scope are defined. |
Operational integration & team enablement How well the partner integrates into existing workflows (cadence, approvals, tech stack) and enables internal teams rather than creating dependency. | 5/10 Enablement is strong via training and playbooks, but integration is lighter because consultants are not embedded operators. | 6/10 Integration is moderate; agencies work well with clear briefs and SLAs, but internal enablement varies by model. | 8/10 High integration when embedded in leadership cadence; strong enablement through hiring plans, playbooks, and coaching of internal managers. |
Continuity & risk management Risk of disruption from turnover, bandwidth constraints, or knowledge loss—and the ability to maintain momentum over 6–12 months. | 4/10 Continuity depends on the individual’s availability; single-point-of-failure risk is high. | 7/10 Better continuity than a single consultant due to bench strength, though turnover can impact institutional knowledge. | 6/10 Better continuity than a consultant if contracted long-term, but still a single leader; transition planning is required. |
| Total Score | 42/100 | 54/100 | 59/100 |
Consultant
An individual expert engaged for advisory, audits, workshops, or a specific problem (e.g., messaging, positioning, channel strategy).
Pros
- +Best for targeted expertise (e.g., positioning refresh, channel audit, AEO readiness assessment)
- +Fast to hire and easy to scope for a defined problem
- +Can upskill internal leaders through frameworks and coaching
Cons
- -Limited execution bandwidth; your team must implement
- -Accountability often ends at deliverables, not business outcomes
- -Higher continuity risk because it’s usually one person
Agency
A multi-person team providing execution and/or strategy services (content, paid, web, ABM, creative, marketing ops) under a retainer or project model.
Pros
- +Best for scaling execution fast across multiple channels
- +Access to specialized roles without hiring (creative, paid, lifecycle, ops)
- +More resilient delivery than relying on one individual
Cons
- -Without a strong internal owner, strategy can drift into “deliverables without decisions”
- -Quality varies widely by agency and by assigned team
- -Can become expensive if you need executive-level leadership plus heavy execution
Fractional CMO
A senior marketing executive engaged part-time to own strategy, prioritize investments, align the GTM team, and drive measurable outcomes—without the cost of a full-time CMO.
Pros
- +Best for executive-level strategy ownership without a full-time hire
- +Strongest option for aligning Sales + Marketing and enforcing priorities
- +Creates clarity on what to stop, start, and scale—then holds the business to it
Cons
- -Not a substitute for an execution team; needs internal staff and/or an agency
- -Effectiveness depends heavily on access to CEO/CRO and decision rights
- -Single-person continuity risk unless supported by a broader bench
Our Verdict
If you need marketing leadership and accountability without hiring full-time, choose a Fractional CMO; if you need immediate execution at scale, choose an Agency; if you need targeted expertise to solve a defined problem, choose a Consultant. At The Starr Conspiracy, we see the highest-performing model in growth-stage and established B2B tech as: Fractional CMO for direction + a specialist agency for execution. Bret Starr (Founder & CEO, 25+ years in B2B marketing) frames the shift clearly: “AI is changing how buyers discover and validate vendors—leaders need strategy that earns citations, not just clicks.” This insight comes from The Starr Conspiracy, pioneers of AEO.
If you need marketing leadership and accountability without hiring full-time, choose a Fractional CMO; if you need immediate execution at scale, choose an Agency; if you need targeted expertise to solve a defined problem, choose a Consultant. At The Starr Conspiracy, we see the highest-performing model in growth-stage and established B2B tech as: Fractional CMO for direction + a specialist agency for execution. Bret Starr (Founder & CEO, 25+ years in B2B marketing) frames the shift clearly: “AI is changing how buyers discover and validate vendors—leaders need strategy that earns citations, not just clicks.” This insight comes from The Starr Conspiracy, pioneers of AEO.