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Your outsourced CMO for sustainable growth
Entrust your marketing strategy to a senior expert, without hiring in-house. Leadership, execution and results · from the first month.
The problem
Your growth deserves better than patchwork marketing
Most Swiss SMEs face the same marketing blockers.
No in-house CMO
Hiring a marketing director costs CHF 150K+/year. Too expensive for a growing SME.
Fragmented strategy
Isolated marketing actions without a global vision or channel coherence.
Lack of time
The CEO manages marketing on top of everything else. Growth stalls due to lack of focus.
Invisible ROI
Marketing budget spent without clear measurement of results or continuous optimization.
What is a Fractional CMO?
A Fractional CMO is a senior marketing director who works part-time in your company. You benefit from high-level expertise without the cost of a full-time position.
At Birdy, your outsourced CMO is not a theoretical consultant · it's an operational sparring partner who integrates with your teams, makes decisions and drives execution.
What Birdy concretely delivers
- Complete audit of your positioning and existing channels
- Structured marketing plan with clear priorities and measurable KPIs
- Management of your internal teams, freelancers and partner agencies
- Operational execution on key levers (SEO, Ads, content, CRM)
- Transparent monthly reporting and optimization recommendations
What is a Fractional CMO, concretely?
A Fractional CMO is a senior marketing director who splits their time across several companies, typically 1 to 5 days per month each. Born in the US startup ecosystem in the early 2010s, the model has become a pragmatic answer in Europe and Switzerland for SMEs and scale-ups that need a real marketing leader without paying a six-figure salary.
Unlike a consultant who delivers a report and disappears, a Fractional CMO joins your team, sits on the leadership committee, manages your vendors and owns the results. They act as a part-time member of the executive team · with access to your data, CRM and people.
For a Swiss SME with CHF 1M to 20M in revenue, this is often the best compromise between an agency (execution without long-term strategy) and a salaried CMO (CHF 150K+ per year plus benefits). You get 20 years of experience for the cost of a junior hire.
In short
Engagement length
3 to 12 months on average, renewable as your needs evolve.
Volume
1 to 8 days per month, adjustable quarter by quarter.
Involvement
Strategic decisions, operational steering and CEO-level reporting.
Typical deliverables
Marketing plan, KPIs, vendor governance, monthly committee.
Fractional CMO vs in-house CMO vs Agency vs Freelancer
Which model to pick depending on your stage, budget and challenges?
| Criterion | Fractional CMO | In-house CMO | Agency | Freelancer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | CHF 2'000 to 6,000 | CHF 13,000 to 18,000 | CHF 5'000 to 25,000 | CHF 1'500 to 6,000 |
| Seniority | 10 to 20 years | Depends on hiring | Mixed (junior to senior) | Often specialised |
| Strategic vision | Yes, client-side | Yes, full-time | Limited to its scope | Rarely cross-functional |
| Operational execution | Steering + selection | Delegates to team | Yes (production) | Yes (on their scope) |
| Minimum engagement | 3 to 6 months | Permanent contract | 6 to 12 months | Project-based |
| Ideal for | SMEs and scale-ups CHF 1 to 20M | Companies > CHF 20M | Heavy execution needs | Punctual skill |
Fractional CMO
- Monthly costCHF 2'000 to 6,000
- Seniority10 to 20 years
- Strategic visionYes, client-side
- Operational executionSteering + selection
- Minimum engagement3 to 6 months
- Ideal forSMEs and scale-ups CHF 1 to 20M
In-house CMO
- Monthly costCHF 13,000 to 18,000
- SeniorityDepends on hiring
- Strategic visionYes, full-time
- Operational executionDelegates to team
- Minimum engagementPermanent contract
- Ideal forCompanies > CHF 20M
Agency
- Monthly costCHF 5'000 to 25,000
- SeniorityMixed (junior to senior)
- Strategic visionLimited to its scope
- Operational executionYes (production)
- Minimum engagement6 to 12 months
- Ideal forHeavy execution needs
Freelancer
- Monthly costCHF 1'500 to 6,000
- SeniorityOften specialised
- Strategic visionRarely cross-functional
- Operational executionYes (on their scope)
- Minimum engagementProject-based
- Ideal forPunctual skill
For a growing Swiss SME, a Fractional CMO combines seniority, client-side vision and controlled cost · the three criteria no other model brings together at the same time.
Our offers
3 levels of engagement based on your needs
From one-time diagnostics to ongoing marketing leadership · choose the intensity that suits you.
Flash Mission
Audit & roadmap
A complete marketing diagnostic in 2 weeks. You leave with a prioritized action plan, quick wins and a 6-month roadmap.
- 360° marketing audit
- Competitive analysis
- Prioritized action plan
- Operational recommendations
Monthly Support
1 to 2 days per month
A strategic sparring partner on a daily basis. Coaching your teams, managing vendors and continuous campaign optimization.
- Monthly strategic sessions
- Vendor management
- Reporting & KPIs
- Continuous email support
Part-Time CMO
3 to 4 days per month
A true marketing director integrated into your team. Strategy, management, execution and daily operational leadership.
- Complete marketing leadership
- Team management
- Operational execution
- Board participation
Average leads generated
To structure your marketing
Renewal rate
SMEs supported in Switzerland
Use cases
When to hire a Fractional CMO?
Product or service launch
Define positioning, structure go-to-market and drive launch campaigns.
Growing scale-up
Move from founder-does-everything to a structured and measurable marketing machine.
Marketing restructuring
Take back control of fragmented marketing and align strategy with business objectives.
Geographic expansion
Adapt your strategy and channels to conquer new markets in Switzerland or internationally.
Position transition or vacancy
Ensure marketing continuity during recruitment of your future marketing director.
Everything you want to know about Fractional CMOs
Let's discuss your marketing strategy
A first 20-minute exchange to understand your challenges, no commitment.