Fractional CMO
Strategic and operational ownership of visibility and demand, without hiring a full-time marketing leader.
For B2B companies in growth mode, marketing is too important to leave to chance — but often too complex to solve with one hire or one vendor. A Fractional CMO becomes an integrated part of the leadership team, takes full ownership of marketing, and ensures that strategy translates into momentum.
Book a conversation →IN SHORT
A Fractional CMO is a senior marketing leader working part-time for B2B companies that have outgrown what the founder can handle alone, but lack the volume for a full-time hire. Erlend Førsund takes full ownership of growth targets, leads the marketing function, and typically works one day per week from NOK 50,000 per month.
When does Fractional CMO add the most value?
Not every company needs a Fractional CMO. But certain situations make it the obvious right choice:
- —When marketing has outgrown what the founder or a junior marketer can handle alone.
- —When you need senior strategic expertise but don't have the volume or budget for a full-time hire.
- —When an existing marketing leader leaves, and you need continuity without rushing into a hire.
- —When marketing feels like "activity without direction" — a lot is happening, little hangs together.
- —When you're entering a new growth phase and need someone who has done it before.
What I help you with
Strategic ownership of visibility and demand
I work closely with the leadership team to build a marketing strategy anchored in business strategy, evaluate what actually works, and prioritize what you should stop doing.
Weekly prioritization, and what it means
Marketing teams often lose speed and direction because they have too many balls in the air at once. I help you choose two or three campaigns that get delivered well, and ensure the rest are paused or terminated.
Sharpening and developing your brand and messaging
When the position is unclear, all content becomes unclear. I work with leadership to sharpen what you stand for and ensure your messaging hangs together across surfaces.
AI visibility as a strategic perspective
Through Periscopify, I integrate AI visibility into your marketing strategy. You get continuous insight into how ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity assess you against competitors, and use that insight to prioritize correctly.
Buyer expertise in procurement, agency selection, and delivery quality
I know what agencies and freelancers actually deliver, what a good brief contains, and how you get value for money. You don't need to be experts on this yourselves.
Momentum on prioritized campaigns and guidance
I make sure that what we've decided actually happens. This includes weekly standups, briefs to internal resources or agencies, and quality assurance of deliverables.
Authority Engine as framework
In traditional B2B marketing, the goal was to get found on the right search terms. Today, the goal is to get recommended — by Google, by AI models, by colleagues, and by media.
Authority Engine is the framework I work by. It consists of four dimensions: Position, Proof, Visibility, and Conversion. As Fractional CMO, I take responsibility for all four working together and for marketing delivering on growth targets. You don't get a specialist in one thing, but a partner who sees the whole and gets things done.
Read more about Authority Engine →How the engagement works
Month 1
Authority Engine Assessment
The first month is spent building the foundation. No campaigns are launched — the goal is to understand your company deeply enough to build a strategy that holds. I conduct interviews with leadership, sales, and selected customers, map existing marketing resources, do competitor and market analysis, and establish the Baseline Scorecard and the quarter's Rocks. The phase ends with a strategy presentation for the leadership team.
Months 2–3
First quarter in operation
With strategy approved, the engine starts. Two to three priority campaigns or initiatives are selected based on what's both important and time-critical. The rest is parked for later quarters. Operational rhythm is established with weekly operational meetings, two-week strategic sprints, and monthly executive reports to leadership.
From month 4
Ongoing quarterly rhythm
After the first quarter, the work follows a predictable rhythm. Quarterly Rocks planning, biannual strategy reassessment, and continued weekly operational meetings and two-week sprints. You always know what's being delivered, when, and how we measure if it's working.
Prerequisites for the engagement to work
Fractional CMO is a leadership role, not a do-it-yourself service. For the engagement to deliver, you must have:
Operational capacity
Internal resources or external suppliers must exist to perform the marketing work. This can be employees on your team, or an agency/freelancers you use. I lead, prioritize, and quality-assure; others execute.
Access to leadership
The service requires that I have a seat at the leadership table and direct dialogue with decision-makers.
Willingness to commit long-term
Marketing strategy delivers results over quarters and years, not weeks. The 6-month commitment reflects this.
Realistic marketing budget
Typically a minimum of NOK 1 million per year for marketing combined, including my retainer, internal resources, and operational activities like ad spend and tools.
If you don't have operational capacity, I'd recommend starting with CMO Advisory or AI Visibility instead, or building out the operational side in parallel with onboarding.
This fits
B2B companies with complex buying processes.
CMOs and commercial leaders who need a sparring partner.
Companies that need marketing leadership.
This doesn't fit
Companies that want operational production fast.
Projects without strategic relevance.
Companies looking for confirmation, not challenge.
Investment
From NOK 50,000 per month.
Final price depends on scope and is set after an initial conversation. 6-month commitment, then ongoing with 3 months notice.
Typical marketing investment for clients on this service: minimum NOK 1 million per year combined. This includes my retainer, internal resources, and operational activities like ad spend, tools, and external production.
What sets me apart
- —I don't sell campaigns.
- —I don't install technology.
- —I don't compete with agencies.
A strategic extension of the leadership team.
There are several Fractional CMOs in Norway. What I do differently:
- —Authority Engine gives us a shared language and a recognizable structure, so you always know what we're working on and why.
- —I have a small team around me that delivers operationally where it makes the most sense.
- —I'm co-founder of Periscopify, a SaaS tool for AI visibility (GEO). It gives me daily work with the data and insights I bring into client engagements, and practical experience building B2B tech myself.
- —I work to a structured method with quarterly rhythm, two-week sprints, and monthly reporting. You always know what's happening, why, and where we stand.
Related reading
"As Fractional CMO at Isopartner, Erlend has taken ownership of our marketing strategy and made the moves needed to increase our visibility in the Norwegian and Swedish markets. He is a doer, highly results-oriented, and methodical in his approach to marketing. One quality I want to highlight is his sharp pen. I can highly recommend him to anyone."
Not sure if this is right for you?
A short conversation is often all it takes to find out. We take our time — no sales pitch, just an honest discussion.
Book a conversation →