CMO Advisor

Marketing leadership advisory for Chief Marketing Officers.

Core Competencies

• Brand strategy and positioning
• Demand generation
• Marketing operations
• Growth marketing
• Revenue marketing alignment
• Content strategy
• Marketing technology
• Team building and leadership

Marketing Strategy Framework

Strategic Planning Process

Phase 1: Situation Analysis

• Market size and dynamics
• Competitive landscape
• Customer segmentation
• Current performance audit

Phase 2: Strategy Definition

• Target market prioritization
• Positioning and messaging
• Channel strategy
• Investment allocation

Phase 3: Execution Planning

• Campaign calendar
• Content roadmap
• Technology requirements
• Team and budget needs

Phase 4: Measurement Framework

• KPI definition
• Attribution model
• Reporting cadence
• Optimization triggers

Marketing Budget Allocation

By Function (B2B SaaS Typical):

• Demand Generation: 35-45%
• Content & Brand: 15-20%
• Marketing Ops & Tech: 15-20%
• Events & Field: 10-15%
• People & Overhead: 15-20%

By Funnel Stage:

• Awareness: 20-25%
• Consideration: 30-35%
• Decision: 25-30%
• Retention/Expansion: 15-20%

Brand Strategy

Brand Architecture

Brand Elements:

1. Purpose: Why we exist
2. Vision: Where we’re going
3. Mission: What we do
4. Values: How we operate
5. Personality: How we communicate
6. Positioning: How we’re different

Positioning Statement Template

For [target customer]
Who [statement of need or opportunity]
[Product name] is a [product category]
That [statement of key benefit]
Unlike [primary competitive alternative]
Our product [statement of primary differentiation]

Messaging Framework

Demand Generation

Funnel Metrics

Top of Funnel:

• Website visitors
• Content engagement
• Social reach
• Brand awareness

Middle of Funnel:

• MQLs generated
• Content downloads
• Webinar attendance
• Demo requests

Bottom of Funnel:

• SQLs accepted
• Opportunities created
• Pipeline influenced
• Revenue attributed

Channel Performance Framework

Campaign Planning Template

CAMPAIGN: [Name]
OBJECTIVE: [Specific goal]
AUDIENCE: [Target segment]
CHANNELS: [Distribution channels]
TIMELINE: [Start - End dates]
BUDGET: [Total investment]

KEY MESSAGES:
- Primary: [Main message]
- Secondary: [Supporting points]

SUCCESS METRICS:
- Leads: [Target]
- Pipeline: [Target]
- Cost per lead: [Target]

ASSETS REQUIRED:
- [ ] Landing page
- [ ] Email sequence
- [ ] Ad creative
- [ ] Content pieces

Marketing Operations

Tech Stack Categories

Core Platform:

• Marketing Automation (HubSpot, Marketo, Pardot)
• CRM Integration (Salesforce, HubSpot)
• Analytics (GA4, Mixpanel)

Content & Creative:

• CMS (WordPress, Webflow)
• Design (Figma, Canva)
• DAM (Bynder, Brandfolder)

Advertising:

• Ad Platforms (Google, LinkedIn, Meta)
• ABM (6sense, Demandbase)
• Retargeting (various)

Intelligence:

• Intent Data (Bombora, G2)
• Competitive Intel (Crayon, Klue)
• Attribution (Bizible, Dreamdata)

Lead Management

Lead Stages:

1. Visitor (anonymous)
2. Known (identified)
3. Engaged (active interest)
4. MQL (marketing qualified)
5. SAL (sales accepted)
6. SQL (sales qualified)
7. Opportunity
8. Customer

Lead Scoring Model:

MQL Threshold: 50 points

Content Strategy

Content Pillars

Define 3-5 content pillars aligned to:

• Target audience pain points
• Product differentiators
• Search opportunity
• Thought leadership goals

Content Types by Funnel Stage

Awareness:

• Blog posts
• Social content
• Podcasts
• Industry reports

Consideration:

• Ebooks/guides
• Webinars
• Case studies
• Comparison guides

Decision:

• Product demos
• ROI calculators
• Customer testimonials
• Implementation guides

Editorial Calendar

Revenue Marketing Alignment

SLA Between Marketing and Sales

Marketing Commits:

• Deliver X MQLs per month
• MQL to SQL conversion > Y%
• Lead response within Z hours
• Pipeline attribution target

Sales Commits:

• Follow up on MQLs within 24 hours
• Provide feedback on lead quality
• Update opportunity stages
• Share customer insights

Attribution Model

Multi-Touch Attribution:

• First Touch: 30%
• Lead Creation: 20%
• Opportunity Creation: 30%
• Closed Won: 20%

Reporting Cadence:

• Daily: Campaign performance
• Weekly: Pipeline and conversion
• Monthly: Full funnel analysis
• Quarterly: Channel ROI review

Team Structure

Marketing Org by Stage

Series A (5-10 people):

• Head of Marketing
• Content/Brand
• Demand Gen
• Marketing Ops

Series B (10-20 people):

• CMO
• Director, Brand
• Director, Demand Gen
• Manager, Content
• Manager, Ops
• Individual contributors

Series C+ (20+ people):

• CMO
• VP Brand
• VP Demand Gen
• VP Revenue Marketing
• VP Marketing Ops
• Specialized teams

Common Scenarios

Scenario: Missed Pipeline Target

When marketing-sourced pipeline falls short:

1. Analyze conversion by stage
2. Identify drop-off points
3. Review lead quality feedback
4. Assess channel performance
5. Adjust tactics for next period
6. Communicate plan to leadership

Scenario: Rebrand Initiative

When undertaking brand refresh:

1. Define scope and objectives
2. Conduct brand audit
3. Stakeholder research
4. Develop creative concepts
5. Test with target audience
6. Create rollout plan
7. Update all touchpoints
8. Launch and measure

Scenario: New Market Entry

When expanding to new segment:

1. Market sizing and analysis
2. Competitive research
3. Buyer persona development
4. Messaging adaptation
5. Channel identification
6. Pilot campaign execution
7. Learn and scale

Reference Materials

• references/brand_guidelines.md – Brand standards and usage
• references/demand_gen_playbook.md – Campaign execution guide
• references/content_strategy.md – Content planning framework
• references/martech_stack.md – Technology recommendations

Scripts

# Campaign performance analyzer
python scripts/campaign_analyzer.py --campaign Q1-ABM

# Lead scoring calculator
python scripts/lead_scoring.py --leads leads.csv

# Content calendar generator
python scripts/content_calendar.py --pillars topics.yaml

# Attribution reporter
python scripts/attribution.py --period monthly