CREATIVE
Your Marketing is Running. Nobody Can
Tell You Where It's Going.
I work with $2–20M companies whose marketing is active but unaccountable. I fix that.
This isn't a reel. It's proof of how we think, because strategy without execution fails
Most marketing doesn't fail because of effort or intent.
It falls flat because of the chasm between the plan and the pulling off of the plan. Strategy and execution are in separate timezones.
Real growth happens when one team is responsible for the strategy, creative, and execution. And is accountable for what happens next. That's why Kyle Benjamin started BirdDog Creative. One person accountable for strategy, execution, and what happens next.
- Most clients identify $3–5K/month in wasted spend within the first audit.
- The average SMB works with 5–7 marketing vendors simultaneously with no single point of accountability.
- Hiring a full-time CMO costs $175–250K in salary alone. Fractional CMO engagements typically run $5–10K/month.
- Companies that use a fractional CMO see on average a 29% increase in revenue growth.
Fractional CMO SERVICES
Marketing Strategy & Planning
We map out how best to tell your story, giving you the elements to execute the plan. From digital to social to earned media. Your message, your way. Strategy first. Execution that serves the strategy. No KPIs for the sake of metrics.
Execution Oversight
Most strategies fail in the handoff. You've got a plan, but five vendors executing five different pieces with no one connecting the dots.
I oversee the entire execution, from your Google Ads and Facebook campaigns to email sequences and content calendars. One person accountable for making sure everything actually gets built, launched, and measured. Strategy stays intact from planning through deployment.
Tracking & Metrics
Most companies track activity, not outcomes. Impressions, clicks, engagement—all nice to know, but none of it tells you if marketing is actually working.
I set up systems that connect marketing spend to revenue. What campaigns drive leads? Which leads close? What's the real cost per customer? Clear dashboards, honest reporting, and data you can actually use to make decisions.
Content & Video Direction
Most video production is guesswork dressed up as creativity. Pretty shots with no purpose.
I direct content strategy that serves business goals first. What story moves your audience? What format fits the platform? What's the actual call to action? Video, photography, written content—it all gets built with intent, not just aesthetics.
Brand Messaging & Positioning
Your message isn't landing because it's trying to say everything to everyone.
I clarify what you stand for, who you serve, and why they should care. Then we make sure that message shows up consistently everywhere. Website, ads, emails, sales conversations. Clear positioning cuts through noise. Muddled messaging just adds to it.
Strategic Communications
Getting attention isn't the same as earning trust. PR and media relations aren't about "getting your name out there." They're about positioning you as the authority when it matters.
I identify the right platforms, the right timing, and the right angles to get your voice in front of the people who need to hear it. Earned media, thought leadership, crisis communications. We control the narrative, not chase it.
ONGOING
Ongoing strategic leadership. One person accountable for your marketing strategy, vendor management, execution oversight, and results.
No handoffs. No disappearing acts.
- Weekly strategy alignment
- Consolidated vendor oversight
- Clear tracking tied to revenue
Fractional CMO Retainer
Starting at $5000/mo
STEP ONE
- Vendor accountability review
- Attribution & spend analysis
- Clear action plan delivered
A forensic review of your vendors, spend, attribution, and strategy. Most clients find $3–5K/month in waste before we're done. Fully applicable toward a retainer.
$1,500
Marketing Leak Audit
Not sure where to start? The audit tells you everything. Book a call.
What experience buys you
Good marketing isn't about doing more.
It's about making better decisions.
After years inside media production, and executive leadership, I've learned what moves the needle, and what's just noise. Not every trend deserves attention.
Judgment is knowing what to pursue, what to ignore, and when to act.
That's what experience buys you. Take a peek under the hood here →
Judgement
Accountability
Strategy only matters if someone stays with it long enough to see what works and what doesn't.
Accountability means tracking what changes once the work is in market.
It means adjusting when something underperforms, doubling down when it works, and being honest when a tactic isn't worth continuing.
There's no handoff here. No disappearing act after delivery.
If I'm responsible for the strategy and execution, I'm responsible for the outcome.
That's the job.
The Proof
Kyle, and the leadership he provided for his team, really leveled-up our school's credibility and built excitement for our programs and distinctives. If you consult with him or (better yet) hire him at your company, you'll be glad you did. I've not encountered anyone else with the variety of marketing, communications, production, AND executive leadership skills Kyle brings to the table.
Dr. Matt Bryant Cheney
Asst. Prof of English, Georgia College
Kyle helped us get our marketing operations off the ground at HomeLedger and gave us real momentum early. Starting from zero, he led outbound email and social efforts and brought clear opinions and direction to our weekly strategy conversations. Working remotely was never a limitation. The biggest difference was having someone who didn't just execute, but helped us decide what mattered. Kyle operated like a true partner and helped us move faster with confidence.
Clem McDavid
Founder and CEO, HomeLedger
When a fractional CMO makes sense
This is the right fit if:
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You're doing $2–20M in revenue and marketing feels like a black box
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You have vendors running campaigns but nobody connecting the dots
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You're spending on marketing but can't trace it to revenue
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You need senior leadership but can't justify a full-time CMO salary
This isn't the right fit if:
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You're pre-revenue or just getting started
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You want someone to execute tasks, not own strategy
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You're not ready to be honest about what's not working
If your marketing needs senior leadership but doesn't justify a full-time CMO salary, this model works.
The work speaks. The results back it up.
When one person owns the strategy and the creative, things stop falling through the cracks. No agency handoffs. No interpretation errors. No "that's not what we meant." Just work that does what it was built to do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:What does a fractional CMO do?
A: A fractional CMO provides senior marketing leadership without the full-time cost. I own your marketing strategy, manage your vendors, oversee execution, and stay accountable for results — typically at 25–50% of what a full-time CMO costs.
A: When marketing feels busy but unfocused. When you're spending on vendors but can't trace results to revenue. When you need someone to own the strategy, not just execute tasks. Most of my clients are doing $2–20M in revenue with active marketing that isn't producing clear returns.
A: BirdDog Creative retainers start at $5,000/month. For companies not ready to commit to a retainer, the Marketing Leak Audit at $1,500 is the right starting point, and it's fully applicable as credit toward a retainer engagement.
A: A forensic review of your marketing spend, vendors, attribution, and strategy. Most clients identify $3–5K/month in wasted spend before the audit is complete. It tells you exactly what's working, what's leaking, and what to fix first.
A:Agencies execute. A fractional CMO owns the strategy and holds everyone, including the agencies, accountable. I sit on your side of the table, not the vendor's.
Q: When does a company need a fractional CMO?
Q: How much does a fractional CMO cost?
Q: What's a Marketing Leak Audit?
Q: How is this different from hiring a marketing agency?
