Fractional CMO · Lithuania and the Baltics Ambitious targets. Limited budget. Short deadlines.
These are the conditions marketing works under, and the conditions I work in. The competence and accountability of a head of marketing for your business, without a full-time position.
What a fractional CMO is
An experienced head of marketing working with a company part of the time, with the same accountability as a full-time one.
Also known as a part-time or outsourced CMO. The model suits businesses that need leadership-level competence – direction, priorities and accountability for the numbers – but not a full-time headcount. Typically one to three days a week, a fixed monthly fee and a clearly defined scope.
| Full-time CMO | Agency | Fractional CMO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountability for results | Full | For delivery, not the whole | Full, at leadership level |
| Cost | Salary, taxes, recruitment, onboarding | Monthly fee plus markups | Fixed retainer, sized to the workload |
| Start | Months of recruitment and onboarding | Weeks of briefing and alignment | Two-week onboarding |
| Conflict of interest | None | Sells its own services | None – open book |
When to call
Channels run in isolation, agencies report on activity rather than outcomes, and nobody owns the whole picture.
A launch needs the right sequence: positioning, offer, channels, sales process. Without a lead who owns that sequence, every partner works to their own interpretation.
There are specialists, agencies and budget, but no leadership layer: priorities, standards and one person accountable for the numbers.
A fit when
- A growing business with a product and sales, but no head of marketing.
- A company with one to five marketing specialists and/or agencies that lack direction and priorities.
- A CEO who wants one person accountable for the marketing result.
Not a fit when
- You're looking for a doer – an ads manager, a designer or a content writer.
- Marketing decisions will be made without the head of marketing. Without decision rights there is no accountability for results.
- You need a one-off consultation – that is what the diagnostic is for, not a retainer.
If any of this sounds familiar, a first conversation carries no obligation.
How I work
I join your organisation as head of marketing, with decision rights and accountability for results.
Not an agency and not a consultancy. I lead the team and the partners, set priorities and answer for the agreed metrics.
The first two weeks: an audit of marketing effectiveness, channels, team and partners. A clear view of where value is created and where resources are lost.
Target audiences, value proposition, positioning and communication architecture in one document the whole team works from.
Channel structure, sales funnel, CRM processes and a KPI system. Marketing becomes a managed, measurable function.
A weekly operating cycle: managing the team and partners, reviewing results, correcting course. Accountability for the agreed metrics is mine.
We choose partners together and you pay them directly. My remuneration is the agreed retainer only, with no markups or commissions.
I don't sell my own production or media, so budget decisions are made solely in your business's interest.
Track record
Viktoras Smertjevas is a fractional CMO and head of RedDoor (MB Raudonos durys). Between 2013 and 2025 he led marketing at seven companies in retail, real estate, manufacturing, automotive services and IT, including Senukai Lietuva, Galio group, Kaita group and ProBro group. He works in Lithuanian, English and Russian.
Retail. Group C-level executive, responsible for marketing across the Baltics
Real estate development
Car subscription and services business. Rebrand, D2C and B2B sales growth, franchise development, expansion into Germany and the Baltics
Real estate development. Rebrand and market entry
Manufacturing. Export markets – Western Europe and the CIS
B2B sales growth
IT
Fractional CMO
Real estate development
Medical tourism, export markets
RedDoor agency, since 2017. Brand, communication and digital marketing projects: Pizza Hut, Mogo, TAMO, MisterTango, Julia Janus, Genys, Merko, Nohr-Con, Siesta Baltic, Medexy, Alna, Klimas.
Engagement formats
Marketing diagnostic
A two-week marketing audit for a fixed fee, with no long-term commitment. I assess marketing effectiveness, channels, team and partners, and deliver findings, priorities and a 90-day plan. From there we continue in one of the formats, or your team runs the plan itself.
- DurationTwo weeks, two to three sessions with the CEO and team
- DeliverableAudit findings, priorities, a 90-day plan with metrics and budget frame
- NextIf we continue in format A, B or C, the diagnostic fee is credited against the first month
Three ongoing formats by level of involvement. We settle the real workload in the first month, and it can move either way.
Oversight
Build
Tailored
I work with no more than three companies at a time, so each gets a leader's attention, not a consultant's. A proposal with a specific scope and fee follows within three working days of the first conversation.
Questions
How is a fractional CMO different from an agency?
An agency executes and sells its own services. I lead: set direction, manage the budget, the team and the agencies, and answer for the result. You can keep your current agency – it will get clear briefs, criteria and evaluation.
Do you work with our existing team and partners?
Yes. The first result is usually the effectiveness of existing resources, not new suppliers. Partners are replaced only when the numbers justify it.
When do the first results show?
Diagnostic and priorities within two weeks, a working system within the first two to three months. How fast sales move depends on the buying cycle: weeks in e-commerce, months in B2B or real estate. That is why the minimum term is three months.
What if we have no marketing team?
We design a minimal structure: what an in-house person does, what partners do, and what it costs. I don't sell execution, so the structure will match your needs rather than my production capacity.
How much of the CEO's time does it take?
A weekly 60-minute meeting and decisions on budget and priorities. Everything else is my responsibility.
What does a fractional CMO cost?
It depends on the format and workload. A proposal with a specific figure follows within three working days of the first conversation. As a benchmark, considerably less than the full cost of a full-time head of marketing, and you can start with a two-week diagnostic and no long-term commitment.
Where do you work – only in Lithuania?
I work with companies in Lithuania and the Baltics. On site in Palanga, Klaipėda and Vilnius, elsewhere remotely with in-person meetings as needed. Working languages: Lithuanian, English and Russian.
Contact
A first conversation.
Thirty minutes on your situation and goals. I'll assess whether and how I can help, and if it isn't me, I'll say who could.
Viktoras Smertjevas PalangaVilniusKlaipėda remote