As early- and growth-stage SaaS companies scale, many reach a critical inflection point: they need marketing leadership, but not necessarily a full-time executive. That’s where fractional roles come in. But what’s the actual difference between a Fractional CMO and a VP of Marketing? The titles sound similar, but the roles are quite different.
This guide breaks down their responsibilities, ideal use cases, and how to choose the right one based on your stage, motion, and growth needs.
What Is a Fractional CMO?
A fractional CMO is a part-time executive who owns the strategic marketing direction of your company. They operate at the C-suite level, aligning GTM, sales, and product to drive growth. Most fractional CMOs are former full-time CMOs with deep experience across multiple SaaS businesses.
Typical Responsibilities:
- Define or refine your GTM strategy
- Lead positioning and messaging
- Manage marketing budget and channel mix
- Align marketing with product and sales
- Track and optimize GTM KPIs
- Guide internal team or agency partners
What Is a VP of Marketing?
A VP of Marketing is a senior operator focused more on execution. They may support your CMO or founder by managing campaigns, content production, or marketing ops. They’re not expected to own company-wide GTM strategy but rather bring operational excellence to a defined function.
Typical Responsibilities:
- Own content marketing, demand gen, or lifecycle marketing
- Execute campaigns across paid, email, SEO
- Support campaign attribution and reporting
- Coordinate with design, sales, and product
- Improve CRM processes and marketing operations
Key Differences at a Glance
| Capability | Fractional CMO | VP of Marketing |
|---|---|---|
| Role Level | Executive (C-suite) | Department Lead (mid-senior) |
| Focus | Strategy, GTM, positioning | Execution, campaign management |
| Reports To | CEO, Founder | CMO or Head of Marketing |
| Ownership | End-to-end marketing leadership | Owned function or team execution |
| Ideal Stage | Seed to Series B | Series A to C or later |
| Duration | 3–6+ months | 3–12+ months |
When to Hire a Fractional CMO
You should consider a fractional CMO if:
- You’re pre- or post-product-market fit but lack senior marketing direction
- Your GTM strategy is fragmented or unclear
- You need help with SaaS positioning and messaging
- Your sales and marketing teams are not aligned
- You’re preparing for fundraising or hiring a full-time CMO later
- You’re unsure whether now is the right time? Read our full guide on when to hire a fractional CMO →
Explore our Fractional CMO Services to see how we support SaaS founders.
When to Hire a VP of Marketing
You should consider a VP of Marketing if:
- You already have GTM strategy in place and need execution support
- You’re scaling paid, SEO, or lifecycle campaigns
- You need to manage a small team or multiple vendors
- You need someone hands-on with ops, tooling, and workflows
A VP-level hire brings structure to marketing execution but is not expected to architect your growth strategy from scratch.
Which One Do You Need?
Ask yourself:
- Do we have clear GTM direction, or do we need help creating one?
- Do we need leadership or execution?
- Who will this person report to?
A Fractional CMO is the right fit when your marketing needs strategic orchestration across channels. A VP of Marketing is a better fit if you already have strategy but lack operational muscle.
Final Thoughts
Hiring the wrong role leads to misaligned expectations. Many SaaS startups confuse execution needs with strategic gaps, and vice versa.
Get clarity on what you need — then choose the right partner.
Still unsure which role fits your current stage? Talk to us about fractional leadership that fits your SaaS GTM needs.
Also Read: Fractional CMO vs Full-time CMO