Fractional Chief Creative Officer: Senior Leadership Without Full-Time Cost

Get brand clarity, direction, and creative leadership without the overhead of a permanent hire.

Why Fractional Works

You don’t always need 40 hours a week of creative leadership—you need clarity, consistency, and momentum. As your Fractional CCO, we plug into your leadership cadence, align brand, marketing, and design, and deploy a trusted network of specialists so the right work moves, fast.

  • Executive-level direction without full-time overhead

  • One brand voice across teams, channels, and partners

  • On-demand specialists (video, motion, UX/UI, dev, social, 2D/3D)

Strategic Guidance — Positioning and tone that connect with your market.

Cross-Team Oversight — Align marketing, design, and digital into one voice.

Creative Consistency — Ensure assets look, feel, and perform as one brand.

Executive-Level Input — Representation with boards, investors, and leadership.

Leadership on Demand

What’s Included

Brand Strategy Leadership
Positioning, messaging, differentiation, and decision frameworks.

Cross-Team Direction
Unify marketing, design, product, and web for one coherent narrative.

Creative Asset Oversight
Campaign and asset reviews to maintain quality and consistency.

Investor & Stakeholder Support
CCO-level input for fundraising, M&A, and executive presentations.

How We Engage (Simple & Focused)

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1. Assess — Quick audit of brand health and team dynamics

2. Align — Objectives, KPIs, and cadence with leadership

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3. Lead — Ongoing direction, oversight, and measurable outcomes

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Already have an audit? We plug directly into your roadmap.

Flexible Models to Fit Your Needs

  • Adapt

    Adapt

    $3500

    10 hrs / Every Month

    For brands that need smarter insights and strategic clarity to guide internal teams or partners.

    Ideal if you already have execution resources but need senior creative direction.

    Doug ensures your efforts are aligned, informed, and forward-thinking.

    Provides strategic guidance and monthly touchpoints that keep you on track.

    Best for : Founders, lean teams, or agencies needing senior direction.

  • Elevate

    Elevate

    $7500

    20 hrs / Every Month

    For growing companies that need both strategic leadership and hands-on creative to scale content and optimize performance.

    Ongoing leadership across brand and marketing.

    Helps your team level up content, increase engagement, and refine campaigns without the costly trial-and-error.

    Balances big-picture strategy with practical execution.

    Best for : Growth-stage businesses with small in-house teams.

  • Scale

    Scale

    $12,500

    40 hrs / Every month

    For brands that need a high-level creative partner to lead, execute, and align across marketing, brand, and sales.

    Your on-demand creative leadership team.

    Executive-level thinking combined with hands-on execution.

    Deep involvement in campaigns, leadership calls, and board meetings.

    Agile scalability across all channels.

    Best for : Scale-ups or corporations prepping for funding, M&A, or major launches.

Review the Retainer Roadmap

Do the Math. Then Save the Cash.

A full-time Chief Creative Officer can cost $180K–$250K+ annually before benefits. Fractional CCO gives you senior leadership for a fraction of the cost—tailored to your actual needs.

Cost / Factor Full-Time CCO Fractional CCO (DLB Creative)
Base Compensation $180K–$250K / year Typically $3.5K–$12.5K / month (by model)
Benefits & Overhead $40K–$60K+ (benefits, taxes, tools) None (included in engagement)
Commitment 40 hrs/week, long-term hire 10–40 hrs/month, flexible terms
Speed to Impact Hire cycle + onboarding Start within weeks, immediate leadership
Bottom Line High fixed annual cost Save $150K+ annually while gaining senior leadership

Figures reflect typical US market ranges. Exact pricing depends on scope and cadence.

See if a Fractional CCO is right for you

Trusted by Leaders Who Needed Direction

“Doug brought the leadership we couldn’t find in-house. Our marketing finally has direction and our creative efforts are aligned.” — CEO, Growth-Stage Tech Firm

Challenge: Disconnected brand & campaigns

What we did: Fractional CCO leadership + roadmap

Outcome: Unified brand, faster execution, investor confidence

Questions About Fractional CCO

How long is the commitment?
Most engagements are 3–6 months; we’ll tailor terms to your goals.

What if we need more than 40 hrs/month?
We can customize a model or orchestrate partner resources to scale.

Can you work with our current agency/team?
Yes. We often coordinate internal teams and external partners to ensure one brand voice.

What’s the ROI?
Better alignment, stronger consistency, smarter use of resources—and momentum you can measure.

Ready for Leadership Without the Full-Time Price Tag?

Most companies don’t need 40 hours a week of creative leadership. They need focused strategy, consistency, and results. That’s where Fractional CCO support comes in.

Join founders, marketers, and CEOs who use DLB Creative retainers to align strategy and accelerate growth.