What is a fractional CMO?

A fractional CMO is a senior marketing executive who provides strategic leadership on a part-time or contract basis, giving businesses enterprise-grade marketing capability without the full-time salary.

How does GRPL's fractional CMO service work?

GRPL embeds senior growth leadership into your business on a flexible basis. We define strategy, align teams, optimise channels, and drive measurable growth outcomes - all without the cost and commitment of a full-time executive hire.

Who is GRPL's service designed for?

GRPL works with founders, CEOs, and leadership teams at scaling ANZ businesses who need senior marketing expertise but aren't ready for or don't need a full-time CMO.

What's the difference between a fractional CMO and a marketing consultant?

A marketing consultant typically advises from the outside. A fractional CMO from GRPL embeds into your leadership team, owns strategy and execution, leads your marketing function, and is accountable for growth outcomes.

How long does the marketing audit take?

The diagnostic process takes 3-4 weeks from kickoff to final presentation. This includes stakeholder interviews, data analysis, competitive research, and report development. The 90-day roadmap is delivered alongside the audit findings.

What do you need from us to conduct the audit?

Access to marketing performance data (Google Analytics, CRM data, advertising platform data), 60-90 minutes with 3-5 key stakeholders (CEO, head of sales, head of marketing, and any other relevant leaders), and access to current marketing materials, campaign results, and customer research if available.

Is this just a checklist of what we are doing wrong?

No. Most marketing audits are activity inventories - they list what you are doing and compare it to best practices. GRPL's audit is a strategic diagnostic. It examines why your marketing is or is not generating results and identifies the root causes of underperformance. The output is actionable, prioritised, and tied to a 90-day execution roadmap.

What if we already know our marketing needs work - do we still need an audit?

Knowing marketing needs improvement and knowing specifically what to fix are very different things. Most businesses have theories about what is wrong, but those theories are often incomplete or incorrect. The audit replaces assumptions with evidence and ensures you invest in solving the actual problems rather than the perceived ones.

Can the audit lead into an ongoing engagement?

Yes, and this is the most common path. The audit reveals the strategic priorities, and a fractional CMO or CGO engagement provides the leadership to execute against them. If you engage GRPL for ongoing services following the audit, the audit fee is credited against your first month's retainer.

How much does the marketing audit cost?

The fixed project fee ranges from $8,000 to $15,000 depending on business complexity, number of stakeholders, and scope of data analysis required. GRPL provides a specific quote after an initial conversation about your situation.

Marketing Audit

A Diagnostic Framework That Reveals What Is Actually Broken

Most marketing audits tell you what you are doing. GRPL's marketing audit tells you what is wrong and what to fix. The difference matters. An activity inventory - listing your channels, campaigns, tools, and team - produces a checklist that confirms what you already know. GRPL's diagnostic framework examines six critical dimensions of your marketing function to surface the root causes of underperformance and identify the 2-3 levers that will actually move the needle.

The audit is not an end in itself. Every GRPL audit concludes with a 90-day roadmap that translates findings into specific, actionable initiatives - each with an owner, a deadline, and a success metric. Read more about our audit framework methodology.

The Six-Dimension Diagnostic Framework

Strategic Alignment

Does your marketing strategy actually align with your business strategy? Can your marketing team articulate the target customer, the value proposition, and why the business is different? GRPL tests whether strategy exists on paper or in reality.

Channel Effectiveness

Which channels are genuinely generating qualified pipeline - and which are consuming budget without generating returns? GRPL maps channel investment to revenue outcomes and identifies where reallocation will generate immediate improvement.

Team Capability

Does your marketing team have the skills, structure, and seniority to execute the strategy? GRPL assesses whether the team is structured for the strategy or organised around legacy functions.

Technology Stack

Are your marketing tools serving the strategy - or has the technology tail started wagging the strategic dog? GRPL evaluates whether the tech stack enables measurement, automation, and execution.

Customer Intelligence

Does the business truly understand its customers - how they buy, what messaging resonates, what objections they raise? GRPL evaluates the depth and recency of customer insight.

Competitive Positioning

How is the business positioned relative to competitors? Is the positioning defensible and differentiated? GRPL conducts competitive analysis to assess whether the market sees you the way you see yourself.

What We Typically Find

80%

of businesses have a channel mix problem - investing based on best practices rather than where their customers make decisions.

60%

of businesses have a measurement gap - tracking activity instead of what matters: pipeline, acquisition cost, revenue influenced.

40%

of businesses have a positioning problem - claiming something the market has already claimed, or positioning too broadly.

What You Get

Diagnostic Report - Detailed findings across all six dimensions with specific evidence
Opportunity Matrix - Prioritised list of improvement opportunities ranked by impact and effort
90-Day Roadmap - Specific actions with an owner, deadline, and success metric
Measurement Framework - Clear KPIs connecting marketing activity to pipeline and revenue
Executive Presentation - Board-ready summary of findings and recommendations

Investment

The GRPL Marketing Audit is delivered over 3-4 weeks at a fixed project fee of $8,000 to $15,000 depending on business complexity. For businesses that engage GRPL for ongoing fractional CMO or CGO services following the audit, the audit fee is credited against the first month's retainer.

Want a quick snapshot first?

Take GRPL's free Marketing Health Check. 5 minutes to understand where your marketing stands before committing to a full audit.

Take the Health Check

Find out what is actually holding your marketing back

GRPL's marketing audit gives you the clarity to invest with confidence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

We Work With Businesses Across Australia

GRPL provides marketing audit and fractional CMO services in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth - with flexible engagement models that work regardless of geography.