Have Marketing Teams Shrunk Post-COVID? How a Fractional CMO Can Drive Scalable Growth

In the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, marketing departments have undergone a profound shift. Once seen as the heartbeat of brand growth, many internal marketing teams are now smaller, leaner, and more focused on performance-driven results. Budget constraints, talent shortages, and a fast-changing media landscape have reshaped how companies approach marketing—and many are turning to fractional CMOs to fill the strategic gap.

Here’s a closer look at what’s behind this downsizing trend and why fractional marketing leadership is becoming a smart, scalable solution for growth.

💡The Data: Marketing Teams Are Shrinking

1. Post-COVID Budget Cuts and Restructuring

According to the 2023 Gartner CMO Spend and Strategy Survey, marketing budgets have dropped to 9.1% of overall company revenue, down from 11% in 2020. This decline reflects tighter cost controls and a growing expectation that marketing deliver more results with fewer resources.

2. In-House Talent Is Declining

A 2022 Deloitte CMO Survey reported that 58.7% of companies had reduced the size of their internal marketing teams since 2020, citing cost pressures and challenges hiring talent with hybrid digital/creative skillsets. At the same time, marketing leaders are being asked to oversee more channels and platforms than ever before.

3. Outsourcing on the Rise

The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) found in 2023 that nearly 40% of brands now outsource a portion of their strategic marketing functions—a jump from 26% in 2019. With internal headcount shrinking, external partners and freelance specialists are filling the void.

💡Why This Matters: Gaps in Leadership and Strategy

As teams contract, many companies lose not just executional bandwidth, but strategic direction. Junior-level marketers may be tasked with running campaigns without the high-level guidance needed to tie those activities to ROI, long-term positioning, or cross-channel integration.

Meanwhile, CMOs themselves are under pressure. The average tenure of a CMO is just 24-40 months, according to Spencer Stuart’s 2024 report, and many companies struggle to find or afford seasoned leaders capable of guiding modern, data-driven strategies.

Enter the Fractional CMO: A Smart, Scalable Alternative

A fractional CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) is a seasoned marketing executive who works with companies on a part-time, interim, or project basis. For organizations facing budget constraints or scaling challenges, this model offers a compelling mix of flexibility, experience, and efficiency.

Here’s how a fractional CMO adds value:

✅ Strategic Clarity Without the Full-Time Cost

Companies gain access to executive-level thinking and planning—without the $250K+ salary that a full-time CMO commands. Fractional CMOs typically work 10–20 hours per week and are laser-focused on outcomes.

✅ Scalable Systems and Team Building

Rather than just delivering campaigns, fractional CMOs often help design the frameworks, KPIs, and vendor ecosystems that set internal teams up for sustainable success.

✅ Objective, Cross-Industry Insight

Having worked with a variety of brands, a fractional CMO brings pattern recognition and fresh insights that internal teams might lack, especially in fast-evolving sectors like tech, travel, and wellness.

✅ Agility in Uncertain Markets

As budgets fluctuate or goals shift, a fractional leader can adapt quickly—ideal for startups, PE-backed companies, or post-pandemic businesses that are rebuilding momentum.

💡The Bottom Line

COVID didn’t just change how we live and work—it redefined the way companies approach growth. Leaner marketing teams are here to stay, but that doesn’t mean sacrificing strategic excellence. With a fractional CMO at the helm, businesses can unlock the leadership they need to compete, adapt, and scale in today’s fragmented landscape.

Final Thought As marketing teams continue to shrink post-COVID, businesses face a critical need for strategic direction without the overhead of full-time leadership. A fractional CMO offers the ideal balance—bringing high-level expertise, agility, and scalable support to help brands grow smarter, not just bigger, in today’s leaner landscape.

If you are thinking a fractional CMO may be right for you, let’s talk about what’s possible when strategy meets flexibility.