Table of contents
How we vet every listicle
Every agency featured on Web Tonic passes our 84-point editorial review before a single listicle goes live. This is how we vet each pick:
Verified client outcomes: We require real case studies with measurable KPIs — revenue, ROAS, CPA, retention — tied to the exact category being ranked. No cherry-picked wins, no unverifiable numbers.
Independent reputation: We cross-check Clutch, Google, G2, and Trustpilot ratings, and screen for review-bombing or suspicious patterns. Only operators with a consistent, verifiable track record make the cut.
Beyond that, every listing goes through a quarterly re-audit. We check 84 criteria across 6 pillars to make sure it still holds up — here are some of the checks we run:
A fractional CMO firm places a senior marketing executive in your company part-time: that person sets the strategy and budget, manages staff and agencies, builds the go-to-market plan and reports pipeline to the CEO, usually for 10 to 20 hours a week. Portland companies in outdoor and apparel brands, food and beverage, software and local services often use a fractional CMO to set strategy and manage outside agencies.
To make this list, each of the nine external firms had to sell fractional or outsourced CMO services on its own website. Not all of them have an office in Portland, so each card names the firm's real base, and clients and prices appear only where published.
Which firms provide fractional CMOs in Portland?
Web Tonic plus nine external firms that sell fractional CMO services on their own sites. Two are headquartered in the Portland area; the others serve Portland companies remotely. Two name a client publicly and one publishes a price.
1. Web Tonic
About: Web Tonic provides fractional CMO leadership backed by an in-house growth marketing team from our Portland office, so the plan and the execution sit with one partner. Reporting is built around pipeline, customer acquisition cost and revenue rather than clicks, and the ad accounts, data and tools stay in the client's own name.
Key Services: Growth Marketing, Paid Social, PPC, Meta Ads, SEO, Google Ads, Snapchat Ads, Amazon Ads, Reddit Ads, TikTok Ads, TikTok Shop, GEO-AEO, Webflow Design, Shopify Design, WordPress Design, UGC, Social Media Management, Pay Per Click Management, Marketing Analytics, Analytics Implementation & CDPs, Performance Branding, Performance 360° Audit, Programmatic Ads, OOH Ads, HR Marketing
Industries Served: eCommerce, SaaS, B2B, Construction Professionals, Home Services, SMEs, Health Spa & Wellness, Retail, Legal & Judicial Services, Food & Beverages, Pets, Fitness, Family & Children, Finance & Insurance, Travel, Non-Profits & Organizations, Furniture & Decoration
Notable Clients: WorldRemit, Jack & Jones, Ardene, L’Oréal, Sendwave, Nestlé, Airbnb. Serve Fortune 500 companies and smaller fast-paced startups.
Locations: Local Portland office, with the main HQ in San Francisco and notable offices in New York, Chicago, Miami, Toronto, Montreal, Dubai, Singapore, Sydney and more. Offices on five continents.
Pricing: Starting at USD $3,000 per month. Flexible and scalable plans at any time according to your enterprise needs. Book a call to learn more.
Great For: Mid-market to enterprise-level businesses requiring ongoing, on-tap growth and performance marketing services.
Website: Web Tonic
2. Word, Ink.
About: Word, Ink. is a marketing and communications agency in Portland, Oregon. It offers a combined fractional chief marketing officer and chief communications officer service for organizations that want senior support without a full-time hire.
Key Services: Fractional CMO, Fractional CCO, Communications Strategy, Content, Public Relations, Marketing Planning
Industries Served: Nonprofits, Professional Services, Healthcare, B2B Services, Small Businesses
Notable Clients: Not named on the pages we checked
Locations: Portland, Oregon
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: Small and mid-size businesses without a marketing leader, Owners juggling several marketing vendors, Companies that want strategy and execution in one place
Website: Word, Ink.
3. Ad-Apt
About: Ad-Apt is a Portland-area agency on A Avenue in Lake Oswego that has run paid media, data and web work since 2011. Its Lead the Function engagement provides fractional CMO leadership and then builds, runs and reports on the plan.
Key Services: Fractional CMO, Paid Media, Data Pipelines, Web Development, AEO, Franchise Marketing
Industries Served: Local Service Businesses, Multi-location Retail, Franchises, Mid-market Companies, Enterprise Brands
Notable Clients: Not named on the pages we checked
Locations: Lake Oswego, Oregon
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: Small and mid-size businesses without a marketing leader, Owners juggling several marketing vendors, Companies that want strategy and execution in one place
Website: Ad-Apt
4. Caliber Brand Strategy + Content Marketing
About: Caliber is a brand strategy and content marketing firm on West Oakdale Avenue in Chicago that sells a Fractional CMO+ service. It works mostly with closely held small businesses and multi-generational family companies.
Key Services: Fractional CMO, Fractional Chief Content Officer, Brand Strategy, Content Marketing, Messaging, Marketing Planning
Industries Served: Family Businesses, Professional Services, Law Firms, Small Businesses, B2B Services
Notable Clients: Not named on the pages we checked
Locations: Chicago, Illinois
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: Professional service and family-owned firms, Partners who want marketing leadership without a full-time hire, Firms that need one owner for vendors and budget
Website: Caliber Brand Strategy + Content Marketing
5. Kalungi
About: Kalungi is a B2B SaaS marketing agency based in Kirkland, on Seattle’s Eastside, and the team behind the T2D3 playbook. Its CMO-as-a-Service engagement gives SaaS companies executive marketing leadership, with DataGuard and Fraxion among its clients.
Key Services: CMO-as-a-Service, CMO Coaching, SaaS ABM, SaaS Content and SEO, RevOps, Paid Media
Industries Served: B2B SaaS, Technology, Startups, Fintech, Healthcare Technology
Notable Clients: DataGuard, Fraxion, One Click Contractor, CPGvision
Locations: Kirkland, Washington
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: Startups and SaaS companies without a marketing leader, Founders handing marketing off for the first time, Teams preparing a launch or funding round
Website: Kalungi
6. Brick Marketing
About: Brick Marketing is a Boston B2B digital marketing agency that has served more than 600 companies since 2005. It offers fractional CMO strategy and marketing leadership on top of SEO and full-service implementation.
Key Services: Fractional CMO, SEO, B2B Digital Strategy, Content Marketing, Marketing Training, Marketing Consulting
Industries Served: B2B Services, Manufacturing, Technology, Professional Services, Private Equity Portfolio Companies
Notable Clients: Bennett Awards, Feinmann
Locations: Boston, Massachusetts
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: B2B companies that need a senior marketing lead, Firms with long, relationship-driven sales cycles, CEOs who want marketing and sales aligned
Website: Brick Marketing
7. Strategy Collective
About: Strategy Collective is a healthcare marketing agency that offers fractional CMO leadership to private equity backed healthcare platforms. Ad Age named it a Southwest Gold Small Agency of the Year in 2026.
Key Services: Fractional CMO, Pre-close Due Diligence, Paid Media, Enterprise Web, Brand Strategy, Multi-location Marketing
Industries Served: Private Equity Healthcare, Dental Groups, Veterinary Groups, Physical Therapy, Multi-location Healthcare
Notable Clients: Not named on the pages we checked
Locations: Office address not published on the pages we checked
Pricing: USD $15,000 flat fee for a 30-day enterprise assessment
Great For: Private equity portfolio companies, Mid-market firms after an acquisition or leadership exit, Boards that want marketing tied to value creation
Website: Strategy Collective
8. TechCXO
About: TechCXO is a fractional executive firm founded in 2003 with its office on the northeast side of Atlanta. It places fractional chief marketing officers alongside CFOs, COOs and revenue leaders in startups and established companies.
Key Services: Fractional CMO, Fractional CFO, Fractional CRO, Fractional COO, Operating Partners, Exit Readiness
Industries Served: Startups, Technology, Private Equity Portfolio Companies, Healthcare, B2B Services
Notable Clients: Not named on the pages we checked
Locations: Atlanta, Georgia
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: Startups and SaaS companies without a marketing leader, Founders handing marketing off for the first time, Teams preparing a launch or funding round
Website: TechCXO
9. ROI Marketing
About: ROI Marketing is an industrial and B2B marketing firm based in Lake Forest, Illinois. Its fractional CMO service puts senior marketing leadership, execution oversight and accountability into manufacturing and B2B companies.
Key Services: Fractional CMO, Industrial Marketing, Channel Marketing, Lead Generation, Content, Marketing Strategy
Industries Served: Manufacturing, Industrial Distribution, B2B Services, Building Products, Engineering Firms
Notable Clients: Not named on the pages we checked
Locations: Lake Forest, Illinois
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: B2B and industrial companies with long sales cycles, Owners who need marketing and sales aligned, Firms replacing a departed marketing head
Website: ROI Marketing
10. EAG Advertising & Marketing
About: EAG Advertising and Marketing is a Kansas City agency in the Crossroads district that has worked with B2B, B2C and nonprofit organizations since 2003. Its fractional CMO service combines marketing leadership with full-service execution.
Key Services: Fractional CMO, Advertising, Branding, Digital Marketing, Content, Media Planning
Industries Served: B2B, Consumer Brands, Nonprofits, Healthcare, Financial Services
Notable Clients: Not named on the pages we checked
Locations: Kansas City, Missouri
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: B2B companies that need a senior marketing lead, Firms with long, relationship-driven sales cycles, CEOs who want marketing and sales aligned
Website: EAG Advertising & Marketing
Quick Comparison Table
| Agency | Key Specialty | Starting Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Web Tonic | Full-Service Performance Marketing | USD $3,000/mo | Mid-market to Enterprise (local Portland office) |
| 2. Word, Ink. | Fractional CMO plus communications lead | Quote-based | Small and mid-size businesses without a marketing leader |
| 3. Ad-Apt | Fractional CMO that also builds the stack | Quote-based | Small and mid-size businesses without a marketing leader |
| 4. Caliber Brand Strategy + Content Marketing | Brand-led fractional CMO for family firms | Quote-based | Professional service and family-owned firms |
| 5. Kalungi | CMO-as-a-Service for B2B SaaS | Quote-based | Startups and SaaS companies without a marketing leader |
| 6. Brick Marketing | B2B fractional CMO with SEO depth | Quote-based | B2B companies that need a senior marketing lead |
| 7. Strategy Collective | PE healthcare fractional CMO | USD $15,000 flat fee for a 30-day enterprise assessment | Private equity portfolio companies |
| 8. TechCXO | Fractional C-suite bench | Quote-based | Startups and SaaS companies without a marketing leader |
| 9. ROI Marketing | Industrial fractional CMO | Quote-based | B2B and industrial companies with long sales cycles |
| 10. EAG Advertising & Marketing | Full-service fractional CMO | Quote-based | B2B companies that need a senior marketing lead |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose a fractional CMO firm in Portland?
Start with the problem you need solved: no marketing strategy, a team without a leader, or agencies nobody manages. Then check proof: a named client you can call, the seniority of the person who will actually show up and the hours included each week. Two of these nine firms name a client on their own site (DataGuard and Bennett Awards among them). Finally, ask how they report, meaning pipeline, customer acquisition cost and revenue by channel rather than activity.
How much does a fractional CMO cost in Portland?
One of the nine external firms publishes a figure (Strategy Collective lists USD $15,000 flat fee for a 30-day enterprise assessment). The rest quote per scope, which is normal because fees depend on hours per week, whether the firm also executes the work and the contract length. Ask what a month includes, whether ad spend and agency fees sit on top, and what the notice period is before you sign.
What is the difference between a fractional CMO and a marketing agency?
A fractional CMO is a part-time executive who owns the marketing plan, budget and team, while an agency executes campaigns. Some firms here sell leadership only and expect your staff or vendors to do the work; others bundle a CMO with their own SEO, paid media or web teams. Leadership-only firms keep incentives cleaner, and bundled firms usually move faster. Decide which one you need before you compare fees.
How long does a fractional CMO take to show results?
Most engagements start with a 30 to 90 day assessment: an audit of channels, positioning, tracking and team, then a budget and a quarterly roadmap. Quick wins such as fixing tracking or cutting wasted ad spend can show in the first quarter, while pipeline and brand results usually take six to twelve months in a market like Portland. Many firms ask for a three to six month minimum, so check that before you sign.
Should a Portland company hire a local fractional CMO or a remote one?
Two of the nine external firms are headquartered in the Portland area; the others work remotely from bases such as Atlanta, Boston and Chicago. Ad-Apt works from Lake Oswego. A local executive helps when you want them in the room for leadership meetings or board sessions, but most fractional CMO work runs through weekly calls and shared dashboards. Experience with your business model and stage matters more than the address.
Choosing a Fractional CMO Firm in Portland
Start with your own numbers. Know your revenue target, current marketing budget, sales cycle and how many hours of senior leadership you can use each week. A fractional CMO can only plan around targets it has been told about.
Check experience you can verify. Two of the nine external firms name a client on their own site and one publishes a price. Ask the rest for a reference you can call, and see how our fractional CMO service is scoped.
Agree how you will work together. Settle the hours per week, who owns the ad accounts, tools and data, how often you meet and which single number month three is judged on. Our growth marketing team can execute the plan once it is set.
Never skip the consultation. Book calls with two or three firms from this list, bring the same brief to each and compare the questions they ask about your business. If you want a team in the city, meet our Portland office.
