Case Study: B2B Middle Market Company Turnaround
Situation and Need
A well-established B2B industrial services company approached me after being referred for marketing expertise. The company lacked an internal marketing department, relying instead on a digital marketing agency. The CEO expressed deep dissatisfaction with the agency's performance, citing subpar work, frequent mistakes, and undelivered projects—all while paying a significant monthly retainer. She found herself micromanaging the agency and was overwhelmed, unsure of how to proceed.
I proposed working on a two-month retainer to assess the agency's performance, evaluate their marketing strategies, and provide actionable recommendations. Upon review, it became evident there was no marketing strategy in place, and the agency’s performance was worse than expected, compounded by staff turnover and an inexperienced account manager. After six weeks, I advised terminating the agency's contract at the end of the year (which was a month away.)
Actions Taken
Supported the CEO in negotiating the termination of the agency's contract, securing a discount on the final month's retainer due to poor performance.
Recommended a vetted, reliable agency with a proven track record to deliver all services at half the cost of the previous agency.
Proposed an ongoing role as a Fractional CMO, providing strategic oversight, managing the new agency relationship, and developing an annual marketing strategy to be executed by internal teams, the agency, and freelancers.
Results
Cost Savings:
Negotiated a 50% discount on the final agency retainer, saving $4,500.
Transitioned to a high-performing agency at half the cost, saving $48,000 annually.
My fractional CMO services were a fraction of the cost of a full-time marketing executive ($60,000 vs. $150,000–$200,000 annually) which they would not have been able to afford given their current marketing budget.
Strategic Impact:
Successfully redesigned the company website within three months, leading to over 30 industry keyword ranking increases, higher web traffic, and increased MQLs (Marketing Qualified Leads).
Spearheaded and advised on the implementation of HubSpot CRM for marketing, sales, and customer service, creating seamless processes and enabling precise ROI tracking for campaigns.
Maintained lead generation and online presence by rapidly transitioning management of advertising, website updates, blogging, email marketing, social media, SEO, and Google Profiles to the new agency.
First-Year Accomplishments
Delivered 12 months of high-quality content, including digital ads, social media posts, blogs, lead magnets, client resources, emails, and sales collateral, positioning the company as an industry thought leader.
Established a streamlined marketing function that allowed the CEO to focus on leading the company, with peace of mind that marketing was being expertly managed.
This transformation not only stabilized the company’s marketing efforts but also positioned it for long-term growth and success.