Transparent Pricing · 2025 · Canada
No hidden fees, no vague "it depends." Here's exactly what a fractional CMO costs in Canada, what drives the price, and how it compares to every alternative.
Direct answer - 2025:
A fractional CMO in Canada costs $6,000–$12,000 per month on a retainer basis. The range reflects scope: days per week, whether the CMO manages a team, and the complexity of the marketing function. Fixed-fee project engagements (like a 30-day GTM sprint) run $15,000–$30,000. This compares to $250,000–$350,000 in total annual compensation for a full-time CMO - making fractional 20–30% of the full-time cost.
Five factors determine where a fractional CMO retainer lands within the $6,000–$12,000 range:
For strategic work - yes, usually, and significantly more effective. A full-service B2B marketing agency typically costs $8,000–$25,000/month and delivers execution outputs: content, campaigns, ads, and reports. They don't own your strategy, they don't manage your internal team, and they don't attend your leadership meetings.
A fractional CMO at $6,000–$12,000/month delivers the strategy that makes execution effective - and can manage the agency relationship on your behalf, ensuring every dollar spent on execution is pulling in the right direction. Many high-performing B2B companies run both: a fractional CMO for strategy and leadership, and an agency for execution capacity.
Optivus requires a 2-month minimum commitment for retainer engagements. This reflects the reality of marketing strategy: the first month is diagnosis and architecture; meaningful outputs begin in month two. After the initial term, engagements continue month-to-month with 30 days' notice to exit. There is no long-term lock-in, no equity requirement, and no severance liability.
Yes. The Growth Playbook in 30 Days ($15,000–$30,000) and the Customer Journey & CX Audit ($12,000–$25,000) are both fixed-fee project engagements with no ongoing commitment. These are best for companies that need a specific strategic deliverable - a complete GTM strategy, an ICP definition, or a customer journey diagnosis - without the ongoing CMO retainer. Many companies start with a project engagement and move to a retainer once they've seen the quality of the work.
The retainer covers Dean Reid's time and expertise across the agreed scope - typically 2–2.5 days per week. This includes leadership team attendance and reporting, strategic planning sessions, marketing team management and direction, agency briefing and oversight, and direct execution of strategic deliverables (positioning documents, channel strategies, ICP frameworks, demand generation architectures). It does not include agency fees, media spend, technology subscriptions, or third-party vendor costs - those are managed on your behalf but billed separately.
Optivus pricing ($6,000–$12,000/month) is consistent with the Canadian market rate for experienced fractional CMOs. Less experienced practitioners or marketing managers rebranded as "fractional CMOs" may offer lower rates ($3,000–$5,000/month) - but the strategic depth and accountability are proportionally limited. The right question is not who is cheapest but who has demonstrable results at your revenue stage. A fractional CMO who built a $989M pipeline at TELUS and drove 27x MQL growth at Veriforce prices differently than someone with limited senior-level experience.
No pitch. A direct conversation about your company's situation, the scope you'd need, and the cost. Walk away with clarity - whether you hire Optivus or not.