Fractional CMO · E-commerce & retail
Fractional CMO for e-commerce and retail brands
Peak-season planning, efficient paid media and measurement you can trust.
Overview
E-commerce margins depend on a handful of decisions: what to spend, on which channels, to win which customers, and when. Peak periods like Black Friday amplify both the good and the bad decisions.
A fractional CMO brings senior planning and measurement to online and omnichannel retail brands without the cost of a full-time executive.
The problem
Where e-commerce marketing usually gets stuck
- Seasonal peaks where small planning mistakes become expensive.
- Return on ad spend that looks healthy inside the ad platform but not in the bank account.
- Over-reliance on a single paid channel.
- No clear split between new-customer and returning-customer revenue.
What changes
How a fractional CMO helps
- Plan peak seasons months ahead: offers, budget phasing, creative and channel mix.
- Structure paid search, shopping and social campaigns around profitable growth, not platform-reported return.
- Set up measurement so new and returning customer performance is visible.
- Broaden acquisition beyond one channel, including creator partnerships.
- Align promotions, merchandising and marketing in a single calendar.
Relevant experience
Results from Cherry's previous roles
For the Black Friday campaign of Canada's largest retailer, Cherry's paid media work delivered 148% year-on-year revenue growth and an 82% improvement in return on ad spend. Elsewhere she has grown APAC orders by 21.3%.
Canada's largest retailer
- 148%year-on-year revenue growth
- 82%improvement in return on ad spend
FAQ
Common questions
When should a retail brand hire a fractional CMO?
Typically when growth depends on paid media but nobody senior owns the plan: before a major peak season, when return on ad spend is slipping, or when you are scaling beyond what a junior team can plan.
Can you help with Black Friday and holiday planning?
Yes. Cherry worked on paid media for the Black Friday campaign of Canada's largest retailer, which delivered 148% year-on-year revenue growth. Planning ideally starts months before the peak.
Do you manage ad accounts directly?
Cherry has hands-on experience with Google Ads, Meta and Bing and can set them up and direct them. The scope depends on the engagement.
Do you work with Canadian retailers?
Yes. F.O.B Brand Studio works with e-commerce and retail brands in Toronto and across Canada and North America.