About us

Why Partner With VCMO?

Because strategy shouldn’t be optional. And growth shouldn’t be guesswork.

Great businesses deserve more than scattered tactics and agency noise. They deserve clarity, confidence and marketing that’s aligned to commercial outcomes — not just activity.

marketing underperformance

What We See Every Day

Most businesses aren’t short on ideas. They’re short on alignment.

Campaigns are running. Agencies are billing. Teams are busy. But something’s missing:

  • No joined-up plan.
  • No clear sense of what’s working.
  • No link between marketing and revenue.

The board is asking questions. The team is losing direction. And your budget is burning — without a strategic compass.

This isn’t a marketing issue. It’s a leadership gap. And that’s exactly where we come in.

What You Get

Strategic Leadership - Without Compromise

We embed experienced, Chartered marketing leaders into your business — not just to advise, but to lead, align, and deliver. This isn’t outsourced support. It’s embedded transformation.

Embedded Marketing Leadership

Not decks. Not handovers. You get a senior marketing leader embedded in your team — focused on outcomes, not optics.

Chartered Marketers Only

We work exclusively with Chartered Marketers — a designation held by fewer than 2% globally. Expertise isn’t a bonus. It’s the baseline.

SOSTAC® Certified Planners

We use SOSTAC® to bring structure, foresight, and strategic discipline to every client engagement.

Frameworks That Fuel Clarity

We use classic models — SWOT, Ansoff, Porter's, PESTLE, and others — not as filler, but as tools for confident decision-making.

quality assurance

Fractional CMOs Personally Vetted by Our Founder

Every Fractional CMO within our network undergoes a deep-dive assessment and is hand-selected by founder Paul Mills — for strategic rigour, real-world credibility, and the ability to lead change at pace.

what you gain

Strategic Marketing Leadership - Without the Full-Time Overhead

At VCMO, we don’t advise from the sidelines. We embed directly into your business — leading from within, aligning teams, and driving commercial outcomes.

Our Chartered Fractional CMOs bring structure, strategic focus, and hands-on leadership — giving you the clarity, control, and confidence to scale without adding a six-figure salary to the books.

Sharpened Strategy & Board-Level Clarity

You’ll be working with Chartered Marketers and SOSTAC® Certified Planners. That means smarter decisions, stronger positioning, and a roadmap that aligns marketing to real business outcomes — not just activities.

Sales Alignment & Demand That Converts

We unite marketing and sales around shared goals, messaging, and metrics. Expect warmer conversations, better-qualified leads, and campaigns designed to accelerate pipeline — not just fill it.

Marketing ROI You Can Measure

We focus on commercial KPIs that matter — from cost per acquisition (CPA) to customer lifetime value (CLV) and contribution to revenue. You’ll get performance dashboards that track real impact, not vanity metrics.

Growth from Your Existing Clients

We help marketing support retention, expansion, and loyalty. That means better onboarding, smarter communications, and campaigns that grow your most valuable relationships — not just acquire new ones.

Stronger Brand Positioning

Whether you're pre-launch, pivoting, or scaling, we position your brand with purpose. Clear inside and out. Bold, differentiated, and aligned with your growth strategy.

Less Noise. More Focus.

No more reactive cycles, conflicting priorities, or agency sprawl. We embed strategic discipline — so your team moves faster, with aligned direction and commercial focus.

why clients like us

Depth That Drives Real Transformation

  1. Fresh Eyes. Fierce Insight - We challenge legacy thinking. Ask the hard questions. And help you escape the internal echo chamber that’s slowing you down.
  2. Capability That Lasts - We don’t just lead — we build internal strength. That means mentoring your team, refining your processes, and lifting your function for the long haul.
  3. We're In It With You - We don’t show up with a timesheet mindset. Your mission becomes our mission. We fight for your growth like it’s our own.

Our project was to create a top-level marketing strategy which, once built, we could drive forward ourselves. And I can honestly say the work has been transformational for Yellowtail. After each workshop with VCMO, both Dennis Hall and I would be amazed at how much we'd achieved. We worked hard! But the results are worth it.

Sarah Steele
Operations Director, Yellowtail Financial Planning
Read the Case Study

Shout out to Paul Mills who bravely took on running a positioning workshop with us yesterday. Is there anything harder than doing the thing your client does for others for them?! Great work. Really thought provoking, and so important to have facilitated by someone with an external perspective!

Bryony Thomas
CEO, watertight business thinking

Paul is a professional strategic marketeer who is able to apply his expertise with marketing budgets large and small. The commercial impact of Shaw & Co's rebrand, which was initiated, designed and implemented by Paul, has been to differentiate us positively in a sector where few have succeeded. He delivers what he promises, on time and on/under budget, to a high quality. Paul made a positive impact on our business that will last.

Rod Leefe
chair, shaw & co

VCMO's audit brought clarity to a complex set of challenges. They cut through the noise and delivered a clear, prioritised roadmap that we could act on immediately. Their ability to engage across teams and translate insight into action was exactly what we needed.

Dr. Ross Burn
Co-founder, Catsci limited  
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Lydia possesses a deep understanding of marketing strategies and has consistently delivered exceptional results. Her ability to analyse market trends, create engaging campaigns, and drive customer acquisition is truly impressive. Her dedication, attention to detail, and strong communication skills make her an invaluable asset to any organisation. I cannot recommend Lydia enough for her expertise, professionalism, and exceptional work ethic.

Alan Leckey
Business Consultant, CCO - the Collaboration Company  

Paul Mills wasn't just an outsourced marketing leader — he was a mentor. His support helped me enhance my technical marketing skills and shape a more strategic mindset, as well as build my  confidence with senior leadership and deliver higher-impact work. He is dependable and skillful, and his guidance has made me feel more capable and prepared for future challenges.

Caitlin Daniels
marketing manager, catsci limited
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VCMO brings knowledge, insight and practical experience to the table, but also something else, which is quite rare, the unwavering commitment to finishing the job without compromising on the quality of the output. Their work for Yellowtail has been exemplary and we're seeing the results already.

Dennis Hall
founder, yellowtail financial planning

Ruth brought great experience and insight to my firm over many years. Her considered and thoughtful approach to problem solving are a real strength and her experience of marketing and business development in the legal sector was invaluable.

Gavin Tyler
Managing Partner, Cripps

VCMO helped us think beyond our capabilities and reframe how we communicate the true value of what we do. Paul's workshop unlocked fresh ideas resulting in a more strategic approach to our content plan and go-to-market materials. The quality of the output and power of the messaging is really impressive.

Peter Ridgway
Business Development Director, Reach Separations
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VCMO has been instrumental in reshaping how we approach marketing at Lucent. Their strategic clarity, attention to detail, and ability to deliver at pace have been exceptional. Paul's embedded himself seamlessly into the team and quickly earned trust — not just from me, but from our wider staff and partners. The website and content strategy he led have already started delivering results, and I now feel far more confident in how we grow the business over the coming years.

Steven Rowe
Founder - Lucent Financial Planning
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VCMO helped me find the words and structure to communicate what I do — and who I do it for — in a way that finally connects. I’ve had more inbound enquiries since the website relaunch than in the previous two years.

Lee Spencer
aka The rowing marine
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Don’t commission another agency. Partner with leadership that puts strategy at the centre of your growth.

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