our services

Private Equity Marketing Due Diligence: Insights to Protect and Unlock Portfolio Value

In private equity, marketing is one of the least interrogated levers in due diligence — yet it can make or break value creation. We embed a senior, Chartered Fractional CMO into your investment process to deliver pre- and post-deal marketing clarity, leadership, and oversight — ensuring no commercial stone is left unturned

Marketing leadership from big brands...

The PE Investor’s Blind Spot

Even the most sophisticated private-equity deal teams can miss marketing risks hiding in plain sight:

  • Overstated growth forecasts built on untested brand or demand assumptions
  • Fragmented sales and marketing strategies causing 10–20% revenue leakage
  • CMOs hired on the wrong brief — burning months of runway and budget
  • Agency overspend with no link to measurable ROI
  • Marketing teams lacking the capability to execute at the next growth stage
cost of inaction

The Risk of Overlooking Marketing in Due Diligence

When marketing isn’t stress-tested alongside financial and operational diligence, deal value is exposed — the consequences are measurable:

❌ Overvaluation at entry, eroding returns at exit

❌ Missed traction milestones and board-level friction

❌ Misallocation of capital to the wrong channels or headcount

❌ Extended holding periods as turnaround plans drag

Every quarter without clarity compounds operational risk and limits value creation.

our solution

Investor-Grade Marketing Intelligence & Leadership

We operate as an extension of your investment team, delivering actionable insight at deal stage and strategic oversight post-close.

Expertise we bring:

Marketing Capability Assessment – Capability, leadership, and structural readiness.

Go-to-Market and Brand Validation – Positioning, demand engines, and market traction.

Capability and Leadership Review – Gaps, succession, and recruitment priorities.

Post-Deal Growth Planning – Exit-aligned strategies and prioritised investment.

Head shot of VCMO Founder Paul Mills
free online portfolio audit

Who Leads the Marketing Due Diligence?

All engagements are led by experienced Fractional CMOs who are experienced in turnarounds, scale-ups, and M&A contexts, as well as being commercially fluent in investor priorities, from CAC to exit multiples

We match the Fractional CMO to your sector, deal complexity, and growth objectives. Our Fractional CMOs:

  • Chartered & Proven Led by Chartered Marketers, not junior consultants
  • Investor-Aware We speak ROI, CAC, runway, and exit multiples fluently
  • Structured & Strategic A proven, repeatable process (SOSTAC® certified)
  • Embedded Model We don’t just audit — we align, embed, and lead
  • Value-Creation Focused Every recommendation is tied to EBITDA impact
How It Works

Our Simple Engagement Process

Strategic leadership. Streamlined onboarding process. Immediate value.

Discovery

Private, no-obligation briefing on your deal or portfolio challenge.

Expert Match

We align you with the right Fractional CMO for your context.

Engagement

Scoping, agreement, and onboarding through a secure portal.

Oversight & Momentum

Continuous measurement, reporting, and adjustment.

agility & flexibility

Pricing & Engagement Models

We offer flexible models depending on the depth and duration of support required.

Model Best For Scope Deliverables Timeline Investment
+VAT
Targeted Due Diligence Review Fast, focused insight into a single marketing risk area pre/post-deal Audit of GTM, brand, team, funnel, or agency ROI Investor-ready report with risks, opportunities, and recommendations 2–4 weeks £5,000
Full-Spectrum Marketing Audit Comprehensive pre-acquisition, post-deal reset, or pre-exit review End-to-end analysis of team, spend, channels, tech, and growth levers Detailed audit report, scoring framework, investment priorities 4–8 weeks £25,000
Embedded Marketing Leadership Hands-on leadership for turnaround, scaling, or exit prep Retained Fractional CMO providing strategy, leadership, and board reporting Ongoing leadership, performance tracking, and commercial alignment 6–24 months From £4,000/month

Important notes:

Scope Confirmation: Final scope is agreed following a discovery call to ensure objectives and deliverables are clearly defined.

Fixed Scope: A clear Statement of Work is confirmed before any engagement begins, giving you certainty on cost and outcomes.

Learn more about our pricing

when to engage

Common Use Cases

Our investor clients typically engage us to:

  • Conduct pre-deal marketing due diligence ahead of acquisition
  • Align GTM strategy post-buyout
  • Coach internal CMOs to meet investor expectations
  • Audit portfolios to prioritise marketing investment
  • Recover underperforming portfolio assets
  • Prepare brand and marketing strategy for exit
need something else?

Related Services

Alongside our marketing intelligence support, we offer targeted services — from advisory and mentoring to fully embedded Fractional CMO leadership — providing focused interventions that build capability, insight, and investor confidence.

Marketing Advisory

You’re making a high-stakes decision and need independent, senior-level input right now.

Market Analysis

You’re entering a new market or need clear insight on customers, competitors, and trends.

Marketing Mentoring

Someone in your portfolio company needs marketing mentoring to build confidence, clarity, and capability.

Fractional CMO

Embedded, part-time CMO providing strategic direction and delivery oversight without full-time cost.

free download

The Ultimate Guide to Hiring a Fractional CMO

We've published The Ultimate Guide to Hiring a Fractional CMO giving investors everything you need to know about finding, integrating, and succeeding with a Fractional CMO in your portfolio company.

No contact details captured. Just call us if you want to know more.

still deciding?

Stress-Test Your Marketing Assumptions

Not ready to book a private briefing? You can still see how your portfolio company or next deal measures up against investor-grade marketing benchmarks.

Take our Portfolio Company Marketing Due Diligence Survey — it’s free, confidential, and takes just 5 minutes.

  • Uncover hidden risks before they erode returns
  • See how your GTM, brand, leadership, and demand engines stack up
  • Get instant results with clear next steps
  • Get a complimentary meeting with our experts to discuss the findings

No commitment. No sales pitch. Just clear, investor-focused insight you can act on immediately.

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  
Read the Case Study

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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FAQ’s

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