Journal of a fractional
Thinking on brand, creative, growth and the numbers behind them, for consumer and DTC brands. Written between the meetings it comes from.
CAC is a benchmark, not a strategy
If you run a DTC brand, someone somewhere is showing you a CAC number every week. Blended, by channel, against last month, against the category average. It's usually the first line in the marketing report and the first question the board asks.
Rising CAC isn't the problem you think it is
Every founder I meet is worried about CAC. Most performance marketers are judged on keeping it flat. Boards ask about it monthly, agencies apologise for it quarterly, and the industry has quietly agreed that a CAC line pointing upward means something's gone wrong.
What a Fractional Marketing Director Actually Does in a DTC Brand Each Week
A fractional marketing director does not just “help with marketing” in a DTC brand. They keep the commercial engine aligned so acquisition, retention, offer strategy, and execution are all pulling in the same direction.
The DTC P&L Mistakes a Fractional Marketing Director Should Fix First
Most DTC brands do not have a marketing problem first. They have a commercial problem that shows up in marketing.
