What is CMO++? The short answer, from the founder
CMO++ is senior marketing leadership plus the team that executes it. Here is what that actually means, in plain language.
The name is the model
Most companies buy marketing in two broken halves. They hire an advisor who thinks but does not ship, or an agency that ships but does not think. Both are expensive in different ways.
CMO++ is the correction. A CMO at the front, and the ++ behind them — the execution layer that turns the plan into work that goes live. One accountable owner, one team, one number.
What the ++ actually is
The ++ is not a slogan. It is three things we bring into every engagement:
- A plan someone owns. Positioning, priorities, and the two or three bets that matter this quarter.
- An operating rhythm. A weekly cadence where decisions get made in the room, not deferred to the next sync.
- Hands on the work. Demand generation, content, social, lifecycle — done, not briefed.
Who CMO++ is for
We work best with companies in one of three moments:
- You have product-market fit and no marketing leader.
- You have a marketing team that is busy but not compounding.
- You are entering a new market or category and cannot afford a slow start.
If you need a logo refresh or a one-off campaign, we are the wrong call. If you need marketing to become a function, we are built for that.
Why not a full-time CMO?
A senior CMO in India or the US is a large, slow, high-risk commitment — and a single hire still leaves you without a team to execute. CMO++ gives you the seniority immediately, at a fraction of the cost, with the execution attached. When you are ready for a full-time CMO, we help you hire them and hand over a working function.
CMO++ FAQs
What does CMO++ mean?
CMO++ means chief marketing officer leadership plus execution. You get a senior marketing leader accountable for outcomes, and the team that delivers the work underneath the strategy.
Is CMO++ a fractional CMO service?
Yes — CMO++ is a fractional CMO model, with one difference. A typical fractional CMO advises. CMO++ leads and executes, so the plan does not sit waiting for someone to build it.
How is CMO++ different from a marketing agency?
An agency executes a brief you write. CMO++ writes the brief, owns the strategy, and executes it, reporting on pipeline rather than deliverables.
How long is a CMO++ engagement?
Most engagements run in quarters. The first 90 days set positioning, priorities, and rhythm. From there, we either scale the function or hand it to a full-time team.
Who is behind CMO++?
CMO++ was founded by Shahana Sen Mishra, a marketing leader with 25+ years building and scaling marketing functions for India's largest enterprises, alongside a network of 40+ senior CMOs and operators.
If any of this sounds like the room you are in right now, book a consultation or read more about what CMO++ is.
