Marketing Consulting Services
Stuck on a marketing decision? We’re the senior strategists who make the call with you: who to target, how to position, where the budget goes and how you’ll know it worked. Then your team, your agency or ours runs the plan.
A senior strategy team, backed by founders Marshal Davis and David Neuenschwander · 600+ Google reviews1What decision are you stuck on?
2Who does your marketing today?
A starting point, not a verdict. We confirm the fit on the call.
Goals, constraints, what you've tried and the decision in front of you.
Consulting, execution, or neither. We'll say which, even if the answer is nothing from us.
If there's a fit: the model, scope, deliverables and price, in writing.
Our founders’ insights have been featured in
Consulting Work and Client Evidence
What our plans did once they were carried out. We set the strategy, then our team ran it.
Question: Recover occupancy fast, without paying for another always-on listing channel.
Our part: Designed the program (Meta ads, fast AI follow-up and a shared leasing CRM), then ran it.
Read the case studyQuestion: Add a steady, measurable source of buyers on top of walk-in traffic.
Our part: Planned the local lead-generation approach and ran the campaigns.
Read the case studyQuestion: Grow organic visibility and traffic in a competitive travel-services market.
Our part: Set the search and content strategy, then delivered the SEO work.
Read the case studyThese are strategy-and-execution engagements: we set the plan and our team ran it. They show how our plans perform when they’re carried out. They are not consulting-only results. Figures as published in each case study.
Ascendly Marketing was crucial in revamping our online marketing. They suggested a mix of SEO and PPC. This strategy was highly effective. We saw a spike in both traffic and leads. Their team was always accessible and ready to help.
Susan A. · Office Manager, Real Estate FirmWant a plan built for results like these?
When to Bring in a Marketing Consultant
Bring in a consultant when the question is what to do. Here’s what changes in the three situations we see most.
Unclear Priorities or Inconsistent Marketing Performance
You're spending on several channels. Results swing month to month, and nobody can say which dollars are pulling their weight.
We review what's running, what it costs and what it returns, then rank what to keep, fix, cut or start.
See the assessmentA New Market, Offer or Growth Stage
You're launching a product, entering a new region or segment, or you've outgrown what worked at the last stage.
We decide who to target first, how to position against the real alternatives, and the order to launch in.
See go-to-market planningA Team That Needs Strategic Direction
You have marketers or an agency doing the work, but no senior person setting direction, budget and measures.
We set the direction and the scorecard, then advise or lead the team carrying it out.
Compare advisory and fractional CMOMarketing Consulting Focus Areas and Deliverables
Four kinds of work, each ending in a written document with a named owner. Your proposal lists exactly which are in scope.
- 01
Marketing Assessment and Customer Research
“What's actually working, and why?”
Your channels, spend, results, website, competitors and the customer data you can share. Customer interviews are added only when they're scoped.
You get: A written diagnosis: findings, the evidence behind them and a ranked list of problems
Used by: Owner and leadership team
- 02
Marketing Strategy and Positioning
“Who should we sell to first, and why should they choose us?”
Audience priorities, positioning against the real alternatives and the core message.
You get: A strategy brief: target segments, positioning decisions and messaging direction
Used by: Leadership, sales and anyone who writes your marketing
- 03
Go-to-Market Planning
“How do we launch this, and in what order?”
Launch or market-entry priorities, the role of each channel, sequence, dependencies and resources.
You get: A go-to-market plan with sequence, owners and dependencies
Used by: Your marketing team or execution partner
- 04
Marketing Priorities, Budget and Measurement Plan
“Where should the next dollar go, and how will we know it worked?”
A prioritized roadmap, budget split, metric definitions and a review plan. This is planning: building tracking, analytics or CRM is scoped separately.
You get: A roadmap, a budget allocation and a measurement plan
Used by: Owner, finance and whoever runs each channel
Which of these do you need first? We’ll tell you on the call.
Choose the Right Consulting Engagement
Same senior people, different depth. Slide from advice to leadership and pick the point that fits.
Defined Strategy Project
One clear question, answered with a plan.
- Best for
- A launch, a reset or next year's plan
- You get
- The deliverables named in your proposal
- Who decides
- You approve every decision
- Who implements
- Your team, your agency or ours (scoped separately)
- Ends with
- A handoff and an agreed review point
Ongoing Marketing Advisory
A senior sounding board as decisions come up.
- Best for
- A team that's executing but needs senior judgment
- You get
- Decisions, reviews and updated priorities
- Who decides
- You decide; we recommend
- Who implements
- Your team or agency
- Ends with
- Month to month; stop when you no longer need it
Fractional-CMO Leadership
A part-time marketing leader on your leadership team.
- Best for
- No senior marketing leader, and not ready for a full-time CMO
- You get
- Strategy, budget ownership, team and vendor oversight, leadership reporting
- Who decides
- We decide within the remit and budget you set
- Who implements
- Your team and vendors, directed by us
- Ends with
- Ongoing, until you hire full-time or no longer need it
Compared with an execution-only agency: an agency does the work you specify, on direction you set. Consulting decides the direction first. With Ascendly you can have both, scoped separately.
No ladder to climb. Pick the model that fits the problem; many clients only ever need a project. Not sure? We’ll recommend one on the call.
How the Consulting Engagement Works
Four stages, each with a written output and a named owner.
- 1
Discovery and Business Context
InputGoals, constraints, budget, team, past results
We doLeadership conversations and a look at what already exists
OutputAgreed questions and success measures
OwnerWe lead; you give access and time
- 2
Evidence Review and Diagnosis
InputAnalytics, ad accounts, CRM and sales data, competitors
We doFind what's working, what isn't and why
OutputWritten findings and ranked priorities
OwnerWe lead
- 3
Strategy Decisions and Action Plan
InputThe findings, plus your knowledge of the business
We doWorking sessions where the calls get made
OutputStrategy, roadmap, budget and measurement plan
OwnerDecided together; you approve
- 4
Handoff, Review and Next Decisions
InputThe approved plan
We doBrief the people who'll run it, then review at the agreed points
OutputProject: handoff and review date. Advisory or fractional CMO: the next round of decisions
OwnerYour team or partner runs it; we review
Stage one is a free call. Bring the decision.
Who Owns Decisions and Implementation
Three lanes, no gaps. Every engagement starts with these filled in for your business.
Consultant Responsibilities
Ask the hard questions, review the evidence, make clear recommendations, write the plan and hold the review points. We tell you what we'd do and why, including what to stop.
Client Team Responsibilities
Give us access to data and decision-makers, share what you know about customers and sales, approve the strategy and budget, and name an internal owner for the plan.
Separately Scoped Execution Support
Need hands as well as a plan? Ascendly's teams can run paid search, SEO, websites and CRM and measurement, scoped and priced separately. Or we brief and direct the team or agency you already use.
D DecidesL LeadsS Supports
The Marketing Consultants Leading the Work
Consulting at Ascendly is a team service. A senior strategist runs your engagement, specialists join when the plan needs them, and our founders set the approach behind it.
Senior strategy team
Assigned when the engagement starts. Your main contact from first session to final review.
- Runs the working sessions
- Reviews the evidence and writes the deliverables
- Brings in specialists when the plan needs them
- Holds the review points with your team
Founder & PresidentMarshal Davis
- Runs Ascendly day to day and sets the agency's strategic approach
- Background in strategy, financial planning and investments
- BBA in Finance, The University of Texas at San Antonio
- Quoted as a source in Forbes, Ahrefs and DashThis
- Former professional shortstop in the New York Mets organization
Co-founderDavid Neuenschwander
- Leads growth strategy, plus the systems and builds that turn marketing into a sales pipeline
- Experience across home services, property management, commercial real estate and digital marketing
Plus specialists, scoped separately:Paid searchGoogle Ads and PPCSEO and contentOrganic and AI searchWeb designSites and landing pagesCRM and measurementTracking, CRM and follow-up
More about the team on our About page.
Consulting Scope, Timing and Investment
How much does marketing consulting cost? It’s quoted per engagement, and the proposal shows exactly what you’re paying for before anything starts.
- Model
- Defined strategy project
- The question
- “Where should next year’s budget go?”
- Deliverables
- DiagnosisRoadmapBudget and measurement plan
- Sessions
- Working sessions, as listed
- Not included
- Ad spend · campaign management · builds
- Price
- In writing, before work starts
- Business complexityOne offer, one market Many lines, regions or segments
- Research depthReview of existing data Customer interviews and new research
- Engagement modelDefined project Fractional-CMO leadership
- Leadership remitAdvice only Team, vendor and budget oversight
- Delivery involvementPlan and handoff We review execution closely
- Working sessions and reviews named in your proposal
- Every written deliverable in scope
- Access to your consultant between sessions, as agreed
- A clear end point or review point
- Ad and media spend
- Campaign management, content and creative
- Website, tracking and CRM builds
- Third-party tools, data or research panels
We’ll need:Access to analytics, ad accounts and CRMTime with decision-makersSales and margin data you can shareA named internal owner
If the question changes, we re-scope in writing before any extra work starts. Advisory runs month to month.
Get your proposal. One free call, then a written scope and price.
Marketing Consulting FAQs
Scope, cost, ownership and results, answered plainly.
What does a marketing consulting engagement include?
Every engagement covers the same core: understand your business and goals, review the evidence, make the strategy decisions with you and write them down as a plan someone can run. The exact deliverables (a diagnosis, a strategy brief, a go-to-market plan, a budget and measurement plan) are listed in your proposal before work starts.
How is marketing consulting different from hiring a marketing agency?
A consultant works out what should be done. An agency does it. Most agencies start with tasks; consulting starts with the diagnosis and the decisions. With Ascendly you then choose who executes: your team, another agency, or our own teams under a separate scope.
How is a strategy project different from fractional-CMO leadership?
A strategy project answers one defined question and ends with a plan and a handoff. A fractional CMO is an ongoing, part-time leadership role: we own strategy and budget inside the remit you set, direct your team and vendors, and report to your leadership team.
Can a marketing consultant work with our existing team or agency?
Yes. A lot of consulting work is exactly that: we set direction and measures, your people and partners run the work, and we review the results with them.
Who implements the recommendations?
You choose: your in-house team, your current agency, or Ascendly’s specialists in paid search, SEO, web and CRM. Execution is always scoped and priced separately from the consulting, so the advice is never a sales pitch for our other services.
How much does marketing consulting cost?
It’s quoted per engagement. Price depends on business complexity, research depth, the model you choose, the leadership remit and how closely we’re involved in delivery. After a free call you get a written proposal with the scope and price.
How long does an engagement take, and what information is needed?
A project runs until its deliverables are done. The timing depends on scope and research depth, and it’s set in your proposal. Advisory and fractional-CMO work are ongoing. We’ll need access to analytics, ad accounts and CRM, any sales and margin data you can share, and time with the people who make decisions.
How will we evaluate progress and results?
We agree the measures at the start: what success looks like, which numbers prove it and when we’ll review. The work is judged on decisions made and carried out, and business results are measured against the measurement plan at the review points we set together. No consultant can honestly guarantee an outcome before looking at your data, and we won’t.
Free strategy call · No obligation
Get a Free Plan to Win More Customers
Pick a time in the calendar. On a short call, a strategist reviews your marketing and shows you where to start.
You'll leave with
- Your goals and the numbers behind them
- What's working now and where leads slip away
- A recommended starting plan and budget range
600+ five-star Google reviews
“They suggested a mix of SEO and PPC. This strategy was highly effective. We saw a spike in both traffic and leads.”
Rather talk now?(832) 510-3999
Choose a day and time
- Pick a time
- Short call
- Your plan
- Free
- No obligation
- You own your accounts and data
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