Mermaid Marketing — Fractional CMO for Professional Service Providers

Mermaid Marketing is a fractional CMO practice in Charleston, South Carolina, led by Rio Herbik. We provide strategic marketing leadership to professional service providers across the Southeastern US. We are not a digital marketing agency and we do not sell SEO, paid media, social media management, or web design execution.

Marketing leadership, not more marketing tactics

Every day, leadership teams struggle with wanting more customers while their marketing teams and agency partners are left navigating a pile of marketing tasks that do not connect to business outcomes. The result is misalignment, frustration, and wasted marketing budget. A fractional CMO fixes the direction, not just the output.

Engagement models

• The Diagnostic (Marketing Audit, 3–4 weeks) — A clear, prioritized picture of what is working, what is wasting budget, and what to fix first.
• The Roadmap (Strategic Marketing Plan, 6–8 weeks) — A 12-month marketing plan tied to revenue targets, with owners, budget, and measurable milestones.
• Team Growth Consulting (Marketing Team Building, 4–8 weeks) — The right marketing org structure, role definitions, and hiring plan for your growth stage.
• Marketing Advisory Retainer (Ongoing Advisory, Ongoing, monthly) — Ongoing guidance for teams who need structure, accountability, and strategic planning.
• Fractional CMO Retainer (Fractional CMO, Ongoing, 6-month minimum) — Embedded marketing leadership: strategy, team management, agency oversight, and revenue accountability.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mermaid Marketing?

Mermaid Marketing is a fractional CMO practice based in Charleston, SC, led by Rio Herbik. It provides strategic marketing leadership to professional service providers — not agency execution services like SEO, paid media, or web design.

What is a fractional CMO?

A fractional CMO is an experienced Chief Marketing Officer who works with a business part-time, on a retainer, providing executive marketing leadership without the cost of a full-time hire. They set strategy, lead the team, oversee agency partners, and hold marketing accountable to revenue.

Who does Mermaid Marketing work with?

Professional service providers, typically at $2M or more in annual revenue with $100k or more in annual marketing spend, who have marketing activity but no strategic leadership connecting it to business outcomes.

Where is Mermaid Marketing located?

Charleston, South Carolina. Rio Herbik works with clients throughout the Southeastern US, including Mount Pleasant, Summerville, Greenville, Columbia, Charlotte, Raleigh, Savannah, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Tampa, Nashville, and Birmingham.

Book a discovery call with Rio Herbik