Crux KC

Review

★8.8/10

🇺🇸 Kansas City, MO·10-49 employees·Est. 2016·Reviewed Mar 2026

Fractional CMO and marketing un-agency delivering high-level strategy without big-agency friction

Visit Website

Best For

Mid-market companies seeking fractional CMO leadership and flexible marketing teams

Hourly Rate

$100-149/hr

Min. Project

$10K+

Industries

Professional Services, Startups, Nonprofit

About Crux KC

Crux KC is a marketing "un-agency" founded in 2016 that provides fractional CMOs and on-demand marketing teams to mid-market businesses. Named to the Inc. 5000 list in 2025, they assemble specialist squads covering branding, content, digital, and PR to operate as an extension of their clients' leadership teams.

Who Crux KC Is Best For

Crux KC works best for Professional Services, Startups companies that need Fractional CMO and Marketing Strategy. With minimum project size of $10K+, hourly rates of $100-149/hr, they are accessible to small to mid-sized businesses. Based in Kansas City, MO, their primary differentiator is inc. 5000 honoree (2025).

Why Choose Crux KC

Inc. 5000 honoree (2025)

Fractional CMO model

Flexible on-demand teams

Strategic planning focus

No long-term contracts required

Things to Consider

—Moderate team size may limit capacity if you need to scale quickly across multiple channels simultaneously

—Content-heavy approach requires significant client input and feedback cycles, which can slow delivery for teams without dedicated marketing resources

—Paid media management fees can compound quickly alongside ad spend, making total cost of engagement higher than it initially appears

Crux KC Services

Fractional CMOMarketing StrategyContent DevelopmentBrandingDigital AdvertisingCommunicationsPR

More Marketing Agencies

SmartyAds

Publishers and advertisers needing programmatic ad tech infrastructure across DSP, SSP, and header bidding

SmartyAds is a Wilmington, Delaware-headquartered programmatic advertising technology company founded in 2011 by Ivan Guzenko. They operate a full-stack ad tech ecosystem including a Demand-Side Platform for programmatic media buying across mobile, display, native, and video, a Supply-Side Platform for publisher yield management, header bidding technology, and a curated deals marketplace. With 13-plus years of platform development and partnerships including Google, InMobi, PubMatic, and Rakuten Advertising, they have been featured in Forbes, Inc., and Entrepreneur. They are IAB registered and TAG certified.

View Profile

BrandLume Inc.

★ 10

SMBs seeking transparent, flat-rate digital marketing

BrandLume Inc. is an all-in-one branding, website, and digital marketing agency founded in 2011 in Toronto. With a 5.0 Clutch rating from 83 reviews and named Top Digital Marketing Agency in Canada two consecutive years, they power 6,400+ clients and partner with 400+ agencies globally through their unique flat-rate, wholesale pricing model.

View Profile

Burst Digital

★ 10

Global brands seeking creative agency with SEO and AI search expertise

Burst Digital is an award-winning creative and performance agency founded in 2018 in London with offices in New York and San Francisco. With 5/5 ratings on all review platforms and 100s of high-profile clients, they specialize in branding, web design, marketing, SEO, and AI Search (GEO). Clients include Vivienne Westwood and Howden Group.

View Profile