An agency of record is the primary agency relationship for a company — handling the majority of marketing strategy, execution, and media buying. AOR relationships are typically long-term (1–3 years), involve deep knowledge of the brand and business, and provide consistent strategic direction across all marketing activities. Unlike project-based engagements, AOR relationships give agencies the context and continuity to drive compounding results.
For example, a startup might name Cactus Marketing as their agency of record — meaning we own the marketing strategy, manage all channels, provide fractional CMO leadership, and handle vendor relationships across all marketing activities.
Many of our long-term clients operate as AOR relationships — we become the de facto marketing department for startups that haven't built their own team yet.
Relevant Cactus Services
We implement Agency of Record (AOR) strategies for B2B tech startups every day. Book a free 30-minute call to get a concrete plan for your situation.
Book a free strategy call →Fractional CMO
A fractional CMO is a senior marketing executive who works with multiple companies on a part-time or contract basis — providing strategic leadership without the cost of a full-time hire.
Embedded Agency
An embedded agency model means the agency team functions as an extension of your internal marketing team — not a vendor, but a partner with deep context, shared Slack channels, and attendance in team standups.
Retainer
A retainer is a monthly fee paid to an agency or consultant for ongoing services — buying a defined scope of work or number of hours each month.
Performance Marketing
Performance marketing is any advertising model where payment is tied to measurable results — cost per lead, cost per acquisition, revenue share — rather than flat media fees.
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results)
OKRs is a goal-setting framework: each Objective is an ambitious qualitative goal, supported by 2–5 Key Results that are specific, measurable, and time-bound.
KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
KPIs are the specific metrics used to measure performance against business goals.