Duct Tape Marketing

What Duct Tape Marketing does

Duct Tape Marketing is a privately held, founder-led marketing consulting, training, and publishing firm founded by John Jantsch and headquartered in Kansas City, United States. The company delivers a proprietary methodology called Strategy First, a marketing planning framework built around the Marketing Hourglass customer journey model, which produces a 40-60 page documented marketing plan covering positioning, ideal client identification, core messaging, customer journey mapping, channel prioritization, and a 90-day execution calendar. Strategy First is offered as a fixed-scope engagement starting at $10,000 in two delivery formats (single-day intensive or 6-8 week guided process), with most clients continuing into the Marketing Operating System (MOS), an ongoing fractional CMO leadership subscription service priced in the $4,000-$12,000/month band via the licensed model.

The company's go-to-market combines direct sales to founder-led B2B businesses between $1M and $20M in revenue with a global channel of hundreds of certified advisors (Master Certified and Certified tiers) operating across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, South Africa, and Central America under the Duct Tape Advisors brand. Revenue streams include Strategy First consulting engagements, MOS/fractional CMO managed services, licensing/certification royalties from advisors, and low-friction digital products (eBooks at $4.99 each, a free AI Trap Workbook). The model is bootstrapped with no external venture funding and uses third-party generative AI tools internally for content drafting and research, with all client-facing outputs human-reviewed. A separate subsidiary, Duct Tape Advisors (launched as a brand in 2022), houses certification and licensing for marketing professionals, supported by mastermind sessions and quarterly community events. Leadership includes Founder and President John Jantsch, CEO Steve Gasser, and co-author Sara Nay, with 11-50 total employees.

Name

Duct Tape Marketing

Legal name

Duct Tape Marketing

Website

https://ducttapemarketing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Duct Tape Marketing is a privately held marketing consulting firm that delivers its proprietary Strategy First framework and ongoing Marketing Operating System to founder-led B2B businesses earning $1M-$20M, distributed globally through direct sales and a network of hundreds of certified advisors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marketing Consulting Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Advertising Agencies (54181)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Marketing Technology, AdTech & MarTech Services (BPAFAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Channel/Partner Sales Support (Reseller Enablement, Deal Reg) (BPAAADAH)

Keywords

• Marketing consulting services
• Marketing strategy framework
• Fractional CMO services
• Small business marketing
• Marketing advisor certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Strategy First Consulting Engagements: Fixed-scope consulting engagements delivering the Strategy First framework. Available in two formats: single-day intensive or 6-8 week guided process. Pricing stated upfront before commitment. No retainer attached and no automatic upsell during delivery.
2. Marketing Operating System (MOS) / Fractional CMO Leadership: Ongoing installation and leadership services following Strategy First. Delivered as a separate engagement after Strategy First completion. Most clients continue into this phase.
3. Strategy First Licensing / Advisor Certification: Licensing the Strategy First methodology to marketing agencies, consultants, and fractional CMOs who want to bring it to their clients. Includes certification program and ongoing support.
4. Educational Products (eBooks): Digital products including the 7 Steps to Small Business Success eBook ($4.99) and Fractional CMO Agency Model eBook ($4.99) sold through online store.
5. Certified Advisor Network Referrals: Referral matching service connecting businesses with certified Duct Tape Marketing advisors based on industry and location needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Duct Tape Marketing provides strategic marketing consulting through its proprietary Strategy First™ framework, a fixed-scope engagement that delivers a 40-60 page documented marketing plan covering positioning, ideal client identification, core messaging, customer journey mapping (Marketing Hourglass), channel priorities, and a 90-day execution calendar. Clients can then continue into the Marketing Operating System (MOS), an ongoing fractional CMO leadership service that executes the plan week after week. The company also licenses its methodology to agencies and consultants via a certified advisor network.

Product overview

Duct Tape Marketing offers a unified methodology centered on the Strategy First framework, which is a marketing planning system that produces positioning, ideal client profiles, core messaging, customer journey mapping (using the Marketing Hourglass model), channel priorities, and a 90-day execution calendar. This core product is delivered as a fixed engagement starting at $10,000, with two delivery options: a single-day intensive or a 6-8 week guided process. Following Strategy First, clients typically continue into the Marketing Operating System (MOS), an ongoing weekly execution service with dashboards and meetings. The company also offers complementary products including the 7 Steps to Small Business Marketing Success eBook, the AI Trap Workbook (free), and the Fractional CMO Agency Model eBook. A global Certified Advisor Network (with Master Certified and Certified tiers) allows other consultants to license and deliver the methodology. The ecosystem also includes a podcast, books by John Jantsch and Sara Nay, and the Marketing Leadership Accelerator certification program for agencies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategy First™ A marketing framework and planning methodology that helps founder-led B2B businesses define positioning, ideal client, message, customer journey, channel priorities, and a 90-day execution calendar. Delivered as a fixed engagement (single-day intensive or 6-8 week guided process) starting at $10,000.
• Marketing Operating System (MOS) An ongoing installation and leadership service that executes the Strategy First plan week after week, with dashboards, scorecards, and meetings to keep marketing execution aligned. Offered as a separate ongoing engagement following Strategy First.
• Strategy First Certification / Marketing Leadership Accelerator A certification and licensing program for marketing agencies, consultants, and fractional CMOs to license and deliver the Strategy First system to their own clients. Includes tools, templates, ongoing coaching, and community support.
• Fractional CMO Agency Model eBook A digital guide for marketing consultants, coaches, and agency owners on building a recurring-revenue fractional CMO practice using the Duct Tape Marketing methodology.
• 7 Steps to Small Business Marketing Success eBook A comprehensive digital framework ebook for small business marketing success, written by John Jantsch and Sara Nay. 2nd edition, sold for $4.99.
• The AI Trap Workbook A free diagnostic workbook that helps businesses escape AI tool chaos by diagnosing marketing system breakdowns and realigning strategy, including technology self-audit and brand clarity exercises.

Quantifiable outcome

• Strategy First starts at $10,000 for complete marketing plan
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Duct Tape Advisors NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal network of certified marketing consultants and fractional CMOs who license the Strategy First methodology to deliver marketing strategy services to small businesses. Includes Master Certified and Certified tiers. Advisors operate independently across North America, Europe, Middle East, Australia, South Africa, Central America, and Dubai. The network provides peer support, mastermind sessions, and quarterly connects for continuous professional development.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Gorilla 76: B2B marketing agency specializing in industrial and manufacturing SMB clients. Comparable target segment of founder-led SMBs needing strategic marketing leadership and full-funnel execution.
• DigitalMarketer: Provides marketing training, certifications, and methodology programs for SMBs and agencies. Directly comparable business model: productized marketing education and methodology licensing, with tiered certification programs for practitioners.
• Chief Outsiders: Fractional CMO services firm serving mid-market and growth-stage companies. Most directly comparable on the Marketing Operating System / Fractional CMO subscription offering, with a network-of-executives delivery model.
• Schaefer Marketing Solutions: Mark Schaefer's marketing strategy consultancy and content publishing business. Comparable founder-led thought leadership model with books, courses, and consulting targeting SMB marketers.
• Marketing Made Simple: Donald Miller's marketing methodology and coaching business helping SMBs install repeatable marketing funnels (StoryBrand framework). Same end-client SMB segment and methodology-plus-coaching delivery model.
• Square 2 Marketing: Growth marketing agency serving SMB and mid-market B2B clients with a focus on strategy-led engagements. Comparable scope: full-service marketing consulting with strategy-first positioning.
• Sticky Branding: Strategic marketing consulting firm serving SMB and mid-market founder-led companies. Comparable focus on positioning, brand strategy, and full marketing system design for businesses in a similar revenue band.
• Predictable Revenue Academy: Sales and marketing methodology company offering certification programs to agencies and consultants. Analogous licensing-plus-community business model targeting the same consultant/agency buyer.
• MarketingProfs: B2B marketing training, education, and certification provider targeting professional marketers and SMBs. Overlapping content-and-training model with similar audience and certification/licensing parallels.

Broad incumbents

• HubSpot: Dominant marketing automation and CRM platform serving SMBs and mid-market. Addresses the same SMB marketing budget with a much broader portfolio of software, content (HubSpot Academy), and partner ecosystem — overlapping but not narrowly specialized.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ducttape
• Facebookfacebook.com/ducttapemarketing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/duct-tape-marketing

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Duct Tape Marketing