Fractional Brand & Creative Leadership for Growing Organizations

Senior brand and creative leadership for organizations that have outgrown how they present, communicate, and market themselves. I’m not a traditional creative director, and I’m not a traditional marketer either. I’m a hybrid brand and creative leader who understands how marketing, brand, and creative work together. That perspective helps me figure out what’s actually holding the organization back, then shape the brand and creative direction needed to move it forward.

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What I Do

Three ways I help organizations that have outgrown how they present, communicate, and market themselves.

BRAND STRATEGY & IDENTITY

Make the brand reflect the business you’ve become.

I help clarify what the organization stands for, how it should communicate, and how the brand should show up internally and externally.

→ Brand positioning

→ Messaging and narrative

→ Brand architecture

→ Visual identity and refreshes

→ Brand systems and consistency

Explore Brand Strategy

CREATIVE DIRECTION & DEVELOPMENT

Turn strategy into work people can see, feel, and experience.

I help develop the idea, shape the creative direction, and guide the work from concept through execution.

→ Creative direction

→ Campaign development

→ Content and storytelling

→ Live experiences and activations

→ Creative production and partner direction

Explore Creative Direction

FRACTIONAL BRAND

& CREATIVE LEADERSHIP

Senior brand and creative leadership without another full-time hire.

I work alongside founders, executives, and existing teams to set direction, connect the pieces, and keep the work moving toward what the business is trying to accomplish.

→ Brand and creative leadership

→ Team, agency, and vendor direction

→ Priority setting and decision-making

→ Campaign, launch, and initiative oversight

→ Alignment across brand, creative, and marketing

Get Fractional Leadership

Not Sure Where To Start?

BRAND & CREATIVE DIAGNOSTIC

You may know something isn’t working without knowing exactly what the problem is. I look across the business, brand, creative, and marketing to understand what’s actually getting in the way, where the biggest opportunities are, and what needs to happen next. Best for organizations that need clarity before committing to a larger project or ongoing engagement.

Start With Diagnostic

Who I Work With

I work with leaders who know their business has outgrown the way it shows up and need a brand and creative partner who can help move it forward.

GROWING COMPANIES

The business is moving forward, but the brand, creative, or marketing has not kept pace.

ORGANIZATIONS IN TRANSITION

You’re entering a new chapter, repositioning, launching something new, or trying to modernize how the organization shows up.

LEAN MARKETING TEAMS

You have people who can execute, but need senior leadership to connect the work, establish direction, and raise the creative standard.

Perfect For Organizations That...

→ Your business has grown, but your brand still looks and feels like the company you used to be.

→ Your marketing and creative feel disconnected, inconsistent, or too dependent on whoever happens to be doing the work.

→ You need senior brand and creative leadership, but you’re not ready to hire a full-time executive.

→ You know something needs to change, but you’re not sure what the right move is yet.

You don’t need to have the brief figured out before we talk. Figuring out the right problem to solve is part of the work.

Testimonials

Marlino is a talented and skilled Marketing Manager that brings his understanding of complex technologies and applies them to marketing concepts. He has very good ideas how to modernize marketing concepts and put implement them effectively. This has been evident in his endeavors to take our marketing department into the 21st century by initiating the update to our company website, creating a Facebook page and twitter accounts for our company and bringing more awareness to our employees and customers. In addition, he did an outstanding job of doing video presentations and worked to create an image of our company that reflects our core values and beliefs. He has excellent presentation skills and this was exemplified during his presentations to managers and employees. Marlino is a dedicated worker with strong work ethics. I wish Marlino the best in his future endeavors and am sure he will be successful at whatever he puts his mind to and recommend him highly. I hope to have a chance in the future to collaborate with him.

Lia Maafu
Director HR / Admin Service / Compliance Officer
Garratt-Callahan Company
I had the privilege of working closely with Marlino Bitanga on Golden Arches Café Season 2, and we’ve continued to cross paths often through ABS-CBN and MYX Global events. Every time we connect, I’m reminded of how much I admire Marlino’s passion and dedication to our Filipino culture. In an industry where cultural lines often blur, Marlino always makes sure our Filipino identity is represented authentically and proudly. His true love for our community shows in every decision he makes, always putting us first and ensuring our stories are told with respect and heart. What I value most about Marlino is not just his professionalism but also his heart. He leads with purpose, care, and integrity, creating space for Filipino voices to shine. I’m grateful for the times we’ve worked together and look forward to continuing to build with someone I hold in such high respect and friendship.

David Aure
Founder and Film Director
Awww Films
Marlino is a highly-skilled marketing professional and branding expert, who helped raise the level of our marketing communications to new heights. He is a gifted communicator and leader, who understands how to motivate others and bring the best out of his team members. I thoroughly enjoyed having him on my team. His "customer-first" mindset and ability to solve complex marketing problems are invaluable. I would gladly hire him again. He is a tremendous asset!

Dante Miro
Sr. Manager | Marketing & Creative Services
Mars Hill Church
Marlino worked for our companies, Whetstone Group and SalesCoach, to refine our brand and develop impactful printed and web based collateral material. He is creative and innovative and was able to provide solutions to address complex projects.

John Schumann
Co-Founder, Sales Trainer
The Whetstone Group
I've had the pleasure of knowing Marlino for half a decade. Marlino is creative, professional, and dependable, proving to be a valuable asset in any industry. Not only is he a natural leader, but he exceeds expectations while establishing a safe, nurturing creative space for those working with him. Any employer would be fortunate enough to have Marlino on their team!

Talia Paletti
National Conference Manager
Independent Financial Group
I really enjoyed working with Marlino. He is creative and extremely organized. Marlino focuses on the outcome that he wants before laying out his plans. He worked very well with operations and sales, knowing when to get our input and when to lead. I always felt I could depend on Marlino to oversee any project.

Jennifer Lee
Litigation Consultant
Evolve Discovery

Selected Work

A selection of work across brand identity, product launches, creative development, and live experiences.

MYX

Building and Connecting a Media Ecosystem

I helped build MYX Radio to 13.9 million monthly listens, then went on to lead across content, marketing, television, live events, talent and industry relationships, partnerships, creative, and operations. As my role expanded, I worked to connect MYX’s radio, TV, live events, and content into a more cohesive ecosystem rather than treating them as separate platforms. I eventually led the MYX brand refresh and redesigned the visual identity system that became the brand’s official global identity.

View Work

DAWN TO DUSK / XLAB

Turning Products Into a System

When I was shown Dawn to Dusk’s line of bottle cages, I saw more than individual products. I saw an opportunity to organize them into a product ecosystem around ride fit, making the line easier for customers to understand and more relevant to how they actually ride. I also helped shape the broader brand, creative, campaigns, and earned-media approach. One influencer video from the launch passed 3.8 million views.

View Work

GARRATT-CALLAHAN

Solving the Problem Behind the Marketing Problem

I was initially told the company’s biggest challenge was marketing. Once I understood the business, I saw a deeper issue around story, consistency, culture, and how the company showed up from the inside out. I took a brand strategy approach, reconnecting the company to its 100+ year history, refreshing the identity and creative, and creating greater consistency across how the organization presented itself. Changes to the marketing operation also contributed to more than $120K in annual savings.

View Work

View All Selected Work

23+ Years Experience

Senior brand, creative, and marketing experience

Proven Business Impact

13.9M monthly listens, $120K+ annual savings, and 3.8M+ views

Multi-Platform Leadership

Radio, TV, content, live events, partnerships, and operations

Cross-Industry Experience

Cross-Industry Experience Media, technology, manufacturing, nonprofits, entertainment, and more

Meet Marlino Bitanga

Your Fractional Brand & Creative Leader

I’m a senior brand and creative leader with more than two decades of experience working across marketing, brand, creative, content, events, partnerships, and operations. Most of my career started in marketing, but I’ve rarely fit neatly into the mold of a traditional marketing or creative person. My strength is seeing how the pieces connect, then turning that into something the business can actually use.

At MYX, I saw more than separate TV, radio, live event, and content platforms. I saw an ecosystem. I helped build MYX Radio to 13.9 million monthly listens, later led content and marketing teams that launched three new TV shows and short-form programming with limited resources, took on live events, talent and industry relationships, and eventually helped bring the broader MYX ecosystem together under a refreshed global brand identity.

At Dawn to Dusk, I was shown a line of bottle cages. I saw an opportunity to turn them into a product ecosystem built around ride fit, making the line easier for customers to understand while shaping the broader brand, creative, and earned-media approach. One influencer video from the launch went on to pass 3.8 million views.

At Garratt-Callahan, I was told the challenge was marketing. I saw a deeper brand issue around story, consistency, culture, and how the company showed up from the inside out. That led to a broader brand and creative refresh, while changes to the marketing operation contributed to more than $120K in annual savings.

That pattern has followed me throughout my career. I look across brand, creative, marketing, products, audiences, and experiences to find the bigger idea, the missing connection, or the real problem underneath the obvious one. I’ve worn a lot of hats, but today my focus is back to my roots: brand and creative leadership. I help leaders connect the pieces, find the idea that moves the business forward, and turn it into stronger brands, clearer experiences, and work that gets results.

Published Work

Books on brand, culture, creativity, and how organizations build stronger connections with people.

BELONGING OVER INFLUENCE

Belonging Over Influence explores how brands earn cultural residency by building trust, recognition, and real belonging instead of simply buying influence.

Explore the Book

Available To Speak

Talks on brand, culture, creativity, and how organizations build stronger connections with people.

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT BRANDS, CREATIVITY AND CULTURE

→ Keynote presentations on brand strategy, creative leadership, culture, and building belonging

→ Interactive workshops on brand development, creative thinking, cultural connection, and partnerships

→ Panel discussions and on-site sessions for conferences, companies, and community organization

View Speaking Topics Invite Me to Speak

Let’s Talk About What’s Next

Whether you need to rethink your brand, bring more consistency to your creative, launch something new, or need senior brand and creative leadership without the full-time commitment, let’s explore what makes sense.

Schedule A Call