We're not an agency.
We're the truth tellers.
Agencies can't be honest — they need to keep you on retainer. We don't have that problem. We audit your marketing, hand you the truth, and give you the plan. That's all we do. That's all we'll ever do.
We got tired of watching business owners get lied to.
Founded by Ian Cantle — a 20+ year marketing veteran, co-host of the popular Marketing Guides for Small Business podcast, and seasoned marketing strategist for small to multinational businesses — Brutally Honest Marketing was born out of pure frustration with the status quo.
Over two decades in the marketing trenches, Ian watched business owners repeatedly get shafted by marketing agencies and contractors who cared more about protecting their monthly retainers than producing actual bottom-line revenue.
Agencies handed clients glossy reports stuffed with vanity metrics — impressions, clicks, social engagements — while bank accounts remained flat. When campaigns failed, agencies pointed fingers at algorithm updates, budget sizes, or seasonality rather than admitting their strategy was flawed.
Ian created Brutally Honest Marketing to provide a no-strings-attached audit. No agency retainers, no software upsells, and zero conflicts of interest. Just a raw, strategic breakdown so business owners finally know exactly how their marketing is really performing, where money is being burned, and precisely how to fix it.
"26% avg. budget waste" from a Rakuten Marketing survey of 1,000 marketers (eMarketer, 2018). Case studies and testimonials are based on real audit findings; names changed to protect client confidentiality.
Four principles. Zero exceptions.
Independence is everything
We don't manage your marketing. We don't sell a retainer. We don't upsell. Our only revenue comes from the audit itself — which means our only incentive is to be right. If we tell you your marketing is great, it is. If we tell you it's broken, it is. We have nothing to gain by lying.
Revenue, not vanity
We measure everything against revenue. Not impressions. Not engagement. Not click-through rate. If a metric doesn't connect to dollars in your bank account, we don't care about it — and neither should you. Every finding in our audit is tied to revenue impact.
The truth, even when it hurts
Most marketing consultants tell you what you want to hear. We tell you what you need to hear. If your messaging is confusing, we say so. If your ads are burning money, we say so. If your agency is lying to you, we say so. The truth is uncomfortable. The truth is also what grows your business.
Plain English, not jargon
We don't hide behind marketing buzzwords. Every finding, every recommendation, every plan is written in plain English that you, your team, or any vendor can understand and act on. If you can't explain your marketing strategy after reading our audit, we didn't do our job.
The no-retainer promise.
We will never ask you for a monthly fee. We will never try to manage your marketing. We will never upsell you into ongoing services. The audit is the product. The truth is the deliverable. After that, what you do with it is entirely up to you.
- No retainers. Ever.
- No upsells. Ever.
- No conflict of interest. Ever.
- Just the audit, the truth, and the plan.
Ready for the truth about your marketing?
The audit takes five business days. The not-knowing has already cost you more than that. Pick your truth level and let's get started.
Get Your Brutally Honest Audit