Marketing Audit Checklist

Amarketingauditshouldbedoneatthebeginningofthemarketingplanningprocess.Ittakesaclose lookatthecurrentbusinesslandscapeinternallyandexternally.Thequestionsaredesignedtoprompt examinationofenvironmentsandpracticestoevaluatewhatyourcompanyisdoing,whyitisdoingitand whetheritiseffective. Everyoneintheorganizationshouldbeabletoanswerquestionsaboutthecompanyfromthe receptionistatthefrontdesk,totheclerkinfacilities.Ifthisisnottrue,thenoneofyourobjectivesneeds toincludetheinternalsocializationofthemarketingplan. External Audit focuses on: Internal Audit focuses on: Sales

Business&economicenvironment - economy - fiscal - social - technological Themarket - size - characteristics - trends - channels - customers - industrybehavior Thecompetition - majorcompetitors - marketingmethods - keystrengths&weaknesses - extentofdiversification

totalsalesrevenues geographicreachandlocation typeofindustry bycustomer byproduct

Marketing - procedures - organizations - information - mix -

Past Performance Indicators & Lessons Learned

1. 2. 3. 4. Wasapreviousauditconducted,whatweretheconclusionsandobservations? Howsuccessfulweretheimplementedrecommendationsandsuggestionsfromearlieraudits? Howwerethosemeasured? Howoftendoesyourorganizationconductaudits?

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Marketing Audit Checklist

Sales and its knowledge of the customer:
5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Doyouknowwhatthecustomerknows,feelsandbelievesaboutyourcompany? Whatsurveysareusedtodeterminewhatcustomersknowaboutyourproducts&services? Howoftenaretheseconducted? Haveyoueveraskedwhattheyknow,feel,believeaboutyourcompetition? Isitdifferentfromwhatyouwantcustomerstofeel,aboutyourcompany?

10. Whatdoyouwantthemtobelieve,know,aboutyourcompany? 11. Isyourplanmarketdrivenorengineeringdriven(builditandtheywillcome)? 12. Doyouknowhowyourcompanydevelopsnewbusinessopportunities? 13. Doyouuseanytypeofstrategicaccountmanagementpractices?Ifso,what? 14. HowwouldyoudefinethecompanysUniqueSellingProposition(USP)

Customer Relationship Management

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Doyouknowhowsatisfiedyourcustomersarewithyourproducts/services? Doyouyouusecustomersurveysorotherformsofcustomerevaluations? DoyouconsiderCRMasales,marketingorcustomerserviceresponsibility? WheredoesCRMresidewithinyourcompany? Towhatlevelisyourcompanymeetingorexceedingcustomerexpectations? Doyouholdcustomersatisfactionreviews? Ifyoudo,isthereanyinternalresistancetocustomersatisfactionreviews? Doyoulinkanycustomersatisfactionfeedbacktoyourcustomerserviceplanning,newproduct development,and/ormarketingstrategydevelopment? Howdoyoudetectproblemscustomersmaybeexperiencingwithyourcompany,brandorproducts? Whodoyouinvolveintheprocessandremediation?

Marketing Questions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
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Howdoesyourcurrentmarketingstrategyaligntobusinessobjectivesandstrategy? Doyouhavetheappropriateexecutivesupportandbuyin? Areorganizationsproperlybudgetedtoachievetheirrespectiveobjectives? Arecompany/organizationalobjectivesclearlydefinedandarticulated? Doyoufeelyouaregettingvalueformoneyfromyourmarketingbudgets?

Marketing Audit Checklist

6. 7. 8. 9. Isyourcorporateorbrandimageconsistentwithyourproductorservice,intheeyesofyour customers? Doyouactivelymanageyourbrand,productorcorporateidentity? Howeffectivedoyoufeelyourexternalcommunicationsare?Inwhatway? Howeffectivedoyoufeelyourinternalcommunicationsare?Inwhatway?

10. Whendidyoulastlaunchanewproduct?Wasitsuccessful?Why/How? 11. Howeffectivedoyoufeelyourcurrentmarketingis?

Brand
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Howwouldyoudefinethecompanysbrand?Isitactivelymanaged?How? Howlonghasthebrand/productbeenaround? Whatistheestimatedbrandequity? Whatdoesthebrandmeanintheeyesofyourcustomers? Wouldyourcustomersmissitifitdidnotexist? Haveyouextendedthebrandorproductline?Ifnot,couldyoudoit? Arethereanyhighriskareasyoushouldavoid? Doyourbrand/productpromotionsreinforcethecorevalues?

Business Development
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Areyoudevelopingnewbusinessfromexistingcustomers? Areyoudevelopingnewbusinessfromnewcustomers? Areyoudevelopingnewbusinessfromnewproducts? Doyouknowwhatyourcustomerretentionratesare? Doyouhaveandefinitionfora'good'saleorcustomer? Doyousetrevenuetargets? Doyousetprofittargets? Howdoyoumanagekeyaccounts? Howdoyoutargetnew,potentialkeyaccounts?

10. Doyourcustomersknowallthebrands/productsyouoffer? 11. Howmuchdoyouinvestinbusinessdevelopmentactivities? 12. Whatisthesuccessrateofyourbusinessdevelopmentefforts? 13. Doyouhaveacustomerrelationshipmanagement(ormarketing)system?

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Marketing Audit Checklist

Corporate, Brand or Product Identity

1. 2. 3. 4. Doyouactivelymanageyourcorporate,brandorproductidentity?Howdoyoudothis? Areyourmarketingandcorporatecommunicationsmaterialsconsistentwiththisidentity,and immediatelyrecognizableasbelongingtoyourbusiness? Doyoufeelthattheidentityworks? Doesyouridentityportraythecorrectimage?

Planning
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Howdoesyourcompanyapproachtheplanningcycle? Ismarketingplanningincludedinthisprocess? Ifyes,isthemarketingplanningprocessseenasapositivemanagementtool? Hasthecompanysetdefinitionsandproceduresforthebusinessandmarketingplanningprocesses? Arethebudgeting,businessandcustomerserviceplanningprocessespartof,orlinkedtothe marketingplanningprocedure? Howdoyoudeterminethemarketingbudget?Doesthisprocedureworkwell? Doyourmarketingplansgetmonitoredandevaluated? Howsuccessfulhasthemarketingplanningprocessbeen? Doyoufeelthatappropriateinternalandexternalinformationisavailableduringtheplanningand evaluationprocesses?

Positioning
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
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Doyouknowwhereyourbrand/productsarepositioned? Doyouhaveaclearlydevelopedmarketingpositioningstrategy? Doyourcustomersclearlyunderstandwhatyourcompanystandsfor? Doesyourcompany,brandorproductmakearealdifferenceinthemarketplace? Doyoufeelthatyouhaveidentifiedalltheaspectsofcompetitiveadvantageyourbrandorproduct offers? Doyouthinkyouexploitthiscompetitiveadvantagecorrectly? Doyoucommunicatetheseadvantagesactively,consistentlyandeffectively? Doyouthinkthecompetitiveadvantagesyoucommunicatecanmotivateyourcustomerstochoose yourproduct/brandoverthecompetition?

Marketing Audit Checklist

Marketing Operations
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Doyouknowthecapabilitiesandlimitationsofyourmarketers?Ifso,how? Doyouunderstandyourmarketdynamics? Doyouhaveanyproofofthemarketevolution? Whoareyourcompetitors? Whatarethedifferencesbetweenyourproducts/servicesandbrandingandthoseofyour competitors? Doyouhaveaclearsetofbusinessobjectivesandshortertermgoals? Ifyes,doyourmarketingobjectivessupportthis? Howiscustomerfeedbackincorporatedintoyourmarketingplans,serviceimprovementsand marketingcommunicationsactivities? Haveyourclearlydefinedthemarketsyouwanttodeveloporserve?

10. Howsystematicallydoyouapproachthemarketentry/supportstrategies? 11. Doyoumeasurethereturnoninvestmentprovidedbyyourmarketingactivities?

New Product Development

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Howdoyoudevelopnewproductsorservices? Howlongdoesdevelopmentnormallytake? Howmanysuccessfulnewproducts/servicesdidyouintroduceinthelastyear? Arefeasibilityandinvestmentcriteriasetfornewproductassessment? Doyouemployandevaluatelaunchplansfornewproducts/services? Isyourproductportfoliomanagedcentrallyorlocally? Doyoulinknewproductdevelopmenttoyourbusinessandmarketingstrategies?Howdoyoudo this? Howarenewproduct/serviceideasencouragedandcaptured?

Change Management
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Ifyourcompanyceasedtoexist,wouldtheworldloseout? Whatisthecompany'spurpose? Whatisimportantwhenaddingvaluetothecommunity/market? Whatisyourcorporatefocusanddoyouhaveanycommunitygoals? Whatsortoforganisationisit,andisitgoodatwhatitdoes?
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Marketing Audit Checklist

6. 7. 8. 9. Whatskillssetthecompanyapart? Doyouthinkthecompanycouldbecomesupremelygoodatonething? Doyouachieveyourgoalsthroughcooperationorcollaboration? Doyouhaveachangemanagementpolicy?

10. Ifso,doyoufellthatitisalongtermpolicy?

General
1. 2. Areyouconfidentaboutthefutureofyourcompany,brandorproducts? Areyouhappyworkinginthecompany,andwithyourcoworkers?

Notes & Observations

Sources:RGSBusinessSolutionsandSourcesUnknown

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