Marketing Audit Template
The Company
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1. Identification
* Name
* Signature (corporate "bug")
* Trademark
* Colors, symbols, etc.
* Slogan (if any)
* Policy regarding reference to parent company, divisions, subsidiaries, etc.
2. Corporate relationships
3. Financial information (ownership, earnings, track record, etc.)
4. Corporate structure
* Divisions
* Their contributions to volume, profits, etc.
* Overseas operations
5. Plants, branches, warehouses, etc.
6. Company history
7. Historical response to changes in the economy, fashions, consumer behavior, etc.
8. Reputation-- and for what
* What business is the company is?
* What business ten years from now?
* Image
* Significant achievements
* Newsworthy facilities
* Newsworthy employees
9. Marketing approach
* Statement of marketing philosophy
* Formal or informal plan
* Market research facilities/capabilities
* Test marketing
10. Promotional mix -- relative importance to the company
* Personal selling
* Advertising and other communications
* Public relations and sales promotion
11. Long-range corporate objectives and strategies
12. Plans regarding the following
* Expansion
* Diversification
* Decentralization
* Acquisitions
* Etc.
13. Status of the industry
* Growth
* Profits
* Other important trends
14. Legal considerations in the industry
15. Organizational chart -- personnel
* Relationships of production to marketing to sales
* Chains of authority for advertising -- budgets and advertising approvals
16. Policies
* Company secrets
* Classified information
* Other policies that affect communications
17. Management consultants
18. Association memberships and services received
19. International or multinational goals, policies, strategies
The Products
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1. Identification
* Names
* Trademarks
* Colors, symbols, etc.
* Product shape and other characteristics
2. General
* Lines (including degrees of completeness)
* Types, styles, sizes, price ranges, profitability
* Coding, if any
* Availability of product fact sheets
3. Product life cycle
4. Product testing
* Internal R&D data
* Consumer data
5. Brand reviews
* History
* Usage
* Market share
* Competitive position
* Etc.
6. Patents and licenses
7. Points of differentiation
* Exclusive and/or superior processes, ingredients, features, etc.
* What is each product's or services greatest feature or consumer benefit that differentiates each product from the competition?
* If differences do not exist, can they be created and how?
8. Product weaknesses
9. Packaging, labeling, tagging
10. Packing and shipping
11. Accessories, tools, cabinets, dispensers, etc.
12. Factors in selection of product type, including consumer resistances
13. Factors in selection of brand, including consumer resistances
14. Warehousing
15. Delivery
* Normal
* Recent performance
16. Installation services
17. Customer services
18. Reconditioning, repair parts, etc.
19. What is the biggest sales problem?
20. New products program
* How many a year
* Who is responsible
* Testing procedures
* Testing/approval criteria
* Success rate
21. New products planned
22. Products to be dropped
23. Which products to be promoted, and where
The Prospect
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1. Prospect profile (demographics, psychographics, lifestyle, etc.)
* Sex
* Age group
* Position in the household
* Size of family
* Income
* Occupation
* Education
* Ethnic considerations
* Urban, suburban, rural
* Home owner, renter, apartment dweller
* Lifestyle description--Innovator, early adopter, follower, etc.
* Nonuser/user, heavy/light user, new triers, brand switchers, etc.
2. Shopping practices
* Who
* When
* Where
* How
3. Purchasing factors
* Seasonal
* How a purchase develops
* Considered or impulse purchase
* Importance of price, availability, service, etc.
* Influence of middlemen (retailers, dealers, distributors, salesmen, etc.)
* Average purchase value
* Tax considerations
* Repurchase cycle
* Brand loyalty
* Obsolescence
4. Motivation
* Why they buy the company's brand(s)
* Why they buy competitive brands
* Which competitor or market segment is vulnerable and why
The Market
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1. How the market is segmented
2. Geographical
* Coverage
* Markets ranked by importance
* Market development indices
3. Market trends
* Market as a whole
* Segmentation
* Product/segment protection practices
4. State of the market
* Growth
* Maturity
5. Marketing objectives
* Short-range
* Long-range
6. Marketing strategy
* Product
* Packaging
* Price
* Distribution
* Promotion
7. The replacement market
8. The used market
9. The premium market
10. The gift market
11 Export and international markets
12. New markets to investigate or exploit
13. Test marketing experience and plans
14. Markets in which to concentrate promotional activities
15. Markets or segments overlooked by the competition
16. Availability of written marketing plans
17. Availability of current market research
The Competition
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1. Direct vs. indirect
2. By divisions
3. By product and/or product lines
* Breadth of lines
* Comparisons of construction, patents, features, price, packaging, availability, etc.
4. By markets
* Sales coverage
* Share of market
* Opportunities
5. Selling effectiveness
6. Store brands
7. Second-hand brands
8. Import brands
9. Price cutting trends
10. Lost order analysis
11. Comparative analysis of competitors
* Weaknesses, strength
* Positions, strategies
* Expenditures
* Share of advertising and A/S ratios
* Share of mind (awareness, preference levels, etc.)
12. From which competitors and we win business?
Sales
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1. By divisions (or branches)
2. By product lines and/or products
* Old vs. new products
* Private brands
3. By markets (consumer groups, institutional, industrial, S.I.C. class, etc.)
* % of company sales
* Share of market
* Number of customers
* Number or % of customers accounting for 80% of sales
4. Geographical sales trends
5. Direct sales vs. two-step sales through distributors, etc.
6. Repeat vs. new business
7. List price sales vs. off-invoice sales
8. By individual customers
* % of customer purchase by product type
* Heavy users vs. light users
* Key accounts (the 20% does 80% principle)
9. Repair parts and reconditioning
10. Goals
* Performance, current year
* Next year's quota
* Method of forecasting
11. Where increased sales will come from
* Expanding markets
* New markets
* Broader line(s)
* Higher per capita consumption of product(s)
* From the competition
12. Whether sales figures are released to the public
13. Best indicator of sales vitality (shipments, warehouse withdrawals, retail store audits)
14. Peak sales periods
Selling
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1. Staffing -- management and sales staff
* Number
* Type
* Qualification
* Ages
* Etc.
2. General line sales people or specialists
3. Compensation and incentives
4. Training
5. Sales meetings
* When
* Where
* Agency participation
6. The sales call
* On whom do they call
* Frequency, cost, etc.
* Team selling
* Materials used and needed
* Sales message
* Closing techniques
7. Number of accounts per person
8. Prospecting vs. servicing accounts
9. Average time period and number of calls to make the sale
10. Quotas, and how set
11. Sales aids (with samples)
12. Typical sales resistance
Point-Of-Sale
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1. Promotional package
2. Identification
* Sign
* Decal
* Plaque or certificate
3. Sales training
4. Incentives
5. Sales aids
* Catalogue
* Buyer's guide
* Selector/cross-reference
* Etc.
6. External (local media) promotion plan
7. Outside store promotion
* Signage
* Window display
8. In-store promotion
* Floor display
* Counter display
* Wall display
* Banners
* Shelf talkers
* Racks/dispensers
* Demonstrator
9. Cooperative advertising plan
10. Special considerations
* How promotional material is distributed
* Who pays for what
* Promotion calendar
Merchandising
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1. Pricing
2. Allowances, deals
3. Financing
* Trade-in
* Financing plan
* Leasing
* Turn-in
* Contract
4. Guarantee/warranty
5. Tags, seals, etc.
6. Dispenser, rack, merchandiser, etc.
7. Sampling program
8. Premium offers
9. Servicing policy
* Installation
* Repair
10. Returned good policy
11. Couponing
Distribution
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1. Present channels
* "Road map" of distribution (how the product gets to market, including all the "hands" that touch it)
* Trends
* Level of distribution (percent of all outlets stocking/selling products nationally and regionally -- by market)
* Quality of current distribution
2. Policies
* Franchise arrangements
* Consignment
* Stocking
* House accounts
* Returned goods
* Printed policy
3. Importance of line to (a) broker, (b) distributor, (c) dealer
4. Discount schedule
5. Average stocking order
6. Turnover
7. Shelf life
8. Dealer identification
* Signs
* Decals
* Wall plaques
9.Deals, allowances, incentives
10. Sales training for distributors, dealers, etc.
11. Sales aids
* How much used
* How paid for
12. Dealer promotion plan
* Materials
* How distributed
* How paid for
13. Cooperative advertising plan
14. Dealer yellow page and other listing programs
* Nationally
* Locally
15. Quality and quantity of distributor cooperation
16. Communications methods with other distributors and dealers
17. Changes
* New distributors/dealers wanted
* New methods of distribution
18. Distributor/dealer acquisition plan
19. Distributor and/or retailer mix
Customer Relations
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1. Order acknowledgment
2. Installation services
3. Instructions manual or other materials
4. Complaint handling
5. Repair parts
6. Repair/reconditioning services
7. Repeat business solicitation (inside sales)
8. House organ (a periodical published by a business firm for its employees and customers)
Advertising
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1. Advertising department structure
* Organization
* Personnel
* Division of work and responsibilities
* Authority vs. responsibility
2. Agency responsibilities
3. Company policies
* Role of advertising
* Relationship to sales
* Use of advertising as a tool for leads generation
4. Management's attitude toward advertising
5. Sales organization's attitude toward advertising
6. Advertising strategy/positioning
7. Target audiences
8. "Sacred cows"
9. Graphics standards
10. References to subsidiaries, divisions, addresses, etc.
11. Patent registration notices
12. Copyright policies and procedures
13. Legal factors
14. Method of setting budget
* Items included
* % of sales, per unit, per task (zero-base budgeting)
* How corporate (non-product) advertising is paid for
* Budget year
* When presented/approved
15. Media
* Media strategy
* Media used
- Newspaper
- Consumer magazines
- Trade or farm magazines
- Outdoor
- Trade shows
- Catalogues
- Trade directories
- Yellow Pages
- Direct mail
- Fair
- House publications
- Other
* Any significant changes in emphasis over recent years
* Media testing
* Merchandising services available from media
16. Existing media contracts
17. Seasonal factors
18. Merchandising to salesmen, distributors, etc.
19. Mailing facilities
* Outside services
* Lists
20. Inquiry-handling system
21. Photographic capabilities/facilities
22. Method of advertising evaluation
23. Competitive advertising performance
24. Recent and current performance
25. Samples
26. Recruitment advertising
27. Advertising objectives
28. Measurement, in terms of
* Sales increase
* Share of market shift
* Consumer awareness
* Consumer preference
* Sales lead generation
* Creation of new customers
* Cost per incremental unit sold
* Syndicated service ratings
29. Pre-testing
Public Relations and Publicity
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1. Structure
* How PR is handled
* Policies and procedures
* Staffing and use of counsel
* Press relations
* Management's attitude toward public relations
2. Plans
* Availability of written plans
* Timetables
* Measurement of effectiveness
3. Product publicity
* Relationship within total communications mix
* On-going programs
* Priorities
* Immediate tasks
* Internal contacts for briefings and project responsibilities
4. Financial PR
* Fact book availability
* Research studies available
* P/E ratio evaluation
* Specific goals of management
* External communications programs already in place
* Annual reports
5. Special programs
* Customers, distributors, trade
* Employee
* Community
* Environment, consumerism
* External affairs, public affairs
* Disaster management plans
* Test marketing
* Marketing communications
* Institutions
* Government
6. Internal publications
7. How management appraises current communications
8. Changes management would like to see
9. Possible obstacles to effective communications (internal and external)
10. Probable image of the company among key publics
11. Most important communications problem
* Today
* Tomorrow
12. Opinion leaders
13. Consultant's past recommendations and whether any were adopted
14. International problems and opportunities
15. Anniversaries and other important milestones
16. Company policies on dealing with writers
* Policy on by-lines
* Policy on compensating writers
17. Speakers bureau
18. Clipping service
19. Archives, museums, repositories of historical materials
20. Industry PR programs
Research
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1. Management attitude on the role and importance of research
2. Research facilities and procedures
3. Inventory of bibliography of available research studies
4. Marketing research
* Budgeted
* Current studies
* New assignments
5. Specific research subjects
* Advertising copy research (including pretesting)
* Distribution/trade research
* Field trips and store checks
* Sales forecasting
* Tracking studies
* Syndicated or special studies
* Retail store audits
* Commercial panels
* Consultants used
6. Biggest unsolved problem that research might help solve now.