Marketing

Audit
Checklist

Amarketingauditshouldbedoneatthebeginningofthemarketingplanningprocess.Ittakesaclose
lookatthecurrentbusinesslandscapeinternallyandexternally.Thequestionsaredesignedtoprompt
examinationofenvironmentsandpracticestoevaluatewhatyourcompanyisdoing,whyitisdoingitand
whetheritiseffective.

Everyoneintheorganizationshouldbeabletoanswerquestionsaboutthecompanyfromthe
receptionistatthefrontdesk,totheclerkinfacilities.Ifthisisnottrue,thenoneofyourobjectivesneeds
toincludetheinternalsocializationofthemarketingplan.

External Audit focuses on:

Internal Audit focuses on:

Business&economicenvironment
- economy
- fiscal
- social
- technological

Sales

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.

Wasapreviousauditconducted,whatweretheconclusionsandobservations?

2.

Howsuccessfulweretheimplementedrecommendationsandsuggestionsfromearlieraudits?

3.

Howwerethosemeasured?

4.

Howoftendoesyourorganizationconductaudits?

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Audit
Checklist
Sales and its knowledge of the customer:
5.

Doyouknowwhatthecustomerknows,feelsandbelievesaboutyourcompany?

6.

Whatsurveysareusedtodeterminewhatcustomersknowaboutyourproducts&services?

7.

Howoftenaretheseconducted?

8.

Haveyoueveraskedwhattheyknow,feel,believeaboutyourcompetition?

9.

Isitdifferentfromwhatyouwantcustomerstofeel,aboutyourcompany?

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

Customer Relationship Management

1.

Doyouknowhowsatisfiedyourcustomersarewithyourproducts/services?

2.

Doyouyouusecustomersurveysorotherformsofcustomerevaluations?

3.

DoyouconsiderCRMasales,marketingorcustomerserviceresponsibility?

4.

WheredoesCRMresidewithinyourcompany?

5.

Towhatlevelisyourcompanymeetingorexceedingcustomerexpectations?

6.

Doyouholdcustomersatisfactionreviews?

7.

Ifyoudo,isthereanyinternalresistancetocustomersatisfactionreviews?

8.

Doyoulinkanycustomersatisfactionfeedbacktoyourcustomerserviceplanning,newproduct
development,and/ormarketingstrategydevelopment?

9.

Howdoyoudetectproblemscustomersmaybeexperiencingwithyourcompany,brandorproducts?
Whodoyouinvolveintheprocessandremediation?

Marketing Questions
1.

Howdoesyourcurrentmarketingstrategyaligntobusinessobjectivesandstrategy?

2.

Doyouhavetheappropriateexecutivesupportandbuyin?

3.

Areorganizationsproperlybudgetedtoachievetheirrespectiveobjectives?

4.

Arecompany/organizationalobjectivesclearlydefinedandarticulated?

5.

Doyoufeelyouaregettingvalueformoneyfromyourmarketingbudgets?

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Audit
Checklist

6.

Isyourcorporateorbrandimageconsistentwithyourproductorservice,intheeyesofyour
customers?

7.

Doyouactivelymanageyourbrand,productorcorporateidentity?

8.

Howeffectivedoyoufeelyourexternalcommunicationsare?Inwhatway?

9.

Howeffectivedoyoufeelyourinternalcommunicationsare?Inwhatway?

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

Brand
1.

Howwouldyoudefinethecompanysbrand?Isitactivelymanaged?How?

2.

Howlonghasthebrand/productbeenaround?

3.

Whatistheestimatedbrandequity?

4.

Whatdoesthebrandmeanintheeyesofyourcustomers?

5.

Wouldyourcustomersmissitifitdidnotexist?

6.

Haveyouextendedthebrandorproductline?Ifnot,couldyoudoit?

7.

Arethereanyhighriskareasyoushouldavoid?

8.

Doyourbrand/productpromotionsreinforcethecorevalues?

Business Development
1.

Areyoudevelopingnewbusinessfromexistingcustomers?

2.

Areyoudevelopingnewbusinessfromnewcustomers?

3.

Areyoudevelopingnewbusinessfromnewproducts?

4.

Doyouknowwhatyourcustomerretentionratesare?

5.

Doyouhaveandefinitionfora'good'saleorcustomer?

6.

Doyousetrevenuetargets?

7.

Doyousetprofittargets?

8.

Howdoyoumanagekeyaccounts?

9.

Howdoyoutargetnew,potentialkeyaccounts?

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

Corporate, Brand or Product Identity

1.

Doyouactivelymanageyourcorporate,brandorproductidentity?Howdoyoudothis?

2.

Areyourmarketingandcorporatecommunicationsmaterialsconsistentwiththisidentity,and
immediatelyrecognizableasbelongingtoyourbusiness?

3.

Doyoufeelthattheidentityworks?

4.

Doesyouridentityportraythecorrectimage?

Planning
1.

Howdoesyourcompanyapproachtheplanningcycle?

2.

Ismarketingplanningincludedinthisprocess?

3.

Ifyes,isthemarketingplanningprocessseenasapositivemanagementtool?

4.

Hasthecompanysetdefinitionsandproceduresforthebusinessandmarketingplanningprocesses?

5.

Arethebudgeting,businessandcustomerserviceplanningprocessespartof,orlinkedtothe
marketingplanningprocedure?

6.

Howdoyoudeterminethemarketingbudget?Doesthisprocedureworkwell?

7.

Doyourmarketingplansgetmonitoredandevaluated?

8.

Howsuccessfulhasthemarketingplanningprocessbeen?

9.

Doyoufeelthatappropriateinternalandexternalinformationisavailableduringtheplanningand
evaluationprocesses?

Positioning
1.

Doyouknowwhereyourbrand/productsarepositioned?

2.

Doyouhaveaclearlydevelopedmarketingpositioningstrategy?

3.

Doyourcustomersclearlyunderstandwhatyourcompanystandsfor?

4.

Doesyourcompany,brandorproductmakearealdifferenceinthemarketplace?

5.

Doyoufeelthatyouhaveidentifiedalltheaspectsofcompetitiveadvantageyourbrandorproduct
offers?

6.

Doyouthinkyouexploitthiscompetitiveadvantagecorrectly?

7.

Doyoucommunicatetheseadvantagesactively,consistentlyandeffectively?

8.

Doyouthinkthecompetitiveadvantagesyoucommunicatecanmotivateyourcustomerstochoose
yourproduct/brandoverthecompetition?

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Marketing
Audit
Checklist

Marketing Operations
1.

Doyouknowthecapabilitiesandlimitationsofyourmarketers?Ifso,how?

2.

Doyouunderstandyourmarketdynamics?

3.

Doyouhaveanyproofofthemarketevolution?

4.

Whoareyourcompetitors?

5.

Whatarethedifferencesbetweenyourproducts/servicesandbrandingandthoseofyour
competitors?

6.

Doyouhaveaclearsetofbusinessobjectivesandshortertermgoals?

7.

Ifyes,doyourmarketingobjectivessupportthis?

8.

Howiscustomerfeedbackincorporatedintoyourmarketingplans,serviceimprovementsand
marketingcommunicationsactivities?

9.

Haveyourclearlydefinedthemarketsyouwanttodeveloporserve?

10. Howsystematicallydoyouapproachthemarketentry/supportstrategies?
11. Doyoumeasurethereturnoninvestmentprovidedbyyourmarketingactivities?

New Product Development

1.

Howdoyoudevelopnewproductsorservices?

2.

Howlongdoesdevelopmentnormallytake?

3.

Howmanysuccessfulnewproducts/servicesdidyouintroduceinthelastyear?

4.

Arefeasibilityandinvestmentcriteriasetfornewproductassessment?

5.

Doyouemployandevaluatelaunchplansfornewproducts/services?

6.

Isyourproductportfoliomanagedcentrallyorlocally?

7.

Doyoulinknewproductdevelopmenttoyourbusinessandmarketingstrategies?Howdoyoudo
this?

8.

Howarenewproduct/serviceideasencouragedandcaptured?

Change Management
1.

Ifyourcompanyceasedtoexist,wouldtheworldloseout?

2.

Whatisthecompany'spurpose?

3.

Whatisimportantwhenaddingvaluetothecommunity/market?

4.

Whatisyourcorporatefocusanddoyouhaveanycommunitygoals?

5.

Whatsortoforganisationisit,andisitgoodatwhatitdoes?

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Marketing
Audit
Checklist
6.

Whatskillssetthecompanyapart?

7.

Doyouthinkthecompanycouldbecomesupremelygoodatonething?

8.

Doyouachieveyourgoalsthroughcooperationorcollaboration?

9.

Doyouhaveachangemanagementpolicy?

10. Ifso,doyoufellthatitisalongtermpolicy?

General
1.

Areyouconfidentaboutthefutureofyourcompany,brandorproducts?

2.

Areyouhappyworkinginthecompany,andwithyourcoworkers?

Notes & Observations

Sources:RGSBusinessSolutionsandSourcesUnknown

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