Marketing Audit Process
THE MARKETING AUDIT PROCESS
How is a marketing Audit conducted?
We recommend that the following simple three-step procedure be followed when carrying out a marketing audit.
1. Setting the Objectives and Scope
The first step calls for a meeting between the student (the auditor) and a company officer(s) to explore the nature of the marketing operations and the potential value of the marketing audit. If the company officer is convinced of the potential benefits of the marketing audit, he and the auditor (student) will then work an agreement on the objectives, coverage, depth, data sources, report format, and the time period of the audit. A questionnaire covering the entire scope will then be developed ready for the next stage
2. Gathering the Data
The bulk of an auditor’s time is spent in gathering data. Although we talk of a single auditor, an auditing team is usually involved when the project is large. A detailed plan as to who is to be interviewed, by whom, the questions to be asked, the time and place of contact, and so on, have to be carefully prepared so that auditing time and cost are kept to a minimum. Daily reports of the interviews are to be written up and reviewed so that the individual or team can spot new areas requiring exploration while data are still being gathered.
The cardinal rule in data collection is not to rely solely for data and opinion on those being audited. Customers often turn out to be the key group to interview. Many companies do not really understand how their customers see them and their competitors, nor do they fully understand customer needs.
3. Preparing and Presenting the Report
The marketing auditor (or student) will be developing tentative conclusions as the data comes in. It is a sound procedure for him to meet once or twice with the company officer before the data collection ends to outline some initial findings to see what reactions and suggestions they produce.
When the data gathering phase is over, the
How is a marketing Audit conducted?
We recommend that the following simple three-step procedure be followed when carrying out a marketing audit.
1. Setting the Objectives and Scope
The first step calls for a meeting between the student (the auditor) and a company officer(s) to explore the nature of the marketing operations and the potential value of the marketing audit. If the company officer is convinced of the potential benefits of the marketing audit, he and the auditor (student) will then work an agreement on the objectives, coverage, depth, data sources, report format, and the time period of the audit. A questionnaire covering the entire scope will then be developed ready for the next stage
2. Gathering the Data
The bulk of an auditor’s time is spent in gathering data. Although we talk of a single auditor, an auditing team is usually involved when the project is large. A detailed plan as to who is to be interviewed, by whom, the questions to be asked, the time and place of contact, and so on, have to be carefully prepared so that auditing time and cost are kept to a minimum. Daily reports of the interviews are to be written up and reviewed so that the individual or team can spot new areas requiring exploration while data are still being gathered.
The cardinal rule in data collection is not to rely solely for data and opinion on those being audited. Customers often turn out to be the key group to interview. Many companies do not really understand how their customers see them and their competitors, nor do they fully understand customer needs.
3. Preparing and Presenting the Report
The marketing auditor (or student) will be developing tentative conclusions as the data comes in. It is a sound procedure for him to meet once or twice with the company officer before the data collection ends to outline some initial findings to see what reactions and suggestions they produce.
When the data gathering phase is over, the