marketing audit essay example

Marketing Audit

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Accountability is something that all professionals have. Doctors are accountable for their diagnoses, nurses are accountable for safety and quality care, and marketers are accountable for the techniques they choose and methods they propose to implement them. With these in mind, you should know the position you are in right now. Are you a business owner? If yes, how can you stay with your primary goal? The best way to do this is to perform a marketing audit. It is a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the business marketing of a particular organization. It examines the organization’s priorities, objectives, plans, and values to spot any challenges or opportunities and suggest a course of action that best meets the company’s needs.

To know more about marketing audits, feel free to read the entire article.

10+ Marketing Audit Examples

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What Is a Marketing Audit?

A marketing audit examines and analyzes the marketing practices, priorities, and objectives in depth. It allows you to assess how your marketing activities are designed and handled. Also, how they are going in relation to the goal of your original marketing strategy. The audit will assess the organization’s strengths and weaknesses, allowing it to make recommendations for process and resource improvements.

When conducting an audit in-house, make sure to be realistic about strengths and weaknesses. They must be attainable, measurable, specific, and practical. Aside from that, don’t forget to keep your competition in mind. Ask yourself how your company differs from theirs.

How to Create a Marketing Audit?

Many marketers are scared of the word audit. However, it’s only a systematic and detailed review of the marketing activities to determine what’s working and what needs improvement. A marketing audit can be informative and complicated as you want it to be. But be sure to listen to what your target audience wants. In addition to that, optimize your marketing strategy accordingly.

To help you get started and turn your efforts into insights, take time to read the following.

1. Determine the Scope

Before you start, make sure to ask yourself what you want to conduct. Consider SEO, branding, social media, offline marketing , and many more. Look for a combination that works for your compan

2. Know Your goal

In setting your goal, focus on value-adds, differentiators, channel strengths, and messaging. After that, evaluate what makes your business apart and which aspects of your marketing require additional funding.

3. Do the Inventory

Doing an inventory of your existing content is helpful for future purposes. In doing it, use a tool where you can import all URLs on your site into your spreadsheet. As such, you can quickly check and reuse pages for your upcoming campaigns.

4. Always Implement Solutions

In running a business, it’s essential to be ready all the time. That’s why you should always put your audit results into action. Set a new goal. After that, make some moves to achieve it, like improving your DA by five points. Or else, increasing your CTA rate to 20%.

Why should you conduct a marketing audit?

As it is human nature, if you don’t learn from your mistakes before, you will continue to create similar mistakes in the future. Therefore, you should understand such a marketing audit. Creating a detailed and effective one can help you understand the reasons for business success or failure. Also, teaches you how to continue in the future.

What is included in the audit?

The real scope of your marketing audit is customizable to your specific business needs. It is not unusual to conduct a month-long hyper-targeted audit on only one marketing strategy. However, if you want a comprehensive audit that gives you a view of your brand marketing, you should include all observable activities like branding, SEO, Website, Social media, and competitive analysis.

What are the types of audits?

When talking about an audit , there are three types that you need to remember. The external audits, internal audits, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audits. If you want to learn more about  types of audit , doing some research can help.

Marketers’ strategies are becoming more complex due to the introduction of marketing automation tools , the backing of analytics-driven investments, and hands-on experience with newer approaches like content marketing. Therefore, if you want to create an effective marketing audit, use the specific spreadsheet in this post. They are easy to use and download. Download them now and formulate a solid marketing audit that gives you a competitive advantage.

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• Instructive
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Marketing Audit Report: What Are They and How to Make One?

Table of contents

To see what Databox can do for you, including how it helps you track and visualize your performance data in real-time, check out our home page. Click here .

The marketing strategy in your business is what makes or breaks the success of your products and services. In fact, according to Databox’s state of business reporting , marketing is the most monitored and reported operation.

Even though everyone is aware of the importance of marketing, many people often feel like half of their marketing campaigns are a waste of money.

The problem? Figuring out which half.

And that’s where marketing audit reports come in.

Marketing audit reports provide you with a comprehensive overview of all the different marketing activities and performances in your company.

By analyzing the data you gather in the report, you will know which areas of marketing need to be improved and which are doing a good job generating sales.

Do you find marketing audits too complicated? Don’t worry, this guide will teach you all you need to know.

What Is a Marketing Audit?

Types of marketing audits, how do you run a marketing audit, what is included in a marketing audit, how to make an audit report, marketing audit report examples, monitor and report on marketing performance in databox.

A marketing audit is a type of business report that analyzes the entire marketing structure of a business. It covers everything from marketing strategies, targets, practices, priorities, to the smallest marketing activities.

This report provides you with insight into how your company’s marketing activities are created and conducted. Also, you will see how close you are to hitting your original marketing goals.

Marketing reports help you identify your business’ strengths and weaknesses. Once you know which of your marketing efforts are paying off and which are failing, you can work on improving resource allocation and make better use of your staff’s time.

Compared to weekly or monthly reports , marketing audits require more in-depth analysis. However, you should be completely objective and realistic when creating them. You have to be specific and present information that is measurable and attainable. Only then can you and your internal stakeholders discuss these audits and create better marketing strategies for the future.

While there is no strict practice regarding how frequently you should conduct marketing audits, it’s best to do it once every few months.

By running these audits frequently, you will see where you should make changes in your strategy to reach your goals fasters. Even if there are no noticeable problems, it doesn’t mean that the strategy is perfect. 

To get a comprehensive overview of your marketing activities, you should include data from all your marketing platforms. Each platform and sales funnel is important for understanding the bigger picture.

A good marketing audit should always be:

• Comprehensive – Make sure you cover all marketing areas.
• Independent – This refers to the type of audit. The best type is an outsider audit, we will talk about it in-depth in one of the next headings.
• Systematic – The audit should be organized and segmented.
• Periodical – Conduct marketing audits every few months, even if there aren’t any obvious issues with it.

The term marketing audit doesn’t refer to only one report. Instead, it is composed of a few different types of audits.

The three main components are the external environment, the internal environment, and the marketing strategy. Within these components, we can identify seven different types of audits.

We’ll explain each.

External Environment

Internal environment, marketing strategy.

The external environment segment of the marketing audit focuses on the main outside factors that have an impact on your marketing strategies.

This segment includes:

• Macro-environment audit – This type of marketing audit covers external elements such as economic elements, cultural elements, political elements, environmental elements, and demographic elements. These are the main things that influence consumer markets and affect your company’s performance.
• Task environment audit – Although this audit is similar to the first one in terms of analyzing external elements, it has a few significant differences. The main focus of a task environment audit is to analyze your company’s overall industry, recognize competitors, and monitor the relationship your company has with retailers and distributors.

As the name suggests, the internal environment segment primarily focuses on the internal factors in your business.

Here are the three audits that fall into this segment:

• Marketing organization audit – Includes a systematic analysis of the organizational resources such as staff, structure, manpower, employee training and development, research facilities, communication, work relations, and overall motivation.
• Marketing function audit – This audit includes a complete overview of marketing capacities in your company. It’s also known as the 4P audit because it analyzes price, promotion, product, and place of distribution.
• Marketing systems audit – The systems audit examines your company’s ability to gather and analyze data. The main focus is on the marketing information system and control system that you are using.

This segment focuses on your marketing targets and strategies .

It consists of these two audits:

• Marketing strategy audit – Analyzes your company’s goal and vision. The main objective of the strategy audit is to make sure your marketing goals are clearly defined. Also, it will determine whether you are using your resources correctly.
• Marketing productivity audit – Investigates the profitability of your products. It measures the current market situations and cost-effectiveness. With this audit, you can understand how effective your marketing strategies actually are.

Now that you know what a marketing audit is, we can move on to the next step – running your audit.

Follow these seven steps to successfully run your marketing audit:

Step 1: Describe All Marketing Goals

Step 2: develop a customer persona, step 3: recognize your competition, step 4: define your products and services, step 5: categorize your inventory, step 6: analyze your data, step 7: make a plan.

Creating marketing goals requires lots of creative effort. The goals should be thought out, comprehensive, and most importantly, realistic.

Your marketing objectives should always be in line with your other business objectives.

These are some of the most common marketing objectives:

• Developing company visibility
• Attracting a bigger audience
• Creating sales leads
• Improving market share
• Generating more usage from existing customers

Keep in mind that both long-term and short-term goals are important.

Long-term goals are those that you want to achieve in the next two or three years, while short-term goals are something you can do within the next few months.

Creating a detailed customer persona for what would be your ideal buyer is an indispensable step for efficient marketing.

To develop a customer persona, there are the things you should consider:

• Working industry
• Business size
• Behavioral traits
• Demographic description

In marketing, we say, “keep your customers close, but keep your competitors closer”.

Acknowledging your competitors and their marketing efforts will help you create better strategies for your own company.

To do this, you can start by creating a list of names of the top five competitors in your industry. Include sections such as their business information, name, website, and HQ location. Categorize all of their products or services and make notes on which overlap with your own.

Related : How to Do an SEO Competitive Analysis: A Step-by-Step Guide

Before running a marketing audit, you first have to know all the details about your own products and services.

For each product and service that your company offers, you should create a list of features, benefits, sizing, prices, distribution procedures, and overall historical performance of each item.

Once you have all of these metrics written down, compare your products/services to those of your competitors. This will help you identify your own strengths and weaknesses and let you know which aspects you can improve.

Each business should have a comprehensive document that categorizes current marketing assets. Create this document by adding all of your available brand materials and marketing collateral.

You can start with a spreadsheet that includes relevant information about each individual item in your inventory.

Here is a list of some of the things you should include: 

• Broken links
• Engagement ratio
• Number of sessions
• Content length

After gathering all of your significant marketing data in one place, we can start analyzing it.

Go through all of the different segments in your marketing audit and make notes on your observations. You will inevitably find things that you can improve on and keep track of the aspects that are doing well so far.

Related : How to Analyze Data: 30+ Experts on Making Sense of Your Performance

When you wrap up the analysis process, you can start making informed decisions about your future marketing endeavors – make a marketing plan .

The first thing you should do is solve all the issues that you recognized while going through the audit. This includes fixing broken links, analytics-tracking issues, and finding gaps in your content.

Next, point out areas that you think your marketing team could easily exploit. For example, you can recognize some great opportunities in terms of relevant backlinks or optimize existing pages that already drive lots of conversions.

Finally, your main focus should be on the future.

Update your brand guidelines, identify future CRO opportunities, and research any networking openings that could be useful.

Since every business has different marketing strategies, there is no mandatory set of things that all marketing audits need to incorporate.

However, there are certain metrics that can be universally useful to include. These include branding, website activities, social media, SEO, and an insightful competitive analysis.

PRO TIP: How Well Are Your Marketing KPIs Performing?

Like most marketers and marketing managers, you want to know how well your efforts are translating into results each month. How much traffic and new contact conversions do you get? How many new contacts do you get from organic sessions? How are your email campaigns performing? How well are your landing pages converting? You might have to scramble to put all of this together in a single report, but now you can have it all at your fingertips in a single Databox dashboard.

Our Marketing Overview Dashboard includes data from Google Analytics 4 and HubSpot Marketing with key performance metrics like:

• Sessions . The number of sessions can tell you how many times people are returning to your website. Obviously, the higher the better.
• New Contacts from Sessions . How well is your campaign driving new contacts and customers?
• Marketing Performance KPIs . Tracking the number of MQLs, SQLs, New Contacts and similar will help you identify how your marketing efforts contribute to sales.
• Email Performance . Measure the success of your email campaigns from HubSpot. Keep an eye on your most important email marketing metrics such as number of sent emails, number of opened emails, open rate, email click-through rate, and more.
• Blog Posts and Landing Pages . How many people have viewed your blog recently? How well are your landing pages performing?

Now you can benefit from the experience of our Google Analytics and HubSpot Marketing experts, who have put together a plug-and-play Databox template that contains all the essential metrics for monitoring your leads. It’s simple to implement and start using as a standalone dashboard or in marketing reports, and best of all, it’s free!

You can easily set it up in just a few clicks – no coding required.

To set up the dashboard, follow these 3 simple steps:

Step 1: Get the template 

Step 2: Connect your HubSpot and Google Analytics 4 accounts with Databox. 

Step 3: Watch your dashboard populate in seconds.

Knowing how to create a great marketing audit report can help you take your business to the next level.

Marketing audits are a bit more complicated to make than other forms of reports, but this guide will help you start off on the right foot.

Follow these steps to create a comprehensive marketing audit:

Identify Marketing Objectives

Determine target audience, analyze sales funnels, roi forecast, suggest next steps.

Analyzing the efficiency of your marketing activities starts with defining objectives.

Of course, you can create a few different objectives and categorize them by priority.

For example, your most important goal might be increasing the number of sales. Secondary goals could be increasing brand visibility, generating leads, engaging existing customers, growing your email list, and many more.

Once you and your key shareholders agree on which goals to prioritize, you can start developing a marketing plan that can achieve these goals. Go through the audit and make a list of activities that can be most beneficial in reaching your objective.

If you haven’t already identified your target audience, now is the perfect time to do it.

You and your marketing department should work on sketching out the ideal customer persona and if you already did this, you can check whether recent performances comply with your plan.

Using your social media followers, website visitor analytics, and email subscribers list can all help you gather demographic data on your ideal target audience.

If the data indicates that you are reaching out to the wrong audience, you should immediately see to the issues and make adjustments to your products and services.

Here is a full expert guide that will help you how to identify your target audience .

Every step in your sales funnel is important and you will have to gather data on each one.

This will help you answer questions such as:

• At which step do potential customers enter the funnel?
• At which step do they bounce?
• Which content has a good conversions rate?
• Which content isn’t doing well?

It’s best that you start from the top. This means analyzing social media data, PPC advertising data, email marketing data, and SEO data.

Next, you move on to landing pages, CTAs, lead magnets, and the different forms.

KPI data should be included throughout the whole journey.

After gathering enough relevant data on your marketing performances, you should use your marketing audit to examine the efficiency of each activity.

The best way to make accurate ROI forecasts is to start with sales.

However, this doesn’t mean that you should overlook your other marketing goals. If one of your goals is to raise brand visibility, an engaging platform that doesn’t bring a lot of leads could be worth the trouble.

Although, you should remember that marketing objectives have a certain hierarchy. In the hierarchy, sales are most commonly come out on top.

The final step when creating a marketing audit is to use the knowledge you’ve acquired for future strategies.

This can be anything from allocating budget resources , adjusting the budget, or optimizing your content .

We recommend that you test your new strategies through each phase to make sure you are on the right track to meeting your goals.

If you are new to marketing audit reports, you are going to need all the help you can get.

Creating a marketing audit can take quite some time, especially if the data you gathered is segmented in different places.

This is why we recommend using marketing dashboards.

Dashboard apps can help you communicate marketing performances and overall ROI quickly and efficiently to all the high-ranking members in your company.

They are a key piece of the puzzle for any marketing team’s success. Not only will you be able to gather your data in one comprehensive report, but you will also have an easier time analyzing your current strategies and finding ways to improve them.

Marketing reporting software gathers, tracks, and displays all of the most important metrics and KPIs from your marketing channels. This is essential for efficient measuring and campaign analysis.

The things you include in your marketing dashboard depend on a few different factors. Your company’s size, marketing goals, type of marketing strategy, and overall business goals should all be taken into consideration.

A successful marketing dashboard should be adjusted to the specific needs of your business. This is why with Databox dashboards, you can customize the templates in any way that seems most appropriate.

Let’s check out some popular examples.

• Site Audit Report Example
• SEO Report Example
• Website Performance Report Example

PPC Report Example

Video marketing report example, email marketing report example, semrush site audit report example.

To stay on top of your website’s performance, you can use this free Site Audit Report Example .

This dashboard will help you understand the key aspects of your website and enable you to quickly recognize any issues regarding internal linking, indexing, HTTPS implementation, and many more.

Some of the questions this dashboard can answer include:

• How many crawled pages were there on my website in the last month?
• What were the issues with my website during the last audit check?
• How many issues were there during the last audit check?
• How can I measure my website’s click depth?

The key metrics included are errors, pages with issues, pages by crawl depth, notices, warnings, and site audit score.

These are the primary metrics, but you can also track some advanced ones like:

• Keyword rankings
• Ranking distribution
• Visibility trend
• Competitor intelligence

Google Analytics SEO Report Example

Use this SEO Report Example to track the performance of your on-page SEO and gain an insight into which pages on your website drive the most traffic.

SEO is one of the most important aspects of your website and it’s not unusual to have certain questions regarding it. For example:

• Which landing page drives the most organic traffic?
• Which landing page should I update?
• Which search results generate clicks to my website?
• Which pages drive most search engine clicks?
• How many organic sessions are generated on my website?

This comprehensive dashboard will show you all of these things and more.

Some of the metrics included are organic bounce rate, organic sessions, organic goal completions, and sessions by channel.

If you use Google Analytics, you can also track pretty much everything related to traffic and conversions.

This includes:

• Traffic and demographics
• Engagement through social media
• Landing page performance
• Website conversions

Google Analytics Website Performance Report Example

The Website Performance Report Example will help you monitor traffic sources, audience behavior, and classify your most-viewed website pages.

You will also learn:

• Which marketing channels generate the most traffic to your website
• How your website sessions are trending on a daily/weekly/monthly basis
• Which pages generate the most views
• Average time spent on your website
• The conversion rate from visitors to customer

The metrics included in this dashboard are bounce rate, page views, new users, average time on page, sessions, users, sessions by channel, and plenty more.

Looking for a way to monitor the performance and ROI of all your marketing campaigns in one place? The PPC Report Example can help you with this.

You can use this pre-built dashboard to connect the most important PPC metrics from your tools and customize it later. Once you have imported all the significant data, you can also visualize it with only a few clicks to get a clearer picture of the operational side of your campaigns.

This dashboard will provide you with insight into:

• How much money you have spent on Facebook and Google Ads
• Whether Facebook Ads or Google Ads are generating a better ROI
• Which ad campaigns are successfully performing
• Which keywords are driving the most traffic in Google Ads

Also, you can analyze key metrics such as CPC, CTR, impressions, amount spent, link clicks, amount spent by campaign, impressions by campaign, etc.

The Video Marketing Report Example is one of the best dashboards for tracking how video awareness leads to high-intent searches. You can import data from your Facebook and Google Ads and analyze whether or not they are generating any returns.

By using this dashboard, you can find out how your video content is creating awareness through your ad campaigns.

It helps you to:

• Understand how video awareness is linked to branded and high-intent searches
• Track returns on Ad Spend on your marketing campaigns
• Measure the success of your ad campaigns

When it comes to key metrics, there aren’t many dashboards that can compare to this one.

The Video Marketing report includes:

• Website users
• Total ad revenue
• Total ad spend
• Facebook page engagement
• Conversions by source
• Website goal completions
• Google ads performance metrics
• Facebook ad reach

The email marketing program you use is a huge part of each business. To measure its effectiveness, you can use the Email Marketing Report Example .

This customizable dashboard will help you track email sessions, signups by campaign, signups by device, and give you a better overview of which parts of your email marketing strategy can be improved.

With this email marketing dashboard, you will have an easier time measuring the success of your strategy. Once you connect your GA account to the dashboard, you can learn:

• How many visitors does the email campaign generate
• Which campaign is generating the most visits
• Which devices do your subscribers use to open the emails
• How many new signups were there last month
• Which email campaigns are driving the most conversions

The key metrics into which you will gain insight are email sessions, mail campaign sessions, email signups, device sessions, and landing pages from email.

Marketing audit reports are probably the hardest type of reports to create. This is because most businesses typically run dozens of marketing campaigns, which means there is a massive amount of data to gather. And once you do gather it, you will then have to analyze it and present it.

With new marketing tools being released every few months, doing all of this work manually is becoming a lot harder and more time-consuming.

Fortunately, there are marketing dashboard software like Databox that help you stay on top of your marketing strategies.

Databox can help you prepare better marketing audits that you can later use to develop your strategy and make data-informed decisions. With our pre-built dashboards, you can connect data from any marketing channel you use and gather it in one comprehensive report. This also makes the analysis process immensely easier since you will have all the key metrics in one place.

With this kind of overview of your marketing channels, you won’t have to worry about impressing your shareholders with an amazing marketing audit. What’s more, Databox also helps you turn your data into understandable charts through which you and your colleagues will easily spot patterns and weaknesses in your strategies.

Sounds interesting? Sign up today for free and upgrade your marketing reporting skills.

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Filip Stojanovic is a content writer who studies Business and Political Sciences. Also, I am a huge tennis enthusiast. Although my dream is to win a Grand Slam, working as a content writer is also interesting.

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Marketing Audit Essays

Marketing strategy for burberry, strategic marketing plan, popular essay topics.

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Marketing Audit – The Definitive Guide (includes how-to and example template)

With this post, I want to demystify marketing audits. I will concentrate specifically on digital marketing audits and tell you everything I know. You will have all my know-how, see an example audit and have access to my template.

I used to run digital marketing for multinational companies. Today, as a coach, I routinely run audits with my clients.

Table of Contents

What is a marketing audit.

A Marketing Audit is a thorough observation, evaluation, and analysis of all the marketing environments of a brand, a product, or a whole company. An audit will look at internal and external communication, evaluate results against goals, inspect strategy and execution. The final purpose of an audit is to identify areas of improvement, provide insights and recommend solutions.

The end result of an audit is not just a documentation of the existing situation but a plan of action to enhance the marketing effort.

What is the purpose of a marketing audit?

A marketing audit is a great way to disrupt the business as usual and have a new look at the marketing work through fresh eyes. Marketing audits can be a yearly routine in some companies. Or can be used to switch gears when things appear to be stagnating.

The purpose of the audit is:

• A comprehensive look at the whole marketing effort;
• An impartial, blameless evaluation of the work done (in a post-mortem style) ;
• A set of actionable recommendations that can guide the way forward.

Why should every marketer start from a marketing audit?

A marketing audit is the best way to get to understand how a company thinks, plans, and executes its marketing.

Being clear on what is happening, highlighting the best practices and the areas that need improvement are the best way to start improving a marketing strategy.

Every new marketing director should start from it, on the first days of the new job. Every marketing agency should push to run such an audit when they are first invited to work with a new client. Every new marketing coach would provide great benefit to their client if they started their coaching and teaching engagement by providing the client with a marketing audit.

What are the components of a successful marketing audit?

Every successful marketing audit should include these five foundational elements:

• Marketing objectives;
• Marketing plans;
• Channel overview;
• Competitor analysis;
• Recommendations.

Marketing Objectives

The auditor needs to acquire the documentation relative to the original marketing objectives the company set out to achieve. The auditor will also get in touch with the marketing stakeholders to ask how up-to-date these objectives are in light of current events.

The marketing audit needs to feature a detailed analysis of the marketing objectives and how they are being met by the marketing plans.

Marketing Plans

The auditor needs to acquire all the documentation relative to marketing planning and execution. All briefs, all budgets, and planning documents are helpful to better understand not just the budget allocation but its intention and spirit.

The marketing plans provide important benchmarks that the auditor can use to measure results.

Channel overview

The auditor needs to work with the marketing department to assess what are the marketing channels that are worthy of being analyzed. For instance: press, internal communication, email marketing, websites, partnerships, and individual social media channels can all be viewed as channels.

In this phase, either the client or the auditor will make some suggestions in terms of what channels to focus on during the audit. For instance, the auditor may spend less time looking at a channel where the company does not see the potential for investment and devote more time to the channels where they expect to see more growth.

Competitor analysis

A marketing audit needs some reference points, some anchors to better explain the results. There are no better reference points than the benchmarks set by competitors.

Competitors don’t just provide quantitative data (for instance, easy to see vanity metrics like Instagram followers or YouTube views), but also best practices, tone of voice, messaging examples.

Recommendations

A marketing audit needs to focus on the suggestions, tips and insights that the auditor can provide to their client. Their advice should be a guide for the company to act on their marketing goals in a new, more insightful and informed way.

Recommendations are the essential outcome of any successful marketing audit.

Why is marketing audit important?

A marketing audit is important because it provides all the interested parties with a clear picture not only of the status quo but of the perspective going forward.

A marketing audit is a moment of growth and learning for all parts of the company. It’s important also to see it as a blameless, scientific evaluation, not a finger-pointing blame-game.

How do you write a marketing audit?

A marketing audit requires different phases:

• Data acquisition;
• Data presentation;
• Presentation;
• Workshops and follow-ups.

In the research phase, the auditor will look at the marketing touchpoints through the eyes of the customers. The auditor wants to understand all the customer journeys that customers will encounter when interacting with the audited company.

Data acquisition

In the data acquisition phase, the auditor will request access to all marketing platforms and acquire data directly from the audited company. For instance, they will gather web analytics data, social media dashboard data and email marketing data from the respective providers.

Data Presentation

The data acquired needs to be presented in the best way. In this phase, the auditor will export and visualize the data in the most appropriate way to understand the nuances of the data.

In the drafting phase, the auditor will write down their observations, conclusions and recommendations, following the template of their choice.

A draft will be released to the client to gather feedback. In the phase the client might want clarifications or have further materials to submit to the auditor. Based on economic agreements, the auditor will offer a certain number of rounds of revisions and then provide a final version.

Presentation

The auditor will present the findings in a variety of ways. They will prepare a one-page executive summary for the board of directors, a highlight presentation for the top management, and an in-depth presentation for the marketing team.

Workshops and Follow-Ups

A marketing audit is a great opportunity to provide learning opportunities to your client, for instance, by organizing workshops, coaching and training classes in the areas that require improvement.

What questions should a marketing audit address?

A marketing audit should address the main issues a marketing department is facing at any given time. For example:

• Are our goals correctly set?
• Are we doing all that is needed to reach our goals?
• Are we learning from data and adjusting our strategy and execution accordingly?
• Are our assumptions correct?
• Are there best practices that we should learn from?
• Are there some mistakes we need to avoid in the future?
• Are there some areas that require great improvement?

How many types of marketing audits are there?

There are as many types of marketing audits as there are marketing departments. Auditors listen to the brief from the client and adapt to their specific needs.

Marketing audits may differ in focus given to different aspects of marketing. For instance:

• Auditing the brand and messaging;
• Auditing paid advertising;
• Auditing websites and SEO;
• Auditing social media;
• Auditing email marketing.

What does a marketing audit template look like?

What you can find below as an example is the structure of an audit I delivered to an important client in the entertainment sector in September of 2020.

It’s the closest I can get to revealing what an actual marketing audit looks like (without you paying me).

Executive Summary One-page summary with all the major conclusions of the audit. Website Focus on the website starting from observing it as a user. Website Performance Deep dive in the numbers and in the performance of the key content of the website. Website SEO Deep dive into the on-page and off-page SEO metrics of the website. Site Speed/Responsiveness Focus on site performance from the point of view of speed both for users and search engines. Site Structure/Accessibility Focus on the information architecture of the website and how it impacts its accessibility. Social media Focus on social media channels sorted by the importance given to them by the company Facebook Deep dive into the audience, top content, worse-performing content, conversion metrics, community management. Other social opportunities Focus on new opportunities represented by untapped social channels where no official profile has yet been created. Email marketing Deep dive into the audience, performance and content of the email marketing effort. Video Marketing Deep dive in the performance of video on social platforms, e.g. YouTube Apps Deep dive into the performance of web, computer and mobile apps. PR Focus on PR with a specific accent on perception and use of the earned media. Partnerships Deep dive into the marketing partnerships and recommendations on further partners. Brand Campaigns Deep dive into branding, brand perception and brand campaigns. Outreach Deep dive on outreach, link building and community building activities outside of social media. General recommendations Summary of the main recommendations emerging from the audit. Evolutionary directions Focus on the most interesting opportunities for improvement and evolution of the marketing department.

Whom can I hire to execute a marketing audit?

Your auditor should be someone with a great reputation, a transparent track record and great experience in marketing. Asking for references is an excellent way to check out the credentials of potential auditors. The level of refinement of their website is also a good indicator of how attentive they would be when it comes to taking care of the details of your marketing.

If you think we could be a good fit, I would be happy to provide you with a marketing audit. To know more, please book a call with me.

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What's a Marketing Audit? [+ How To Do One]

Updated: July 23, 2024

Published: May 26, 2023

As marketers, we're always looking for ways to improve our game plan. But with so many tactics and channels available, knowing where to focus our efforts can be challenging.

Ultimately, no marketing strategy is perfect. A marketing audit gives you a holistic view of your marketing efforts, including what's working, what could be improved, and where new opportunities are present.

Here, we'll take a closer look at marketing audits, the best time to conduct one, and a few best practices to pull one off.

Table of Contents

What is a marketing audit.

What are the elements of a marketing audit?

Who does a marketing audit?

When should i do a marketing audit, how to do a marketing audit.

A marketing audit takes an objective look at your current marketing activities, strategies, and performance. The goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and identify opportunities for improvement.

A marketing audit identifies the biggest strengths and weaknesses of your current strategy. It highlights what plans, processes, and practices are most effective at meeting goals. Just as importantly, it builds a foundation for future decision-making by identifying opportunities, gaps, and areas for improvement.

To get the best results, your marketing audit should be objective, systematic, and recurring:

• Objective to ensure it's free of bias
• Systematic to ensure your audit is structured, organized, and measurable
• Recurring so you can discover and address problems early on

Keep in mind that a marketing audit can encompass your entire operation or a subset of it — such as a specific campaign, process, or focus (e.g., social media marketing).

Elements of a Marketing Audit

A comprehensive marketing audit may include one or more of the following elements:

1. SWOT analysis.

A SWOT analysis outlines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of your marketing. Using this framework, you can take inventory of your marketing assets and roadblocks.

2. Competitive analysis.

As the name suggests, a competitive analysis takes stock of the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors. It puts a magnifying glass on their products, prices, marketing strategies, campaigns, and target audience.

3. Market research.

Even if you think you know your customers through and through, market research can reveal even deeper insight into their needs, preferences, motivations, and behaviors. On top of that, you can tap into emerging trends and new opportunities in the marketplace, helping you stay ahead of the curve.

A third party typically conducts a marketing audit. This is for a few reasons.

First, your audit needs to be as objective as possible. With this in mind, outsourcing to a third party – rather than conducting it internally — is the sounder option.

On top of that, third-party firms have more experience in conducting audits, and that experience really matters. Often, they're better equipped to identify best practices and opportunities for improvement, and they may have access to specialized tools, technologies, and research capabilities.

A marketing audit should be conducted on a regular basis. After all, the sooner you capitalize on what's working (and remedy what's not), the stronger your marketing plan will be.

Of course, the exact frequency depends on your organization's industry, size, and goals. Generally, it's good practice to conduct an audit on an annual basis.

Other factors may trigger the need for an audit, including:

Now let's cover the steps for conducting a marketing audit and a few best practices.

• Choose what you want to audit.
• Identify your goals and objectives.
• Collect the right information.
• Surface any findings or insights from the data.
• Make recommendations (and track them).

1. Choose what you want to audit.

As already mentioned, your marketing audit can cover your entire operation or target a specific campaign, process, or area. That said, your marketing is likely comprised of interrelated components, so it can be beneficial to analyze "the big picture."

Ultimately, what you choose to audit is entirely up to you and will depend on your marketing priorities.

2. Identify your goals and objectives.

Want to know which of your social media campaigns are performing well? Or how your content strategy stacks up against your competitors? Or, maybe you want to refresh your branding or customer personas.

Start by picking an objective that will serve as the "North Star" for your audit. Next, break down your object into measurable goals.

For example, suppose your main objective is determining which social media channels provide the best engagement. In that case, your goal might be,  "Meet a minimum quota of 200 new followers per month on TikTok."  Then, your marketing audit would put this to the test.

3. Collect the right information.

Now that you have well-defined and measurable goals, the next step is gathering information. This can come from a number of sources — such as campaign metrics, website traffic, social media metrics, and marketing spend.

For instance, if you're tracking the effectiveness of a specific campaign, HubSpot users can access a wealth of campaign data via the marketing analytics dashboard . From here, they can direct their marketing budget toward their most successful efforts.

You can also gather data from external sources like market research reports, industry benchmarks, and competitor analysis — but ensure the data is reliable and accurate.

Once you've gathered the data, organize it in a way that is easy to analyze and reference later. You may want to create charts and graphs, and consolidate data into a single document.

4. Surface any findings or insights from the data.

How you evaluate your data depends on the goals of the audit. For instance, you might perform a competitive analysis if you're looking to evaluate your pricing strategy against your competitors. 

Document the results or findings from this step so you can make effective recommendations down the line.

5. Make recommendations (and track them).

Lastly, make recommendations for improving your marketing strategy — such as readjusting your messaging, marketing channels, or spend.

For example, if you discover your Facebook advertising strategy isn't capturing enough leads, a recommendation might be to redirect that spend to another channel.

After you make these adjustments, monitor the results to determine their effectiveness. This involves tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) and making changes as needed.

Back to You

Again, no marketing plan is perfect. By running a marketing audit, however, you can capitalize on what's working and resolve what's not. The result? A more optimized strategy that drives results.

Don't forget to share this post!

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How To Do a Marketing Audit

Digital Marketing

What is a Marketing Audit?

A marketing audit is a systematic examination of the way a business is being marketed. Marketing audits will show business owners and marketing staff where marketing efforts are successful; a marketing audit may also show the failures so the necessary changes can be made for your business to thrive.

Businesses are like living, breathing entities; their marketing is the air they breathe. In order to keep your marketing in tip-top shape, there is a high volume of preparation and planning involved called a marketing plan . Before writing a marketing plan, one must address the business’s strengths and weaknesses. And in order to determine your current marketing state, one must complete a marketing audit. 

Though it may sound intimidating, marketing audits are good for your business. In this post, we will break down exactly what a marketing audit is, why marketing audits are important, and how your audit can be carried out. 

A marketing audit is a review of a business’s marketing environment, typically conducted by a third party, such as a marketing agency. The marketing audit will systematically analyze, evaluate, and interpret the internal and external marketing environment, its goals, and the means by which the business will reach these goals. 

A marketing audit will determine what your business wants out of its marketing strategy and how best to get there. An audit is typically a prerequisite to a marketing strategy, or when a problem arises that makes a change to the marketing plan necessary.

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Guidelines for a Marketing Audit

• A marketing audit is comprehensive . The audit should cover all the areas of marketing.
• The audit should be systematic . It should be organized and encompass all strategies and operations that influence marketing performance.
• The audit should be independent . Though there are multiple types of audits, the best type of audit is the outsider audit. In this case, a third party would perform the marketing audit.
• The audit should be periodical . Don’t wait until a problem arises to complete a marketing audit. Most problems can be avoided with regular marketing audits. 

Does My Business Need a Marketing Audit?

Even if you already have a marketing strategy in place, marketing audits are still extremely useful. They can benefit the business in multiple ways, including but not limited to:

• Providing management with an in-depth look at the business’s marketing strategy and performance, with a particular focus on how to plan, implement and manage marketing activities.
• Pinpointing marketing efforts and practices that are thriving and successful, as well as those that are less so. Think of your business as a rose garden: it needs occasional pruning to stay healthy. With a marketing audit, you can determine which parts of your marketing strategy are yielding fruit and which are not.
• Don’t know where to start with a marketing plan? That’s easy. Trust your audit. Its systematic and structured approach will never let you down when it comes to your marketing plan. 
• If you perform regular audits, you can catch mistakes and errors before they cause any irrevocable damage to your company’s reputation or to your bottom line. 

Ultimately, a marketing audit can help inform the most crucial decisions about marketing the upper management of your business will ever make.

Types of Marketing Audits

When we say marketing audit, that’s something of an umbrella term. Businesses typically examine three major components during a marketing audit: the external environment, the internal environment, and the current marketing strategy. Within these three categories, seven identified types of marketing audits exist.

External Environment

Macro-environment audit.

This type of audit examines the external factors that might affect the marketing performance of the company, such as demographic factors, economic factors, cultural factors, environmental factors, and political factors. For the most part, these are factors that influence the consumer market: their beliefs, hobbies, or any social trends that could affect the company’s marketing performance. 

Task environment audit

This type of audit also focuses on factors outside of the company, but still closely associated with marketing activities and operations. While it does take some factors of the consumer market into account, it is slightly different than a macro-environment audit. A task environment audit will assess the size of the industry the company belongs to, identify competitors, and examine the company’s relationship with distributors and retailers. 

Internal Environment 

Marketing organization audit.

This audit is performed by evaluating the staff or the labor force of the company at their various levels of hierarchy. 

Marketing function audit

This type of audit will evaluate the core competencies of the company. It will examine the company’s product, pricing, distribution, marketing communication, and the sales force. It will also compare price points for the company’s product with those of the competition.

Marketing systems audit.

This type of audit will look at the marketing systems currently in use, such as the marketing information system, marketing control system, and even a new product development system. 

Marketing Strategy

Marketing strategy audit.

This type of audit will revisit the company’s mission and vision, as its goals and objectives. It will determine if the current marketing strategies being adopted are proper and appropriate with respect to the resources of the company. 

Marketing productivity audit

This is where the auditors will look at the effectiveness of the marketing strategies currently in use. The most common things they will look at are cost-effectiveness and profitability. 

How Do I Perform a Marketing Audit?

Each audit will be unique to the company it is performed on. After all, companies have different goals, products, and industries that will affect their reasons for conducting a marketing audit in the first place. 

However, the performance of each marketing audit can be broken down into three phases or stages. 

Stage 1: Pre-Audit

In this phase, the company will first determine who will perform the audit . Companies here have two options: self-audit, and outside audit. 

In a self-audit, the audit is performed by employees of the company chosen by management. The marketing team can perform the marketing audit, unless management believes this will create issues with objectivity. In this case, an outside department may complete the audit. 

A self-audit can also be performed by high-level executives or management, or, in the case of much larger companies, an organization may have a dedicated audit department.  

Outside Audit

With an outside audit, the company will hire the services of an outside auditor. This is obviously a more reliable means of running an audit, as the outside auditor is guaranteed to be objective. The auditor could be an independent practitioner or a company that specializes in marketing audits. 

The second part of Phase 1 is the timing of the marketing audit . Essentially, when will the audit start, and how often will it be performed? 

For your business to reap the benefits of an audit, it must be performed regularly or periodically. Markets change frequently, which necessitates that marketing strategies change just as frequently. In order to make effective changes rather than blind ones, audits must be performed regularly. 

The third objective of Phase 1 is to establish the scope and objectives of the marketing audit . This is essential to properly guide and direct the audit team. Ensuring that everyone involved understands the objective of the audit will ensure that every member of the team is on the same page. 

It is also important to identify every stakeholder in the audit, whether direct or indirect. 

The final part of Phase 1 is to determine the methodology of the audit . This is where the exact method by which the auditing team will proceed is decided.

Stage 2: Audit Proper

This is the phase where the magic happens, so to speak. This phrase looks vastly different, depending on the type of audit, methodology and goals of the company. However, we can break audit proper down into three basic steps. 

Audit Proper: Step 1

The first step is data gathering and collection. This will be the most tedious and time-consuming part of the audit. 

The watchword of data gathering is research, research, research. Research sources include any established source of marketing data, such as industry publications.

During this phase, the auditors will also look at the historical internal records of the company. The auditors may give surveys or questionnaires to chosen respondents, may conduct interviews of marketing team, and may also require walk-throughs of the marketing process. 

This data collected will pertain to the three environments: the external environment, the internal environment, and the existing or current marketing strategy. In this stage of the marketing audit, no conclusions will be drawn from the data; this is all about the collection of raw information, and organizing it for analysis. 

Audit Proper: Step 2

The second step, obviously, is the analysis of the data . The data collected in the last stage will allow the auditing team to build a complete picture of the marketing program. There are many tools the auditing team can use to evaluate and analyze the data, such as:

• SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis 
• PEST (political, environmental, socio-cultural, and technological) analysis  
• Five forces analysis, which will examine competitors, threat of new players in the game, customer power, supplier power, and the threat of substitute products.

Audit Proper: Step 3

The third step to the audit is the preparation of recommendations . The audit team prepares a marketing audit report. Based on the results of the analysis of the data, the marketing team will make recommendations as to any changes that need to be made. The auditor usually places the recommendations in a prioritized list for easier comprehension.

Stage 3: Post-Audit

 The auditor submits the marketing audit report to management. Then management will more than likely disseminates to other departments in the company. 

Sometimes, recommendations in the audit report will not be accepted blindly or easily by management, especially if the audit was performed by an outside auditor. The audit report and the recommendations therein will likely undergo lengthy discussion until all parties are comfortable making marketing decisions. 

Marketing Audits for Success

Businesses aren’t like windup toys : you can’t just set them up and let the chips fall where they may. Not if you want to be successful, anyway. Businesses require huge amounts of care and attention to prosper, and regular marketing audits are a great way to keep the blood flowing. 

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Marketing Audit: What Is It, How To Do One, & Best Practices

What is a marketing audit, and could your business benefit from one? The answer is likely yes.

A marketing audit is a systematic evaluation of all marketing elements and practices of a business. With a marketing audit, you can find out how effective your efforts are, where your strategy might be lacking, and a variety of other insights that can help you improve your business’s return on investment.

If you are a small business, then every dollar spent on your marketing efforts makes a difference. If you are a major corporation, you undoubtedly make a considerable investment in marketing, and accounting for and maximizing those dollars is no small matter. From small businesses to big businesses, regularly scheduled marketing audits are an essential component of any good strategy.

Unsure if it’s a worthwhile use of your limited budget? That’s understandable—plus, it’s just good business to make sure all spend is well-thought-out. Learn more about marketing audits, how to do a marketing audit, and why you should consider using them to the benefit of your business.

What Is a Marketing Audit?

A marketing audit is an assessment that is performed to analyze your current marketing strategy from top to bottom. The goal of a marketing audit is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your marketing efforts and to help you devise a plan to improve effectiveness and performance.

A marketing audit can answer important questions such as:

• How effective is your current marketing strategy?
• Are you targeting the right channels?
• What are the strengths of your current marketing efforts?
• What are the weaknesses of your current marketing efforts?
• Are you missing out on opportunities to reach your audience?

With an in-depth evaluation, you’ll learn this and so much more about your marketing performance .

Who Performs a Marketing Audit?

If you want to get the most out of your marketing efforts, an audit is the best place to start. This type of audit is often referred to as an external marketing audit because it is typically performed by a third party.

There are a few reasons why using a third party for a marketing audit is a typical and standard practice.

• Using a third-party auditing service ensures unbiased assessments and answers.
• An audit should be performed by someone who is experienced. Not only will this ensure a thorough analysis, but it also means they can provide actionable insights.

There are many service providers who perform marketing audits and have well-established processes to do so effectively. While you don’t have to hire someone to perform a marketing audit, it will likely provide far more value if you do.

When Should You Do a Marketing Audit?

Have you been running your marketing program for at least six months? Do you have one or more marketing campaigns you are currently running? Then it is advisable to perform a marketing or advertising audit.

There was a time when marketing was much less sophisticated, especially when it comes to technology and the internet. Today, marketing is so much more than billboards and newspaper ads. With all the potential channels you can use to reach your customers, it’s important to be able to focus on the ones that will be most effective. Whether you’re still trying to figure that out or aren’t seeing the results you’d like to on certain channels, a marketing audit can help.

Additionally, if you need to learn more about your customers, including their likes, needs, and wants, you can gather that information through a marketing audit with the use of customer personas and competitive analysis. Need to reign in your budget? A marketing audit can help you determine where your dollars will go the farthest.

And in general, marketing audits are recommended on at least an annual basis, if not every six months. This allows you to ensure your marketing strategy is as efficient as possible at all times.

How to Do a Marketing Audit

Having a better understanding of what marketing audits generally entail will help you get a better understanding of their value.

So, what’s involved in a marketing audit? Here’s an overview of the basic components, however, it’s important to emphasize that audits are typically very in-depth. This overview is simply scratching the surface of what auditors will evaluate.

1. Determine What You’ll Be Auditing

Will you need a comprehensive audit or a systematic audit? Choosing the type of marketing audit will also determine what exactly you will be auditing .

Many companies that run internal marketing audits will seek out third-party assistance to perform a comprehensive marketing audit. These audits help businesses see and understand aspects of their marketing campaigns, such as ROI, lead generation effectiveness, or customer engagement rates, for example.

Fledgling companies or those who don't have the resources or defined marketing departments will often benefit from a systematic marketing audit. These audits typically go deeper than assessing the data from channels like email and organic marketing.

Systematic audits evaluate a company's marketing infrastructure, processes, and marketing plan. Deciding on what you need and what your marketing goals are will help determine the type of audit you need.

2. Identify Goals

You know what the goals for your marketing campaign are, and an audit is how you determine if they are being met. That also means that before you begin, it is also necessary to define the goals of the audit.

Do you find out how or where to improve the customer journey aspects of your marketing program? Do you want to see which of your social media campaigns are performing well, and those that are not? Do your customer personas need an update? A systematic marketing audit offers detailed information and answers to questions like these.

Comprehensive audits are most often used to get definitive and insightful data regarding the overall performance and environment of a marketing program. If you want to see how your customer acquisition campaign is doing or what your ROI for the year is, run a comprehensive marketing audit.

When setting your goals, they need to be well-defined. That means they should be clear and measurable. For example, is X marketing channel meeting the threshold of X leads in order for it to be a worthwhile investment?

3. Establish Customer Personas

Who are you marketing to? What does your audience like? What don't they like? Those are questions that lead back to understanding more about your audience, customers, and potential clients. It is also a great way to save time, energy, and resources from being spent on fruitless marketing campaigns that are being served to people who wouldn’t be interested in your offerings in the first place.

These are also the reasons why it is important to establish customer personas for your business and marketing plan. In fact, an effective audit needs well-developed customer personas. But what is a customer persona exactly?

A customer persona is a character created as a representation of a company's target audience. Generally speaking, there are several customer personas created to represent the various segments of the target audience. These personas can also be cited as primary, secondary, and so on.

Depending on your audience, customer personas commonly center around the following traits:

• Income range
• Occupational status

These are only a few of the characteristics that can make up a customer persona. Once you have your customer personas set up, it is time to look at the competition.

4. Identify Your Competition

For an effective marketing audit, you need to know who you’re competing against. This can help you get a baseline for where you need to be, what channels you should be looking at, where your marketing efforts should be focused, and ways you can stand out.

Some questions that you may want to consider when completing a competitive analysis audit include:

• What is your competition doing that works?
• How are they positioning their offerings?
• What channels are they putting most marketing efforts into?
• Who are the new competitors to keep an eye out for?

While the marketing strategy audit is about you and how your business is doing, evaluating the competition is another source of data that can help you draw those conclusions.

5. Gather Data

The most important element in the marketing audit process is data. How and where you collect data will depend on your systems, marketing plan, and resources.

This data might look like the number of hits per ad, the percentage of customer engagement, or the number of organic leads from specific campaigns.

From the outside, these might simply appear as interesting facts or trends. For those who understand and who know how to use this data, though, this information tells an entire story. How are your customer conversation rates looking? Are you experiencing greater traffic and increased revenue from your latest marketing campaign?

Without information like this, it is difficult to determine the success of your marketing program. The data and information you collect from your marketing program will unveil key insights into the strengths and weaknesses of your current strategy.

6. Evaluate the Information Gathered

All of the data that’s gathered throughout the course of the audit should then be analyzed. A successful marketing audit should yield key takeaways. Auditors will consider each piece of data individually as well as how it all works together in terms of big-picture performance.

Generally speaking, the different components of your marketing efforts are all interrelated. This is another reason why working with an experienced third-party auditor is key; they understand those relationships and can make recommendations accordingly.

How the data is evaluated will be guided by the goals of your marketing efforts and your marketing audit. Once you begin to understand the data and what it is saying, it is time to take the actionable steps that make it count.

What to Do Once You Have Your Audit Results

Now that you have your audit results, you have access to insights into how your marketing efforts are performing and where improvements can be made. Your audit provides actionable insights, eliminating a lot of the guesswork about how to move forward to create a more effective marketing strategy.

For example, if campaigns on a specific channel aren’t bringing in leads, one of the takeaways may be to redirect that spend to a channel where you tend to see a lot of results. You may also find that there are missed opportunities that you’d then want to incorporate into your strategy going forward.

With your audit results, you’re empowered to make informed decisions about marketing.

How Often Should You Complete a Marketing Audit?

The best marketing plans are re-evaluated regularly. The sooner you understand what is and what isn't working, the sooner you can correct or capitalize.

Generally, marketing audits should be performed on an annual basis. However, some may recommend one every six months. How often your business completes marketing audits may depend on your budget, how complex your marketing strategy is, and other factors like whether your priorities have recently changed.

One thing to consider is that when you do audits more frequently, you have the most up-to-date information to go off of, which will allow you to make highly informed decisions throughout the year.

Marketing Audit Best Practices

If you want to learn more about how to do a marketing audit, there is help available, along with reliable auditing services.

Here is a quick look at the marketing audit best practices:

• A marketing audit should highlight the techniques and marketing strategies that are effective.
• A marketing audit should suggest solutions that include both short-term and long-term solutions.
• Good marketing audits will lead to and define specific actions and steps to solve problems (such as low conversion rates) and meet your marketing goals.

Here are some items that marketing audits should include:

• Outlined plan of marketing program and marketing audit goals.
• Specified target audience, including target customer personas.
• Record of all the social media platforms used.
• Active accounting for followers, engagement rates, shares, etc.
• Data detailing conversion rates and costs.
• Content audit details (views, bounce rates, keyword usage, etc.).
• List of other marketing assets such as branding materials, flyers, white papers, etc.
• Finding suggestions, from increased postings to diversifying social media strategies.

Make the Most of Your Marketing Efforts

There is nothing more effective than a successful marketing plan. However, getting the most out of your marketing efforts will require a little help along the way. In most cases, that help looks like a solid marketing audit program.

How is your email campaign doing? Are your latest advertisements driving traffic? Does your social media marketing strategy reach its intended audience? Getting answers to questions that define the success of your marketing plan is key to creating a successful marketing campaign.

From the smallest details like content performance to big-picture answers like what your ROI is, make the most of your marketing efforts with a marketing audit that works for you.

Read more on our pro tips for auditing client Mailchimp accounts .

• How to Prepare a Marketing Audit to Shape Your Marketing Strategy

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Much of the success of any business is riding on its marketing strategy. It may have abundant resources, with a management team composed of brilliant and innovative minds, and teams of hardworking employees diligently and passionately performing their tasks. However, the business will never be able to grow, and succeed in achieving its organizational goals if it does not have a marketing strategy in place.

The growth of a business is closely linked to how its image is developed and presented to the market, and how it is able to establish a presence in that market. To accomplish that, there is a need to work on creating and increasing its brand awareness , which inevitably leads to increased profitability and accelerated growth.

In the process, this will also widen the reach of the business organization and aid in strengthening the bonds established between the business and its clients or customers.

The million dollar question is: what goes into the development of a marketing strategy? Businesses devote a lot of time and resources in crafting a strategy that will help propel the organization toward its goals. Several factors are considered, and more than one or two processes are undergone. One of these activities or processes is a marketing audit.

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In this guide, we explore 1) what is a marketing audit , 2) the importance of marketing audits , 3) the different components and types of marketing audits , and 4) how to perform a marketing audit .

WHAT IS A MARKETING AUDIT?

In author Bruce Clark’s words, a marketing audit is “a comprehensive, systematic, independent and periodic examination of a company’s or a business unit’s marketing” and it is “designed to evaluate marketing assets and activities in the context of marketing conditions, and use the resulting analysis to aid the firm in planning.” The planning that is referred to in that statement points to the marketing strategy, which will be documented in detail in a marketing plan .

Through a marketing audit, data on the internal and external environment of a business is gathered and analyzed in a structured and systematic manner, and the results thereof are used to aid the formulation of a marketing strategy. In other words, a business cannot come up with a marketing strategy unless it has performed a marketing audit.

The marketing audit may be performed by members of the organization, aided by members of the marketing team, or management may go with the option of getting help from external marketing auditors or consultants. Since it is considered to be a prerequisite of a marketing plan, marketing audit is to be performed at the beginning, before the planning process starts.

However, it does not stop there. Marketing audit is actually conducted frequently and almost regularly, which means that it is also being performed alongside the implementation of the plans.

IMPORTANCE OF A MARKETING AUDIT

Aside from the obvious, which is the formulation of a marketing strategy, a marketing audit benefits a business in more ways than one.

• A marketing audit provides management an in-depth look and evaluation at the marketing of a business, paying particular attention at how its marketing activities are planned, implemented and managed.
• A marketing audit pinpoints the marketing efforts and practices that are working perfectly, those that are not, and those that need more work. This leads to the identification of marketing weaknesses and strengths of the company, as well as its marketing threats and opportunities. In fact, throughout the course of the audit, management may discover inefficiencies that it never knew existed.
• A marketing audit’s systematic and structured approach makes the whole process of developing a marketing strategy easier. You don’t know where to start when making a marketing plan? Refer to the findings and recommendations of the marketing audit.
• A marketing audit enables the company to make corrections, or catch errors or mistakes before they can cause serious damage. A marketing activity is being implemented poorly? Then the company can apply the necessary changes and adjustments.

Ultimately, performance of a marketing audit is in aid of the greater function of top management, which is decision-making, specifically on matters regarding marketing. Any major decisions that will be made with respect to the company’s marketing activities will be based on the results of the audit.

COMPONENTS AND TYPES OF MARKETING AUDIT

Marketing audit covers a very broad area, with the auditors required to look into. There are seven identified types of marketing audit, and they fall under three components or audit key headings: the external environment, the internal environment, and the current marketing strategy of the company.

External Environment

• Demographic factors , where you will take into account the demography of the consumers in the market, such as their age, gender, employment status, and others.
• Economic factors , which includes assessment of taxation policies and a look at the prevailing economic indicators, such as interest rates and inflation levels.
• Cultural factors , which may also affect the marketing performance of the company, and they include the religions and beliefs of consumers, the lifestyle that they practice and how consumerism figures in that lifestyle.
• Environmental factors , which may include technologies and systems that are used and in place, and have a significant impact on marketing in general. Examples are the evolution of internet, the adoption of mobile technologies, and the development of new marketing and information systems.
• Political factors , which often have a tendency to affect the economy and overall environment of the markets, are also considered. Issues such as property laws, tariff regulations, and other labor legislation must be looked into. Political unrest and lack of stability in leadership in government are also taken into account.
• We take into account the size and other unique features of the markets and the industry that the company belongs to. Here, some of the things that are considered are the nature of segmentation, targeting and positioning, and whether the company adheres to it.
• The customers have great power over the success of a company’s marketing, so it’s just right to include them in the audit. This involves probing into the needs of the customers and how they seek to satisfy these needs, their consumer behavior and what influences their purchasing decisions. It is also important to find out how they perceive the company’s brand, and gauge the level of loyalty that they have to it.
• The audit goes beyond mere identification of the competitors, or determining their number or concentration in the market. When assessing the competitive landscape, the areas looked into also include the level of growth and profitability of the competitors, their strengths and weaknesses, and their marketing strategies.
• Distributors and Retailers. How is your relationship with distributors, retailers, and other third parties managed, and what is the extent of the impact of that relationship on the company’s marketing. This is simply one of the questions that must be answered during the audit.

Internal Environment

• Marketing organization audit , where the staff or the labor force of the company is evaluated on their performance, with respect to their positions and functions, and the place they occupy in the organizational structure.
• Marketing function audit , which will review the core competencies of the company . It will have to review the company’s product , pricing policies , choice of distribution channels , means of marketing communication , and the role of the sales force. For example, with respect to the product, the audit will focus on identifying how it compares to the competition. It will also look into the price points of the product, and how they are compared to the price points of competitors.
• Marketing systems audit , or the audit of the marketing systems currently in use by the company. Examples are a Marketing Information System, Marketing Control System, and even a New Product Development System in many cases.

Current Marketing Strategy

• Marketing strategy audit , which will revisit the company’s mission and vision, its marketing goals and objectives, and the marketing strategies that are formulated with a view to improve the company’s overall marketing. One of the main questions that must be answered after the audit is whether the current strategies adopted and being implemented by the company in its marketing are proper and appropriate, with respect to the resources of the company.
• Marketing productivity audit , where the auditors will evaluate the effectiveness of the marketing activities that have been – or are being – performed or carried out. The most common benchmarks used are cost-effectiveness and profitability.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A MARKETING AUDIT

In the performance of a marketing audit, it is imperative to keep the following characteristics in mind.

• The audit must be comprehensive , encompassing all the marketing issues that the company is dealing with.
• The audit must be systematic , following a sequence of steps in collecting and analyzing data on the company’s external and internal marketing environment and the marketing activities currently being implemented. The results of the analysis will eventually lead to the crafting of an action plan aimed at improving the markets and the company’s position in it.
• The audit must be independent , in the sense that the auditors are able to demonstrate an acceptable level of independence from the marketing department. This is to ensure their objectivity and impartiality which, in turn, will command the trust of top management.
• The audit must be conducted on a periodic basis, making it a regular business activity, instead of a stop-gap measure to deal with a crisis or troubleshoot a problem only when it arises.

PERFORMING THE MARKETING AUDIT PROCESS

There are no fixed guidelines when it comes to the performance of a marketing audit. After all, companies are not all the same. They have different structures, and they have different goals and priorities, which means they are likely to have different reasons for conducting a marketing audit. However, the general approach in the performance of one is largely the same.

There are three phases or stages in the marketing audit process, and they are:

Phase 1: Pre-Audit

1. determine the key persons who will conduct the audit..

The company has two options:

i. Self-audit

Management forms a marketing audit team, composed of employees of the organization. They could assign the head of Marketing to evaluate his own department, evaluating the effectiveness of the marketing activities it implemented, and identifying the department’s strengths and weaknesses.

If management is afraid that this will violate the principle of independence and will have issues on objectivity, the marketing audit team may be staffed with employees from another unit performing related activities or function, or he may also direct the executive with higher authority over the activity or department being audited to perform the marketing audit.

In some cases, the company forms its own task-force audit team, which is composed of executives or members of senior management. Large corporations even set up an independent auditing unit or office, which will be tasked exclusively to perform marketing audits for the company.

ii. Outside audit

This is simple and straightforward enough: the company hires the services of an outside auditor to perform the marketing audit. It could be an individual private practitioner, or an agency specializing in marketing audits.

Between the two, outside audit is seen as the more reliable, since it guarantees more objectivity and independence on the part of the auditors, thus ensuring a more effective audit.

When choosing people to perform marketing audit, picking the audit team members randomly is not a good idea. Each of the auditors must possess the required knowledge and experience in order to perform the marketing audit effectively. They should also be able to demonstrate objectivity, in order to avoid biases and pre-judgment from affecting the reliability of the results of the audit.

A point person, or the person who will oversee the marketing audit must be identified. Thus, it is important that the person who will be chosen to lead the marketing audit team have the necessary know-how and experience in the conduct of an audit.

2. Determine the timing of performance of audit.

Set the timetable for the audit: When will it start? How often will it be performed?

For marketing audit to be effective, it must be conducted regularly or periodically, not just at the beginning of the preparation of a marketing strategy. Take into account the volatile nature of the market. This is bound to have an effect on the marketing strategies. The company has to tweak its plan from time to time in order to make sure it is updated and relevant. That means that there is a need to perform periodic checks or evaluations, taking into account the changes applied or implemented.

3. Establish the scope and objectives of the audit.

There is a need to lay out the scope and objectives of the audit, in order for the members of the audit team to be guided accordingly.

The objectives have to be clear as to be understood by everyone, especially those who are going to be involved in the audit. The objective will be your starting point, since it will be your reference when identifying the next set of steps in the audit process.

It is also crucial to identify all the stakeholders that are going to be involved in the audit – whether directly or indirectly.

4. Determine and establish the methodology to be used.

The process that will be followed by the marketing audit team in the performance must be identified and established. This also includes the methods, techniques, and tools that will be used, particularly in data collection and data analysis.

Phase 2: Audit proper

Depending on the methodology established prior, the main body of the audit process may include varying numbers of steps and sub steps. However, the main steps may be summarized into three:

1. Data gathering and collection

This is deemed to be the most tedious and time-consuming part of the entire audit process. It can also be quite an expensive endeavor.

Research is, quite possibly, the most popular and tried-and-tested method of gathering data. Research sources include published data and other standardized sources of marketing data. Industry publications, for example, are a fount of information.

Historical internal records of the company are also considered as primary sources of information, which is why they are subjected for review during a marketing audit. Examples are business documents and marketing records such as the business plan, marketing plan, training plans, marketing budget and the organizational structure along with job descriptions. If the marketing department has systems and processes in place, these may also be used to collect data.

Surveys or questionnaires are often floated to chosen respondents. In several cases, the marketing audit team may also be required to conduct interviews to get more data. It is also common to see members of the audit team going on-site for firsthand observations and walk-throughs of the marketing processes.

Data collected will pertain to the three main components: the external environment, the internal environment, and the existing or current marketing strategy of the company.They will then be organized for analysis.

2. Data analysis

This is the core of the audit process, where the audit team will build a complete picture of the marketing program, or the strategies used by the company, through subjecting the data collected to analysis.

In brief, some of the tools used in data analysis are:

SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis

This audit tool is used for analysis of data on the three components. The strengths and weaknesses are geared towards the inter environment and the marketing strategy of the company, while the opportunities and threats pertain to the external environment.

Five Forces Analysis

This tool developed by Porter is used for analysis of the external environment, particularly the competitive environment of the company. Its points of focus are the five forces:

• Competition in the industry: This takes a look at the competition. How many competitors do you have? How do their offerings compare to yours?
• Threat of entry of new players in the industry: Is the industry or market the company belongs to vulnerable to the entry of new product or service providers? How vulnerable is it?
• Customer power: What are the chances that your customers will decide to buy from the competition? What would motivate them to do so?
• Supplier power: Look at the relationship of the company with its suppliers.What are the problems often encountered in your dealings?
• Threat of substitute products: Is there a chance that the customers may find other products or services that will substitute what you currently offer?

PEST Analysis

PEST stands for Political, Environmental, Socio-cultural and Technological analysis, which means it focuses on the macro-environment or the external factors. Examples of issues that the audit will include in its analysis are:

• Stability of the political environment
• Economic policy of the government
• Extent of influence of government policies and laws on business and tax regulation
• Prevailing interest and exchange rates
• Inflation levels
• Market perception of foreign products and services
• Effect of religion, language and gender issues on consumerism
• Impact of technologies in marketing, distribution and consumerism

Analysis should provide insight into the following:

• The performance of the marketing program of the company;
• The marketing team’s skills, knowledge and competencies, and their individual and collective performance;
• The alignment of the objectives of marketing to that of the goals of the organization; and
• The execution and communication of the marketing programs.

3. Preparation of recommendations

The final output of the audit process is documented in what is commonly known as a “marketing audit report”. The main concern of the recipients or beneficiaries of the audit, which is often the management and the marketing team, is the Recommendations section. The recommendations will be based on the results of the analysis of information.

When making recommendations, present them in a prioritized list, for easier comprehension by management and other stakeholders.

Phase 3: Post-Audit

The Marketing Audit Report must be presented to management, who will use it for decision-making on its marketing strategies. There are instances when the report will also be disseminated to other departments in the company, especially if they are indirectly involved in the marketing activities and their functions will have an impact on the company’s marketing efforts.

It is to be noted that the recommendations are not going to be accepted blindly or easily by management. It is likely that they will still undergo lengthy discussions until all parties are satisfied and comfortable enough to make major marketing strategy decisions.

It has often been said that marketing is the lifeblood of any business or organization. Therefore, to keep the organization alive, there is a need to keep the blood healthy and flowing. The regular conduct of a marketing audit is one way to make sure of that.

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Examples of a Marketing Audit: Key Components and Best Practices

A marketing audit is a comprehensive review and analysis of a business’s marketing environment, objectives, strategies, and activities. By evaluating these components, a company can identify areas of strength, potential weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. It’s an essential process for businesses looking to refine their marketing strategy and improve their competitive edge. The thorough inspection can uncover insights into different facets of marketing, including the current market trends, customer behaviour, digital presence, and overall marketing mix effectiveness.

With the ever-changing digital landscape, conducting a marketing audit has become increasingly relevant. It ensures that companies stay up-to-date with digital marketing best practices and leverage the latest advancements to their advantage. As we, ProfileTree, delve deeper into various businesses’ marketing audits, it becomes clear that reviewing current strategies is crucial for aligning with business objectives and generating better returns on marketing investments. An audit might encompass a review of the SEO approach, content marketing effectiveness, utilisation of social media channels, and the integration of technology in marketing efforts. It can inform better decision-making and resource allocation for future campaigns, ensuring that marketing efforts resonate with target audiences and support the broader business goals.

Understanding Marketing Audit

Before diving into the specifics, it’s essential to grasp that a marketing audit is a comprehensive evaluation of an organisation’s marketing strategies and tactics. It’s designed to be systematic and objective, ensuring that our marketing efforts align with our overall business goals and are effective in reaching our target audience.

Definition and Purpose

A marketing audit is a thorough and systematic examination of a business’s marketing environment, objectives, strategies, and activities with a view to identifying key areas of improvement and opportunities for optimisation. It aims to evaluate the effectiveness and the structure of the marketing efforts, ensuring that each component of the marketing strategy is functioning as intended and contributing to the achievement of the organisation’s goals.

Importance for Businesses

For businesses, it’s crucial to understand the importance of conducting regular marketing audits . These audits allow companies to maintain an objective perspective on the current effectiveness of their marketing practices. By highlighting both strengths and weaknesses, businesses can ensure that they’re not just running in place but are moving systematically towards their strategic objectives . Regular audits provide a structure for marketing activities and lend themselves to ongoing improvements, ultimately making marketing efforts more successful in a competitive market.

Components of a Marketing Audit

In conducting a marketing audit, we analyse various aspects of our marketing activities to ensure they’re effective and aligned with our business objectives. This thorough process involves assessing our marketing strategy, our marketing organisation, and our marketing systems.

Audit of Marketing Strategy

When we audit our marketing strategy, we look at the overarching plans and objectives that steer our promotional efforts . Are the strategies driving the desired results? We consider if our goals are well-defined and if we’re targeting the appropriate audience segments. It’s critical to verify that our strategies are both competitive in our market and adaptable to changes in consumer behaviour.

Audit of Marketing Organisation

The audit of our marketing organisation examines how our team is structured and whether our human resources are being used efficiently. We assess roles, responsibilities, communication flow, and whether our team’s structure supports our strategies effectively. For instance, we consider if the expertise within our team aligns with the demands of our current marketing campaigns and check if there are gaps that need filling.

Audit of Marketing Systems

Reviewing our marketing systems involves looking at the procedures and tools we use to implement and monitor our campaigns. We ensure our systems facilitate accurate data collection, analysis, and distribution of relevant information to the team. This includes verifying if our customer relationship management (CRM) and other analytics software are providing the insights we need to make informed decisions.

Conducting Competitive Analysis

When performing a competitive analysis , it is essential to understand who your competitors are and their strategies thoroughly. This process helps highlight your own company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, enabling you to strategise more effectively.

Identifying Competitors

First, we identify our main competitors; this forms the foundation of a competitive analysis . We start by listing key players in our industry, both direct and indirect. We consider factors such as market share, product or service similarity, and audience overlap. A comprehensive list ensures no potential competitor is overlooked. For our practice, we might begin by noting:

• Direct Competitors : Those offering similar products or services within the same market.
• Indirect Competitors : Businesses offering products or services that are not the same but could satisfy the same customer need or solve the same problem.

This list is revisited and updated regularly, as the competitive landscape can rapidly change.

SWOT Analysis

Once we have identified our competitors, we proceed to conduct a SWOT an alysis. This involves detailing their strengths and weaknesses and examining external opportunities and threats that could impact our industry.

Strengths: What advantages do our competitors hold? This could include a strong brand presence, market share, or exclusive access to certain technologies. Weaknesses: Where do competitors fall short? We look for areas such as poor customer service, weak brand identity, or outdated technology. Opportunities: Are there emerging market trends or gaps that we could exploit? Threats: What external factors could jeopardise our position, such as new market entrants or changes in legislation?

Utilising a table to lay out these elements can clarify the relative positions of each competitor:

By systematically assessing these areas, we can anticipate competitor moves, identify market shifts, and adjust our strategies accordingly.

Marketing Performance Review

In our comprehensive assessment of marketing activities, we’ll examine core areas that influence the success of your marketing efforts. Let’s take a closer look at the metrics that matter when it comes to evaluating performance.

Key Performance Indicators

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) serve as the backbone for analysing marketing performance. They translate complex data into simple figures that evidence the impact of your strategies. We prioritise metrics such as market share growth , customer lifetime value , and brand awareness levels. These KPIs allow us to track progress against benchmarks and refine our tactics accordingly.

• Market Share Growth : We measure our progress in capturing a larger percentage of the market within our industry, revealing both our competitive standing and the effectiveness of our outreach.
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) : By calculating the total revenue we expect from a single customer account, we assess the long-term value our marketing strategies bring to the business.
• Brand Awareness : We quantify how well our target audience recognises and remembers our brand through surveys and digital analytics.

Conversion Rates and Engagement

Understanding conversion rates and customer engagement is crucial for determining the effectiveness of our campaigns. These metrics inform us about the user journey from awareness to action and highlight areas for improvement.

• Conversion Rates : Our focus is on the percentage of users who take the desired action after interacting with our campaigns. High conversion rates indicate successful messaging and targeting.
• Engagement : We gauge customer interaction through social media metrics, website bounce rates, and email open rates. This data reflects how compelling and relevant our content is to our audience.

Through diligent monitoring of KPIs, conversion rates, and engagement levels, we can hone our marketing strategies and ensure that every campaign delivers optimal outcomes.

Exploring Marketing Mix

When conducting a marketing audit, it is critical to assess your marketing mix thoroughly. This includes a close look at your product offerings and pricing strategy, as well as how your products are distributed (place) and promoted.

Product and Price Evaluation

Product: Our evaluation begins by scrutinising the range of products or services that the business offers. We examine aspects such as quality, features, and the overall value they provide to consumers. Ensuring that the products align with the market demand and the company’s business objectives is essential.

Price: Pricing is a complex facet that requires balancing profitability and competitive positioning . The strategy must be set after considering the costs, perceived value, price sensitivity, and strategies employed by competitors.

Place and Promotion Analysis

Place: Distribution channels are pivotal as they bridge the gap between you and your customers. Our analysis involves mapping out all the channels used, their effectiveness, and how they align with the consumer’s purchasing habits and preferences.

Promotion: Finally, we turn our attention to promotional activities – the communication strategies used to reach and engage your target audience. The focus here is not only on the message being delivered and its alignment with the brand’s voice but also on the selection and performance of the channels through which the message is communicated.

By meticulously analysing these marketing mix components, we can identify areas of strength, uncover opportunities for improvement, and refine strategies to position your business more competitively in the marketplace.

Digital Marketing Analysis

In this section, we explore the intricacies of conducting a thorough digital marketing analysis. Our focus will be on dissecting website functionality and search engine optimisation, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of social media strategies and content.

Website and SEO Audit

Our website represents our digital storefront, and we must make a stellar first impression. During a Website and SEO Audit , we assess the design, user experience (UX), and the underlying code that impacts our search engine rankings . We scrutinise several elements:

• Website Performance : Is our site fast, mobile-responsive, and accessible to all users?
• Content Quality : Does our content satisfy user intent and provide value?
• SEO Elements : Are our title tags, meta descriptions, and headers optimised?
• Backlink Profile : Do we have high-quality inbound links boosting our domain authority?
• Technical Health : Are there any crawl errors or broken links?

A website and SEO audit helps us pinpoint areas for improvement, ensuring that our website not only looks professional but also adheres to the search engines’ best practices for maximum visibility.

Social Media and Content Audit

We understand that content is king in the digital space, but it’s the distribution that forms the empire. A Social Media and Content Audit evaluates our presence across platforms and the resonance of our content with our audience. Key considerations here include:

• Consistency and Branding : Are our social profiles aligned with our brand identity?
• Engagement Rates : How does our audience interact with our content?
• Content Strategy : Is our content calendar diverse and reflective of our brand’s voice?
• Analytics and Metrics : What does the data tell us about our reach and campaign performance?

Performing a social media and content audit informs us of how well we’re engaging with our target audience and highlights opportunities to refine our content strategies.

Consumer and Market Analysis

In any effective marketing audit, thorough attention is paid to analysing both the consumer base and market dynamics. Our scope includes understanding who our customers are and how they engage with brands, as well as our own competitive positioning within the marketplace.

Customer Personas and Journeys

Customer Personas : We create detailed profiles representing the different segments of our target audience. For instance, our persona of “Entrepreneur Emily” may include her age range of 30-45, her business acumen, her need for digital marketing training , and her preference for thorough, insightful blog content over cursory tips.

Customer Journeys: To optimise all touchpoints across the customer journey, we map out the typical paths from awareness to decision. This might show that “Entrepreneur Emily” often starts her search for information on search engines, follows industry leaders on social media , and looks for deep dives into topics before reaching out for an expert consultation.

Market Share and Targeting

Market Share: We analyse our own market share by benchmarking our web design services against competitors and identifying both high-performing areas and those where there’s room to grow.

Targeting: To cut through a cluttered digital landscape, we direct our marketing efforts towards niches where we can provide the most value. Based on insights, we might decide to target SMEs in need of SEO training or businesses that are yet to embrace the power of video marketing.

By combining our market positioning and a clear understanding of our customers, we can deliver content that addresses specific needs, creating a marketing framework that’s guided by empathy and insight. Our innovative strategies leverage the strength of storytelling, benefit-driven language, and ProfileTree’s extensive experience to foster meaningful connections with our audience.

Budget and Resource Allocation

In crafting an effective marketing strategy, it’s imperative that we meticulously manage our budget and resources. This ensures that every pound is directed towards initiatives that yield the highest return on investment .

Investment in Marketing Activities

Allocating our budget across various marketing channels is a delicate operation. It involves understanding the unique benefits of each platform and how they align with our marketing goals . Allocation percentages can vary, with digital marketing often commanding a significant portion due to its track record for efficiency and measurability. A thoughtful investment in marketing activities supports our overarching business objectives and prevents financial overreach.

• Digital Marketing: 40-50%
• Traditional Marketing: 20-30%
• Events and Sponsorships: 10-20%
• Research and Analytics: 5-10%

(This distribution is indicative and may shift based on specific campaign goals.)

Assessment of Return on Investment

Measuring the return on investment (ROI) from our marketing activities is critical. It goes beyond just tracking sales, it involves analysing various performance indicators that reflect the success of each initiative. Are we achieving our intended reach? Is there a positive impact on brand awareness? Is customer engagement translating to loyalty? These are some of the questions we ask ourselves. We use performance data to drive future budgeting decisions, optimising the allocation of resources for maximum impact.

• Sales Growth: This signifies a direct impact on revenue.
• Market Share: Reflects competitive positioning.
• Customer Engagement: Indicates brand resonance.

By examining these metrics, we aim to ensure a healthy balance between our expenditures and the outcomes of our marketing efforts.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

When conducting a marketing audit, strict attention to legal and ethical considerations is crucial in ensuring both adherence to regulations and maintenance of high ethical standards. It involves a thorough review to confirm compliance with all relevant laws and an assessment of whether the company’s marketing practices align with ethical best practices .

Compliance with Regulations

Legal Compliance: In a marketing audit, it’s imperative that we check for full compliance with laws related to advertising, consumer rights, and data protection, including the GDPR. Any misleading claims or failure to protect customer data can result in hefty fines and damage customers’ trust in a business.

• Data Protection: Businesses must ensure they handle customer data in line with privacy laws. This means reviewing their data governance policies and procedures for collecting, using, and storing data.
• Advertising Standards: Review advertising material for truthfulness and fairness to avoid accusations of false advertising and ensure that all claims are substantiated.

Best Practices and Ethical Standards

Ethical Practices: Beyond legal requirements, companies must also consider the broader implications of their marketing strategies on society and the environment.

• Transparency: Clear disclosure of all terms, conditions, and any associated costs of products or services advertised is essential to maintain trust and loyalty among consumers.
• Respect for Consumer Privacy: This policy emphasises the importance of abiding by privacy laws and respecting consumers’ preferences and rights regarding their personal information.
• Fair Treatment: Ensuring equality and non-discrimination in marketing practises and maintaining marketing strategies that are considerate of societal values and norms.

Planning and Execution

When embarking on a marketing audit, it’s imperative that meticulous planning leads to strategic execution. Establishing a clear action plan paves the way for measurable outcomes, transforming marketing objectives into tangible results.

Developing an Action Plan

Our action plan forms the backbone of the marketing audit. It outlines the steps we’ll take to critique and refine our marketing efforts. We focus on key aspects like market research, competitor analysis , and current marketing strategy evaluation. Our approach is not to simply chart out activities but to design a framework that dynamically incorporates changing market conditions and business objectives .

Setting Measurable Objectives

Measurable objectives are the milestones by which we gauge our progress. For instance, we may aim to increase website traffic by 25% or augment our conversion rate by 5% over the next quarter. Our goals are S.M.A.R.T: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This ensures our marketing plan not only sets ambitious targets but is also grounded in reality.

By laying out a meticulously crafted action plan paired with specific, measurable objectives, we effectively monitor and adapt our strategies. These are essential steps in assessing a marketing plan’s current effectiveness and plotting the course for future marketing initiatives that drive success.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before delving into the specifics of a marketing audit, it’s important to address some commonly asked questions. This will ensure a strong foundation of understanding as we explore the intricate processes involved.

What are the key steps involved in conducting a marketing audit?

The critical steps in carrying out a marketing audit include establishing objectives, gathering data , and performing a comprehensive analysis of marketing strategies , activities, and results. An insightful overview of audit procedures can guide the strategic planning process.

Why is a marketing audit considered crucial for business strategy?

A marketing audit is indispensable for business strategy as it evaluates marketing campaigns’ effectiveness, identifies improvement areas, and aligns marketing objectives with overall business goals. This introspective assessment provides valuable insights for decision-making.

Which elements are absolutely essential to include in a marketing audit?

Essential elements of a marketing audit encompass an evaluation of the marketing environment, a review of marketing strategies, and an analysis of the marketing mix elements. Understanding the SWOT analysis is also critical for identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

What are the main categories of a marketing audit?

A marketing audit’s primary categories are internal, external, and functional audits. Each category focuses on different aspects of marketing, and together, they provide a holistic view of an organisation’s marketing function.

How can a marketing audit provide value to an organisation?

A marketing audit delivers value to an organisation by ensuring that marketing efforts are congruent with the company’s goals, optimising the budget, and refining marketing strategies to improve performance and ROI .

In what ways can an internal marketing audit be differentiated from an external one?

An internal marketing audit concentrates on the company’s internal marketing strategies and operations, whereas an external marketing audit appraises the business’s external environment, including competitors and market trends. Recognising the distinction allows for a comprehensive marketing appraisal .

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You may think a marketer's job is done once a marketing campaign is launched and products get sold. However, this is not the case. After running a marketing campaign, the business needs to conduct a marketing audit to measure its effectiveness and suggest improvements. If you're curious about marketing audits and how they work. You will learn about marketing audit concepts, characteristics, and much more.  

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A marketing audit   is a _____________ of internal and external marketing activities to identify opportunities and gaps for improvement. 

Companies should always outsource marketing audits. 

Internal marketing audits are more time-consuming and inflexible than external marketing audits. 

The six main types of marketing audits are: 

Marketing environment audit

• _____________,  
• _____________ , 
• _____________,
• Marketing productivity audit,
• Marketing functionality audit. 

What type of marketing audits analyzes the micro and macro environment where marketing activities take place?

The marketing audit that analyzes the system for conducting marketing activities is called ___________.

Productivity audit measures ___________ .

_______________  assesses the organization’s capacity to implement marketing strategies.

A digital marketing audit is an examination of your ____________ .

Name a few digital marketing KPIs that can be used in a digital marketing audit. 

What are four features of a marketing audit?

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Marketing Audit Definition

Marketing is a crucial business function ensuring a product is delivered to the right customers. An equally important task is a marketing audit which assesses marketing effectiveness.

A marketing audit is a systematic analysis of internal and external marketing activities to identify opportunities and gaps for improvement.

Through marketing audits, marketers gain deeper insight into the marketing ecosystem, discover underlying issues, and formulate better strategies to meet business objectives.

Marketing audits use real-life facts and data to identify high-performing and low-performing marketing areas. They also assess how well the business uses its resources to drive performance.

The four main objectives of a marketing audit include:

Evaluate marketing activities,

Assess objectives and strategies,

Identify opportunities and gaps,

Uncover issues and suggest solutions.

Now you may wonder who is involved in the marketing audit process.

You might have heard that external examiners frequently mark your papers at university. Similarly to university, marketing audits are best conducted by someone outside the company. The external auditor could be a marketing agency or consultant who thoroughly examines the company's marketing performance. External marketing auditors provide a fresher and more objective viewpoint to help the business improve its situation.

That said, companies can also employ their own staff to conduct marketing audits to save time, money, and effort. Internal marketing audits occur more quickly and frequently since the team is already familiar with marketing processes and systems.

Marketing Audit Characteristics

So, what are marketing audit characteristics? Overall, a marketing audit includes four key features:

Comprehensive,

Systematic,

Independent.

"Periodic" means the marketing audit should be conducted regularly, not only when the company encounters a crisis. This is to ensure any oversight that affects the company's performance. Regular audits allow companies to adjust and adapt their marketing strategies to meet market needs better.

"Comprehensive" suggests that an audit should be thorough and cover all marketing aspects. It is the opposite of a functional marketing audit - an audit of only one marketing function, e.g., product development, sales, promotion strategies, etc.). Comprehensive audits are more effective at identifying the root of the problem than a functional audit.

"Systematic" refers to the "systematic and organized" manner in which an audit is carried out. A marketing audit should assess the marketing environment , objectives, and strategies to identify areas for improvement.

"Independent" means that marketing audits should be objective. An independent consultant or agency should perform the audits. When conducted internally, the marketing expert should provide honest and unbiased feedback on marketing performance.

Elements of a marketing audit may include:

A SWOT analysis : This is an analysis of marketing strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities. Understanding what you are good at or lacking and what gaps and opportunities you can fill or capitalize on to attract more customers is essential.

Market research : A marketing audit should also include market research to collect opinions about the marketing campaign . This research will allow the company to understand the motivation behind customers' actions.

Competitive analysis: Competitive analysis is the study of competitors in an industry or business sector marketers use to uncover which tools and strategies they utilize to attract customers. It also shows marketers what elements competitors are missing that they can provide.

Check out our explanation of Competitor Analysis to learn more.

Types of Marketing Audit

There are two ways to categorize marketing audits based on the aspect of marketing evaluated and the individual performing it. Based on marketing aspects, there are six types of marketing audits:

Marketing environment audit - This marketing audit analyzes the micro and macro environments where marketing activities occur. It includes studying forces and trends that might affect marketing performance, such as customer behavior, competitive environment, policy changes, or new technology development.

Marketing organization audit - This type of audit assesses the organization's capacity to implement marketing strategies based on the forecasted environment.

Marketing strategy audit - This audit evaluates whether marketing objectives and strategies are effective or match the current marketing environment.

Marketing systems audit - This audit analyzes the system for conducting marketing activities, e.g., marketing planning, control, and analysis tools.

Marketing productivity audit - This audit measures the ROI of marketing activities and how marketers can optimize marketing costs for the best result.

Marketing functionality audit - This audit is performed for each marketing function, e.g., the marketing mix, such as price, place, price, and promotion .

Based on whom performs the assessment, marketing audits can be split into two categories:

Internal marketing audits : These are audits c onducted by internal staff. The benefits of internal audits are clear. Companies can save money and time doing assessments as the team is already familiar with the marketing processes and systems. However, there is a high risk of bias and subjectivity.

External marketing audits : These are audits performed by someone outside the company. External audits are more time-consuming, though they can offer more objectivity and fresh viewpoints to help the company improve its situation.

Marketing Audit Process

While the marketing audit process differs from one company to another, it includes five key steps:

Select what to audit - First, you need to identify which type of marketing audit you want to carry out. Is it a comprehensive or functional audit? Does the audit assess a process, workflow, or specific campaign? For example, you can conduct a content marketing audit for the company's blog.

Gather relevant data - The next step is to collect data for the audit. Data may include marketing assets like blogs, emails, social posts, etc., as well as marketing metrics or KPIs. In digital marketing, metrics can be page views, click-through rates, conversion rates, returning visitors, etc.

Document methodology - At every step of the marketing audit, you can document the process and findings for future reference.

Create results reports - The auditor can document the results or insights collected in step 2 in plain text and/or visuals such as graphs and infographics. Result reports should also include an executive summary and data source reference.

Analyze findings - The data collected will be analyzed and assessed to identify trends, patterns, gaps, and opportunities for future decision-making. 1

Businesses should repeat all these five steps of the marketing audit process at regular intervals to adjust and adapt marketing strategies.

Marketing Audit Examples

Now that you understand marketing audits, let's see how they work in practice. We'll look at examples of digital marketing audits and content marketing audits.

Digital Marketing Audit

A digital marketing audit is a thorough examination of your digital marketing efforts. For example, you may conduct audits for a content marketing campaign, SEO (search engine optimization), and social media pages.

A digital marketing audit often breaks down the company's marketing channels and examines their effectiveness.

For example, a digital marketing audit might assess marketing performance on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, websites, and apps.

To assess the performance of each channel, auditors often use digital marketing metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs may differ depending on the type of marketing platform and campaign.

For example, email marketing uses metrics like open rate, click-through rate, conversion rate, and unsubscribe rate, while social media metrics include the number of likes, shares, replies, impressions, etc.

Then, there is an assessment of digital marketing assets. This assessment may include digital content archives like blog posts, social media posts, emails, etc., as well as content management platforms or marketing automation tools.

In many cases, digital marketing audit extends to competitive analysis. The auditors may want to look into the strategy and tools that competitors are using to identify gaps and opportunities. 2

Content Marketing Audit

A content marketing audit is a subcategory of digital marketing. It involves assessing website assets such as blogs or landing pages. A content marketing audit aims to determine which type of content to create, repurpose, or remove to improve website performance. 3

For example, a company can conduct an SEO audit to identify keywords that generate the most leads, then create more content around those keywords to drive the target audience to the website. During the SEO audit, you may also see if blog posts with SEO metadata or keywords in headings are performing better than those without. You may also notice pages with broken links and update them to improve customer experience. 3

Marketing Audit - Key takeaways

• A marketing audit systematically analyzes internal and external marketing activities to identify gaps and opportunities in marketing practices.
• An outsourced party or internal staff can perform marketing audits.
• Internal marketing audits can occur more frequently and consume less time than external marketing audits.
• There are six main types of marketing audit: marketing environment audit, marketing organization audit, marketing strategy audit, marketing system audit, marketing productivity audit, and marketing functionality audit.
• The marketing audit process may include five steps: selecting the marketing aspect to audit, gathering relevant data, documenting methodology, creating results reports, and analyzing findings.
• Nowadays, digital marketing is a significant part of marketing audits. It includes an examination of digital content and marketing efforts.
• Lori B. 7 Steps to Conducting a Marketing Audit. LinkedIn. 2019. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-steps-conducting-marketing-audit-lori-berson.
• Andrew Mendez-Spera. What is digital marketing audit? 2021. https://getwithtipsy.com/marketing-basics/what-is-a-digital-marketing-audit. Get With Tipsy.
• Kayla Carmicheal. How to Run A Content Audit in 2021. Hubspot. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/company-content-audit.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Marketing Audit

What are the 3 elements of a marketing audit?

The three elements of a marketing audit are SWOT analysis, market research, and competitor analysis. 

What are the types of a marketing audit?

There are two main types of marketing audits: internal and external. Internal marketing audits are carried out by internal staff, while external marketing audits are outsourced to an independent marketing consultant or agency. 

What is the purpose of a marketing audit?

A marketing audit aims to help marketers gain deeper insight into the marketing ecosystem, uncover underlying issues, and formulate better strategies to meet business objectives. 

What is included in a marketing audit?

A marketing audit often contains a SWOT analysis, market research, and competitor analysis. 

What are the six components of a marketing audit?

The six main components of marketing audits are marketing environment audit, marketing organization audit, marketing strategy audit, marketing system audit, marketing productivity audit, and marketing functionality audit. 

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Marketing Audit and Plan For the Future Needs of the Market Report (Assessment)

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Introduction

Scope and purpose of the report, company’s mission & objectives, market environment.

Business enterprises usually asses their capability in the market by conducting audits. These are analytical procedure conducted to plan for the future needs of the market.

Market audits can be conducted by the company or with the assistance of an external entity. Analysis of Du indicates that the management will access the company’s capability within the UAE market. Du is a communication company that focuses on providing quality processes to its clients.

The organization has been providing its merchandise and services for close to six years meaning that information concerning the organization is available in the public domain. This piece presents an analysis of the findings after a marketing audit process of Du Company.

The report will analyze the forces controlling the activities of Du Company in the market. It is fundamental to acknowledge that information from the company’s website will be helpful in devising the most effective marketing strategy for the organization in the market.

The report presents an evaluation of the current situation of the company in the market. Moreover, the peripheral and internal forces that affect the activities of the company in the market are also analyzed independently (DU, 2012).

The company ensures that they provide brilliant communication services to the Asian market. As such, Du takes pride in impressing their customers.

The management focuses on empowering the community by tapping into their potential in performing duties. Employees at the organization are empowered with the intention of maximizing their productivity. The company is concerned with preserving the environment.

Employees are dedicated to minimizing wastes in the environment. Waste management is critical; the company has set up recycling management plants.

They have supported initiatives that create awareness on the benefits of energy conservation (DU, 2010).

Several forces characterize the marketing environment of Du Company. This includes the domestic and external forces within the Asian market. The business operates within the competitive Middle East market.

Business operating within Middle East should comply with the regulations of the countries. Majority of the clients of the company are conservative. Religion influences the behavior of the populace in making decisions (DU, 2010).

The corporation has been rendering services for close to a decade. This is an indication that the organization is not very experienced in comparison to the other competing firms in the Asian market.

It is challenging to adjust to the rapid changes in the technological market. Competitors are coming up with new technology every time. It is difficult to serve million of clients without encountering technological hitches (DU, 2010).

Market forces influence the activities of the company in the market. The influence presents several challenges to the company. Consequently, the management has to devise measures to curb the challenges.

It is advantageous that the company has a huge capital base that will allow it to meet its targets. Du Company offers services to millions of clients within the Asian market.

Consequently, it is clear that the marketing activities within Du Company will lead to the expansion of Du activities in the global market because it focuses on customers.

The mobile market has been known to be dynamic; thus, it is difficult to predict the expectations for growth of the company in the market (DU, 2010).

Political processes influence operations of the company in varied ways. Since most employees of the company are Muslims, Sharia laws play a role in affecting policy making for the company.

This affects taxation and other management policies. For example, the pay that the company offers to their marketing staff affects the entire productivity and prosperity of the corporation in the market.

This is because marketing staff require additional incentives in order to market the company effectively (DU, 2012).

The company has experienced staff capable of availing superior services to clients. Secondly, Du receives high tech components by reputable technological manufacturing companies. The support department continuously assesses the market to advise the management.

The company thrives on the fact that it has reliable suppliers. Consequently, the reliability of the suppliers allows the company to maintain its delivery of quality services (DU, 2010).

Adherence to the legal requirements of the companies within UAE is an added advantage for the company. Fortunately, Du operates based on the stipulated business ethics. Furthermore, the management recognizes diversity. It is interesting that clients of the company are influenced by brands in making a choice of products.

The lifestyles of most of the company’s clients revolve around religious belief. They are influenced by religion in making decisions.

Therefore, Du Company ensures that its entire clientele does experience poor services because of their devout practices.

There is an increase in demand for mobile accessories in the current market. Meaning, the clients of the company have a high literacy level (DU, 2012).

A firm’s products determine its profitability since products are what consumers get in exchange of their money. DU deals with communication products and services in the EAU. The firm supplies both mobile and fixed telephones.

Additionally, it offers connectivity of broadband and IPTV services in residential and commercial areas. Some of the main consumers of the firm are the TV broadcasters, which get satellite UP/Downlink services from the firm.

Last year, the company managed to attract about 5 million individuals and 40,000 companies, which are now using its products and services (DU, 2012).

Apart from the products quality, the prices of goods and services are also vital in the marketing world. A firm can fail to attract many consumers Even if the qualities of the products are high and the products are not priced correctly (DU 2010).

For instance, if the products are overpriced, a company can attract few consumers. Moreover, a company can still have low sales if its merchandise and services are poorly priced because consumers may not take the products seriously.

DU has attracted many consumers because it has priced its goods correctly. The pricing strategy for the company is different from other similar firms.

That is why the firm has more customers compared to other firms (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel, 2009).

Some of the company’s product prices are higher compared to the same products in other firms (DU, 2012). By looking at the prices of goods, one might think that the firm is overcharging.

However, the firm still more consumers compared to other firms. Some of the product prices in the company are high because the products are on high demand. Furthermore, the company’s products are of high quality.

This makes the firm to have faithful customers who stick to the products regardless of the products (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel, 2009).

DU has also managed to set higher prices for some of their products, and still have many consumers. This is because its commercials target the middle and upper class individuals who can afford the products.

Moreover, some products in the company are also cheaper compared to other companies. These products are cheap because the company spends less money in marketing and delivering them. For instance, the company sells some of the products online.

This reduces the company’s expenses since through the online services the company uses fewer workers (Rosenbloom, 2009). The firm also records high sales because it helps its consumers by giving them discounts.

An example of the discount offered by the firm is the free delivery when customers purchase certain quantity of goods (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel, 2009).

The company attracts many consumers because its stores are located at strategic places (DU, 2012). This makes its products to be available at the right time and quantities.

Additionally, the company offers online services and this reduces the customers’ travelling expenses.

This is because the customers only order for the goods and the firm delivers them (Rosenbloom, 2009). It is fundamental to restructure DU to empower it; thus, satisfying consumers.

The company promotes its goods by offering discounts especially for their new products. In addition, the company’s high sales are moderately attributed to the commercials, which are comprehensive and address organizational goals.

It also invests in marketing researches in order to know the characteristics of its competitors. This has enabled it to know the potencies and weaknesses of its competitors.

To attract more consumers, the firm also uses special offers and gifts if the customers purchase certain quantities of products.

The firm increases the customers’ loyalty, by focusing on superior goods. In addition, its products have warranties.

According to Lamb, Hair & McDaniel (2009), DU focuses on cultural diversity because its workers come from different countries.

Therefore, the firm can serve many consumers with different cultures because the workers can speak many languages. This reduces communication barriers in the market (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel, 2009).

Furthermore, it allows the organization to embrace varied approaches that will empower the personnel. This is apparent in symposium that has the chance to address concerns that may emerge from the organization and personnel.

DU is a fast growing company because it offers high quality products to its consumers. The company supplies communication products and services in the EAU. The products offered by the company serve many consumers at homes and commercial areas.

According to Lamb, Hair & McDaniel (2009), the company attracts many consumers because of its excellent marketing strategies. For instance, the company has invested in the online advertisement of its goods where many people can be reached.

Additionally, through the online services, customers spend less time making orders. The customers also spend less because the merchandises are provided to their residences of places of work meaning that transportation costs are eliminated.

In addition, the company offers discounts on their products especially when the sales are massive and the administrators know customers. This encourages the consumers to buy products in bulk.

DU offers variety of superior goods meaning that the customers have fewer complaints. This also contributes to the high proportion of consumers visiting the outlets.

DU. (2012). Who we are. Retrieved from https://www.du.ae/about-us/who-we-are

DU. (2010). Company overview. Web.

Lamb, C. W., Hair, J. F., & McDaniel, C. D. (2009). Marketing . Mason, Ohio: South- Western Cengage Learning.

Rosenbloom, B. (2009). Marketing channels . S.l.: South-Western.

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Scholarly marketing audit has been exemplified to be an elementary aspect in the marketing planning process. This process is not only composed in the beginning of the whole production process, but also through series of sequence in the plan implementation for quality results. Usually it encompasses both internal and external authority in the market planning as well plan review (Abell, 1998).

According to Kotler (1997) marketing audit is the strategic ideology in today’s evolving market, which evaluates marketing environments activities and objectives. Further Kotler states that the best approach of reviewing, improving and evaluating the functioning of the market is through marketing audit execution. This involves a systematic, comprehensive, independent evaluation of the organization objectives, activities, strategies and environment to unveil weak areas and opportunities; this also offers a solution and recommendation for repairing the organization marketing performance. All marketing scenarios are covered and does not centralize on trouble spots only and thus to many this approach is versatile for all occasion.

Stanton (1995) exemplifies in her journal “ Analyzing and Improving Marketing Performance: Marketing Audit in Theory and Practice ” that marketing audit is the critical, unbiased and systematic analysis and judgment of the organization marketing functions, policies and objectives and the methods, procedures and the task force employed to achieve this objectives.

This approach has been critically evaluated wrongly and biased by many experts however it has been articulated that the following two factors are the reason many of the pursuant go haywire when implementing this approach. It has been asserted that it is wrong to define market audit as evaluation of the alternative effects before the main decision has been attained. Two it is usually confused that this is the practice off curative and anticipatory marketing remedy (Mitchell & Wood, 1997.  However if this process is utilized properly the following are the benefit which can be reaped from this initiative; this approach helps pinpoint the organization weaknesses, offers ways of mitigation, centralizes on successful operation, predicts future positions, improves market performance and covers all marketing scenarios.

This paper shall centralize on AnyBiz Inc’s as the organization of choice and the implementation of market audit. This shall cover its marketing audit, the position of the market, SWOT analysis and PESTEL analysis, Stakeholder analysis (stakeholder matrix), the organization vision and the recommendation on the preferred choice of approach in future proceeding.               

AnyBiz Inc Marketing Audit

AnyBiz Inc is the leading developers and designers of advanced data web based systems. They are the master mind behind creation and intervention of the market advanced system which is essential for specialist data capture and also for operational management process. Anybiz inc develops systems which are developed are web based and they are compatible with hardware’s that are supplied by major integrators in the global market. These products are sold to small, medium and large sized organization with the same scope locally and internationally and their choices range from their diverse specialist applications (McDonald, 1984). Anybiz’s systems are distinguished in the market because of their unique and sophisticated scalability, interface and versatile modification and they are expansively patented.

The systems of AnyBiz Inc are usually sold through direct contact from the authorized vendors or from the organization catalogue or online cite for the organization, through major distributors like OEMS locally and abroad. These systems are rated to be the most modest intervention to majority of the web based data intervention by many experts and this organization quality design and development is rated to be the best in the world. This organization employs thousands locally and abroad and has a record in recycling and has been rated to be among the most green organization in the system development industry as majority of it products are developed from recyclable materials (Aubrey, 1982). 

AnyBiz Inc Corporate Values: this organization operates within the context of accordance with extreme standards with customer relations, suppliers, community and the environment. The atmosphere fostered by this organization graces diligence, growth and innovation to the staff and has a record of awarding their employees accordingly.           

Anybiz Inc Vision statement: To expand aggressively and offer high returns to the environment and stakeholders

AnyBiz Inc Objectives: This organization main objective is to develop systems which are compatible with the users need with efficiency, versatile ability and ecological friendly with prices suiting every pocket within the social class of every person.   

Positioning

The current market environment which AnyBiz Inc is treading on is very hostile due to contrabands from china. Majority of the system which is counterfeited from this region has been providing headache for the management of AnyBiz Inc. This has limited the probability of the current growth although the products from this organization are highly patented; lack of regulation in china has brought about numerous counterfeits in the market. Competing with this cheap innovation although faulty has been an uphill task for AnyBiz Inc (Schuchman, 1989). Other system developers have also been hit by this Chinese madness and they are also counting the losses experienced through these interventions.

However, excellence of the designs and expertise in the production process by AnyBiz task force has ensured that they are still topping the market with creative innovative systems. They have managed this through operating on sophisticated and complex designs which are hard to imitate and this has left the counterfeit market baffled and unable to make contrabands for imitation purposes. These ratings have made this organization to rank among the most advanced in technology with the like of the technological giants like Apple Corporation (Baker, 2008.      

SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis is the reviewing of the four concept of stability of the organization which is divided into two factors internal and external. The Internal factors of AnyBiz Inc will centralize on the strength and weakness within this organization.

Among major strength that this organization has been credited with is the ability to develop and design innovation which are hard to imitate and they have highly patented their products to promote this. The system products which are produced by AnyBiz Inc are compatible with mat implementation and they are versatile with any intervention. This organization has employed wizards of technology whom have developed and designed system which competitor sin this industry are unable to imitate (Baker, 2008). The organization is managed through diverse strategy which fosters transformational leadership which has encouraged the taskforce to embrace unique skills and apply them in the invention and this has brought about diverse new intervention now and then.

Some of the major weaknesses recorded for this organization are gaps of capability within the context of customer loyalty because this is not an old institution. Lack of aggressive competitive strategy and strength from this organization, this occurs because of the cheap contrabands being imported from China, and lack of restriction from this region to prevent products counterfeiting and imitation. Another factor has been lack of marketing expertise which has reduced the sales of this innovation to decline because people are not familiar with them personally (Kotler, 1997). 

The external factor are the opportunity and threats which usually are the presented because of the external environment associated with the AnyBiz Inc.

Opportunities

Due to the advancement of technology traditional non-interactive media are slowly weaning out and paving way for newer technologies like the ones that AnyBiz system are applicable to (Stanton, 1995). This development of new market as people are embracing technology has ensured that this organization is bound to find more market through the internet. New international markets have developed because of the versatile systems designed by AnyBiz Inc which have also resolved to vacate of ineffective competitor.

Recent development of contrabands imported from China which are counterfeit and imitation of the original system which are very cheap and prove to be a headache to most developers. This has brought about price wars as they are cheap and some are designed to look like the ones that are made by AnyBiz thus complicating sales of their products. Tax has also been an issue in international market where some region the taxes are high reducing the profit of the product (Jaworski & Ajay, 1993).

PESTEL Analysis

A complete PESTEL analysis usually details the analytical tools that usually reflect on external factors of the organization and they assist the management to evaluate the danger and opportunity which they present.  This usually details the political, economical, social cultural, technological environmental and legal factors (Rapidbi, 2007).

Political factors: The political heat between America and China has elevated and the pressure has been bad for majority of organizations are forced with the pressure which has dented the economy of America. This pressure has led to instability of the economy which has brought pressure on the international market and thus many system developers are failing in this region. Tax policies and tariff and trade controls are also other issues which dents this organization as exemplified by Brownlie (1996).

Economical factor: Among the major factor here is the political factors and globalization are among the major setback which have hit AnyBiz Inc. Labor cost also has been another issue for this organization due to political pressures brought about by economic environment changes.   

Sociological factors: Cultural aspects have derailed major implementation by AnyBiz Inc this is fostered by health risk, population consciousness and age distribution (Leppard & McDonald, 1991). Another factor is earning and education capacity among the dwellers of the region that this organization has set up businesses. Ethical and media issues also are a priority.  

Technological factors:  some of the major factors include technology maturity, technological development competition, legislation and new interventions. Local communication, internet and information technology are also another factor.

Environmental factors: one of the major factors here is the ecological factor which PEFA has put strict regulation on most production industries, other influential factors includes customer, shareholder and market values and the organizational cultures.

Legal Factors: The current local market legislation on system is a bit naïve to new products and intervention. The regulation from PEFA concerning emission of greenhouse gases are another factor which makes designing and developing of products in the UnitedState become a very expensive chore this implied on the industrial specific regulation. Regulation in foreign market and high tax tariff is another shake up that is bound to let this organization down in the near future.  

Stakeholder Analysis (Stakeholder Matrix)

Stakeholder analysis is usually considered to be the action of stakeholder’s attitude analysis toward a new project of when auditing the market (Mitchell & Wood, 1997). This is usually applied frequently through project phrase to review stakeholder’s attitude concerning particular potential changes. AnyBiz would deploy stakeholder’s analysis to ascertain the stakeholder’s attitude toward new intervention which would be implemented to the organization.

The stakeholders shall be plotted against two variables which outlines; (I) stake level from the project outcome against stakeholder’s resources. (II) Stakeholder’s importance in favor of stakeholders influence. This implies to as the four categories of stakeholders as noted by McDonald (1984).

1.)    High importance and influence both on the project, this supposes that there is dire need for AnyBiz Inc to collaborate and secure good working network with this function for the project to be successful, examples are high executives and trade union members

2.)    Stakeholders with high importance and low influence to the success of the project, this requires that this group special initiatives be defended by the organization, an example are marginalized group of youth and seniors whom assumedly are beneficiaries to the new intervention and have little say on the development of this projects.

3.)    High influence Stakeholder’s with power to affect the outcome of the project. However, usually this interest are not fostered to the project overall goals. Usually they include fiscal administrators whom can dictate funding disbursement discretion. Thus they pose a threat to the well being of the project and keen scrutiny is advised.

4.)    Low influence and importance for the well being of the project objective thus they require less monitoring and reviews (Abell, 1998).

AnyBiz want to be operational in about roughly 100Ft Unit in George Town. And the project is expected to generate from the annual sale $98, 971 profit and intend to employ fifteen employees. Here executives in the project fall in the scale of stakeholders 1 of high influence and importance. The older employees and the new employees who will be in charge of the new employees fall second with high importance and low influence. The funders fall on the third category and the community falls on the fourth scale. 

Recommendation

There should be put in place a marketing orientation from the traditional strategy which fosters market audit review every now and then. This would encourage easy analysis of the organization so that they maybe able to shape the competitiveness of the market. This would also help to mitigate the pressure which is generated from the political factors which have resulted to excessive contraband flow in the market. This organization should also evaluate the customer price satisfaction to beat the competitive market and engage their competitors for a run of their money. The organization should also bank on evaluation of the emerging trend in the market due to changes brought about by technology. Future implementation should be aligned with E-commerce which is the new intervention for majority of the web based system developers.

Proper induction of the marketing audit assures AnyBiz Inc of a chance to mitigate all possible threats and develop means to sabotage all weakness and change them to strength. Through this intervention when properly and regularly utilized this organization is bound to develop with a promising rate and be able even to combat counterfeit through development of un immitigable web based systems.

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