Marketing Function Audit

Using the marketing mix to analyse your functions

The marketing mix comprises of framework comprising of Product, Price, Place (Distribution) and Promotion.

What are the company's product-line objectives?
Are the objectives sound?
Should the product line be stretched or contracted upward, downward, or both ways?
Which products should be phased out?
Which products should be added to?
What are the buyers' knowledge and attitudes toward the company's and competitors' product quality, features, styling, brand names, etc?
What areas of product and brand strategy need improvement?

What are the company's pricing objectives, policies, strategies and procedures?
To what extent are the prices set on cost, demand and competitive criteria?
Do the customers see the company's prices as being in line with the value of its offer?
What does management know about the price elasticity of demand, experience-curve effects and competitors' prices and pricing policies?
To what extent are price policies compatible with the needs of distributors and dealers, suppliers and government regulations?

What are the organisation's advertising objectives?
Is there adequate market coverage and service?
How effective are distributors, dealers, manufacturers' representatives, brokers, agents and others?
Should the company consider changing its distribution channels?

Including advertising, sales promotion, publicity and direct marketing.

What are the organisations advertising objectives?
Are the objectives sound?
Is the right amount being spent on advertising?
Are the ad-themes and copy effective?
What do customers and the public think about the advertising?
Are the advertising media well chosen?
Is the internal advertising staff adequate?
Is the sales promotion budget adequate?
Is there effective and sufficient use of sales promotion tools such as samples, coupons, displays and sales contests?
Is the public relations staff competent and creative?
Is the company making enough use of direct, online and database marketing?

What are the sales force's objectives?
Is the sales force large enough to accomplish the company's objectives?
Is the sales force organised along the proper principles of specialisation (territory, market, product)?
Are there enough (or to many) sales managers to guide the field sales representatives?
Do the sales compensation level and structure provide adequate incentive and reward?
Does the sales force show high morale, ability and effort?
Are the procedures adequate for setting quotas and evaluating performance?
How does the company's sales force compare to competitor's sales forces?