What does the company expect in the way of inflations, materials shortages, unemployment, and credit availability in the short run, intermediate run, and long run?
What effect will forecasted trends in size, age distribution, and regional distribution of population have on the business?
What major changes are occurring in product and/or process technology? What are generic substitutes that might replace this product?
What laws or regulations are being proposed that may affect marketing and sales strategies? What is happening with pollution control, equal employment opportunity, product safety, advertising, price control, etc., that may be relevant to marketing planning?
What changes in consumer lifestyles and values have an impact on the company’s target markets?
Task Environment
What is happening to market size, growth, geographical distribution, and profits? What are the major market segments and their expected rates of growth?
How do current customers and prospects rate the company and its competitors on reputations, product quality, service, sales force, and price?
How do different classes of customers make their buying decisions? What evolving needs and satisfaction are the buyers in this market seeking?
Who are the major competitors? What are the objectives and strategy of each major competitor? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What are the sizes and trends in the market shares?
What are the main trade channels bringing products to customers? What are the growth potentials of the different trade channels?
What trends are occurring among the firm’s suppliers in their dealings with the company?
What is the outlook for the cost and availability of transportation services and warehousing facilities? What trends are occurring in advertising agency services that will affect company relationships? How effective are existing advertising efforts?
B. Marketing Strategy Review (1-3 pages)
Are the corporate objectives and mission clearly stated? Do they lead logically to the marketing objectives?
Are the marketing objectives stated clearly enough to guide marketing planning and subsequent performance measurement? Are the marketing objectives appropriate, given the company’s competitive position, resources, and opportunities? Is the appropriate strategic objective to build, hold, harvest, or terminate this business?
How are marketing resources allocated to product, service, sales force, advertising, promotion, and distribution functions?
C. Review of Organization and Management Structure (2-3 pages)
Review the owners of the organization and parent organization
Review the organizational structure of the parent company, the local organization, and the department where you are assigned. Show organizational charts where possible.
How are marketing responsibilities structured – along functional, product, end user, or territorial lines?
Compare the formal and informal lines of communication – how do they compare with other places you have worked?
Are there good communication and working relations between various departments, e.g. sales and marketing, or engineering and marketing? Are there any problems between marketing and manufacturing? R & D, purchasing, finance, accounting, and legal that need attention (where applicable)?
Is the product management system or other product-market structure in use working effectively? Are the product managers able to plan profits or only sales volume?
Are there any groups that need more training, motivation, supervision, or evaluation?
Would you describe the work environment as pleasant, tough, neutral, or threatening?
Do others make suggestions to their supervisors? In what way?
Do you see any personnel problems in the work environment? If so, explain.
D. Review of Marketing Systems and Operations (2-3 pages)
Is the marketing intelligence system producing accurate, sufficient, and timely information about developments in the marketplace?
Is marketing research being adequately used by company decision makers?
Are sales forecasting and market-potential measurement carried out effectively?
Are sales quotas set on a proper basis?
Are the control procedures (monthly, quarterly, etc.) adequate to ensure that the annual plan objectives are being achieved?
Is provision made to examine and validate periodically marketing costs? How are budgets determined? Who is involved in the planning?
Is the company well organized to gather, generate, and screen new product ideas?
Does the company do adequate concept research and business analysis before investing heavily in a new idea?
Does the company carry out adequate product and market testing before launching a new product?
E. Productivity Analysis (1-2 pages)
What is the profitability of the company’s different products, served markets, territories, and channels of distribution?
What are the budgeted amounts/percentages for each major expense category? Do any marketing activities seem to have excessive costs? Are these costs valid? Can cost-reducing steps be taken?
F. Review of Marketing Functional Areas (3-6 pages)
Products
What are the product line objectives? Are these objectives sound? Is the current product line meeting these objectives?
Are there particular products that should be phased out? Are there any products that are worth adding?
Are any products able to benefit from quality, feature, or style improvements?
Price
What are the pricing objectives, policies, strategies, and procedures? Are prices set on sound cost, demand, and competitive criteria?
Does the company use price promotions effectively?
Distribution
What are the distribution objectives and strategies?
Is there adequate market coverage and service?
How effective are the following channel members: distributors, manufacturers’ reps, brokers, agents, etc.?
Advertising, Sales Promotion, and Publicity
What are the organization’s advertising objectives? Are they sound?
Is the right amount being spent on advertising? How is the budget determined?
Are the ad themes and copy effective? What do consumers and the public think about the advertising?
Are the advertising media well chosen?
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 publicity adequate? Is the public relations staff competent and creative?
Sales Force
What are the organization’s sales force objectives?
Is the sales force large enough to accomplish the company’s objectives?
Is the sales force organized along the proper principle(s) of specialization (territory, market product)? Are there enough (or too many) sales managers to guide the field sales reps?
Does 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 the sales forces of competitors?
Last Completed Projects
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