Scope, Areas or Types of Marketing Audit
There are no fixed guidelines regarding the scope, areas or types of marketing audit. In other words, the scope of marketing audit is not fixed. It changes from company to company. Each company can make its own marketing audit plan. However, the scope of marketing audit must include the following areas or types:
The six important types of marketing audit are:
- Marketing Environment Audit.
- Marketing Strategy Audit.
- Marketing Organization Audit.
- Marketing Systems Audit.
- Marketing Productivity Audit.
- Marketing Function Audit.
Now let's discuss each main area or type of marketing audit.
1. Marketing Environment Audit
Marketing Environment Audit consists of the external environment of company. It includes natural environment, economic environment, political environment, demographic environment, etc. The marketing audit analyses the marketing consumer, competitors, suppliers, so on. This audit helps the company to make marketing strategies.
2. Marketing Strategy Audit
Marketing Strategy Audit is a critical analysis of marketing objectives and strategies. It finds out whether the company's marketing objectives are clear and proper. It also examines the marketing strategies of the company. This audit is done to find out the utility of the marketing strategies.
3. Marketing Organization Audit
Marketing Organization Audit is a systematic study of the company's organizational resources like manpower, organization, structure, employee training and development, Research and Development facilities, motivation, communication and working relations.
4. Marketing Systems Audit
Marketing Systems Audit finds out the company's ability of collecting and analyzing data. It looks for the company's ability to plan and control the marketing activities. It also studies the company's marketing information system, planning and control system, etc.
5. Marketing Productivity Audit
Marketing Productivity Audit finds out the profitability of the company's products. It examines the markets. It also examines the measure to improve cost-effectiveness.
6. Marketing Function Audit
Marketing Function Audit is a complete study of marketing functions in relation to the product, price, promotion and place of distribution. So, it is an audit of the marketing mix (4 P's) of the company.