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 marketing audits
what is it?
A marketing audit is exactly what it sounds like. Based on what you ask us to review, we go through all the relevant materials – timelines, creative designs, budgets, calendars, spreadsheets, results documents, etc. – and then conduct interviews with appropriate personnel. Based on our reviews and interviews, we provide a report back to you that details ways in which your marketing could be improved. As far as you are willing to let us in, we will provide you with serious, impartial, actionable feedback.
what does it involve?
- Understanding your goals – What areas do you want to improve?
- Gathering in materials – We love to wade in data. Bring us your spreadsheets, your surveys, your tiered bar charts longing to be fathomed. Seriously. We're into this stuff. Marketing without data is like St. Patrick's day without shish kabob.
- Interviews – Very, very important. And very few companies do them enough. They can be scary and intimidating and, if done incorrectly, divisive. That's not the point here. Marketing is done by people and for people. To improve it, we must understand how it impacts on the effected players; that's usually some cross-section of marketing management, finance, operations, sales and customers. That last one is even more important, and even more uncommon. But you will always, always, always learn something important if you sit down and ask your customers about it.
- Analysis – This is where all the pointy-headed wunderkind of Sanestorm get together, review your materials and interviews, open their brains, share ideas, capture the good ones, and repeat. We are very good at looking at things from lots of different angles. We like that we're each different and we like to see what angles our strange and wonderful colleagues will find.
- Reports – We'll get back to you with written findings, detailing a myriad of suggestions on how to improve your marketing. The specific content will, of course, depend on what programs, systems and/or media you give us to review. And how honest you want us to be.
why do this?
As Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." That may sound a little harsh, but it's Socrates, so we'll give him the benefit of the doubt. At the very least, it was Plato trying very hard to sound like Socrates. Either way, unexamined marketing is bad. The whole point of marketing is to reduce friction in an economic process. There will always be some friction. But it is the responsibility of the marketing folks to make sales happen more smoothly, to maximize profit, reduce waste and raise satisfaction. If your marketing department's motto is not "Continuous Improvement!"… well, it should be.
why do it with sanestorm?
Three reasons.
- One – You can't see your own nose. An unbiased, informed second opinion is very helpful. Here at Sanestorm, we often ask other folks from the outside world to review our stuff. It keeps us honest.
- Two – We have experience with marketing systems from many different industries. Good marketing programs from one sector can often be altered to fit others. Even if an entire program might not be suitable, we can certainly benchmark best practices for you to emulate
- Three – We won't just grade you, we'll provide suggestions for improvement.
Measurement, review and improvement are at the heart of any great marketing program. A Sanestorm marketing audit will help you apply these important principles to your organization.
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