|
|
MARKETING DIAGNOSTIC STUDY: SAMPLE
1. Diagnosis of major problem/s:
Strengths and weaknesses analysis:
i. Products and services offered:
- Description, product "tree" (chart);
- Degree of diversification;
- Sales breakdown per product line: champion/losers detection (margin per product line, defining core/most-sales products);
- Special demand characteristics, if any (e.g., seasonality);
- Innovation tradition (R&D).
ii. Customer profile:
- Target customer's profile (geographic, demographic, etc.);
- Sales breakdown per type of customers: what type of customers account for what % of sales (segmentation, e.g., "sales generators");
- Any lost customers, complaints, or reported problems on the customers' side?
- Customers' satisfaction and loyalty;
- Core beneficial proposition (competitive advantage).
iii. Distribution methods:
- How sales are made? What are the distribution channels used?
- Any reported problems with/on the side of distributors?
- Each channel's effectiveness and overall effectiveness (need for additions/deletions).
iv. Pricing strategy:
- Pricing principles (industry's average, competitors-set price, etc.);
- Is charged price higher/lower than industry's average? Why?
v. Promotion:
- Advertising;
- Promotion (discount activities' effectiveness, etc.);
- PR & publicity (public exposure);
- Image (consistency & positioning; colors, slogan, logo, brochures, Web-site, etc.).
vi. Strategic marketing and marketing plan:
- Objectives and goals?
- Marketing plan?
- Marketing planning, monitoring and control procedures?
- Databases (knowledge management), & research tradition
Competition analysis
Industry environment and market trends
- Formulation of major marketing problem/s (put them as questions).
- Verification of marketing problem/s statement and magnitude based on management interview and own research data. As a result, (1) confirmation of nature and scope of reported problems and advice on their solution, or (2) rejection of management assumptions, detection of new problems and offering solutions to them.
- Action plan:
a. Clear recommendations;
b. Timing;
c. Cost.
|
