Marketing Audit



Marketing Audit

Introduction

For a thorough analysis of the marketing approach of his organization, a manager can make what we call a "marketing audit". The marketing audit is a critical in-depth, systematic and periodic orientation of a marketing company in its environment and the means it employs to achieve them. This check allows the company to solve common problems, to strengthen its expertise in relation to competitors and to improve efficiency and profitability of their marketing activities. This marketing audit focuses on Apple's objectives, its policies, its organization, methods and staff. This exercise is not designed to be carried out in crisis, although it may be useful to conduct such an audit at a difficult time for Apple. In a crisis, however, he had better be done by an independent firm. The checklist that presented may be useful to the manager of Apple who accepts a position in another organization, or who wants to take a moment of reflection and make sure to ask all relevant questions. The checklist contains all the questions it is appropriate to ask by performing a marketing audit. The manager may choose to answer each or focus on particular aspects of the organization. This is why we refer to the checklist of the questions that constitute the audit.

Discussion

About the Company - Apple

The brand of Apple is recognized all over the globe. Their products take pleasure in enjoying a very high level of awareness among consumers, and brand acknowledgment throughout the globe. Furthermore, the ranking of the brand name “Apple”, has been gaining even more popularity throughout the globe. Apple runs different businesses and is engaged in offering several products and services like computer designs, servers, network solutions and software and services. The company is running a business in USA mainly, having the headquarters in California and Cupertino. To fight its competitors Apple has leveraged its brand image to distinguish the offering of its products, and maximize its revenues (Boulton, 2009). Apple has showed tremendous financial performance in recent times and has really strengthened its financial health, which is bound to help them in facing any problem in the near future. It was due to their strong financial health that they were not affected as such by the recent global crisis.

Following are the key steps of the global strategies followed by Apple Inc.

Apple Inc. treats the global market as the domestic market.

Apple Inc. has developed the marketing mix, keeping in consideration the regional and national differences, such as the languages, culture and tastes.

It has created the different systems of global production and distribution systems.

Apple Inc. has developed the distribution strategies in order to supply its products globally.

Apple Inc. has maintained its powerful brand. This is because, global market is so huge and it is necessary for a company operating its business globally, to create a strong brand so that its brand should be globally recognised (Boulton, 2009).

Apple has continued to capitalize on the overlap of the digital devices, mobile interactions ...