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Audits

What is it?
A marketing audit is a systematic, comprehensive review and analysis of your marketing activities that leads to recommendations and actions to improve your marketing program.

Why do it?
The audit asks questions that help you evaluate where you want to go, review what you are doing, what is working and what is not, so that you can better use your time and resources to give you the most effective marketing results.

Why should we do it?
The simple fact is that an outside consulting firm can do things and learn things that even the best internal marketing professional simply cannot. All of our audit sessions are conducted under the assurance that all comments are strictly anonymous. It is a promise that we insist upon and adhere to and it allows us to learn things that no internal individual can possibly learn. We have never done an internal audit where we have not learned things that would have been hidden from an internal representative.

What are the steps?
Confirm and Review Objectives and Process:
Through phone conversations/conference calls, written materials, the consultant and the college contact review and confirm the issues, outcomes and procedures for the audit, as outlined below.

Review of publications/ other written materials
Prior to the on-site audit visit, we will review college materials, such as printed materials (schedule book, catalogue, brochures, ads, etc), current marketing/PR plan, if available, available marketing research, any other college planning documents. Detailed analysis of these materials and recommendations for improvement will be part of the final written report, as well as part of the on-site meeting. Prior phone discussions will finalize audit and workshop schedule and content and individuals attending

On-Site Audit (Two days)
A schedule will be developed of about 10-12, one-hour interviews/focus groups over a two-day period with groups related to the marketing/enrollment management process to determine what is being done, what perceptions exist on college image and marketing/communications activities, and what recommendations can be made.
Marketing will be defined in the broadest sense, considering not just promotion/recruitment, but also marketing research, curriculum delivery, services, inquiry follow-up and retention.
Based on these interviews, we will develop a written report, summarizing key comments by group, and outlining our assessment of strengths and recommendations for action.
We and the college will agree upon groups for the audit. The college will then set up the schedule for a two-day audit. Possible groups to consider for a two-day audit include the following:

President
President's Cabinet
Deans
Representative program or department chairs
Admissions, financial aid, recruitment administrators
Public relations/publications
Student focus group
Potential students focus group - high school
Faculty, including those that deal with recruitment and program managers
Support staff interfacing with students
Business and community leaders
Special target groups
Board members

Written report
Within two weeks of the on-site audit, consultant will submit an extensive written report (typically the report is 20-30 pages, with another 20-30 pages of interview notes).
This written report provides recommendations with detailed elaboration of actions needed to create and implement a strategic marketing plan. Among its contents, the report includes:

Overall strengths and observations

Discussion of key target markets and ways to reach them

A detailed analysis of all printed and promotional materials, giving strengths, improvements needed and identifying additional materials needed to reach various target grooups

Summaries, by group, of the on-site audit meetings

Marketing action analysis and recommendations in each of the following areas (which are also used to create plans and committees through the marketing workshop):

Conference call/review of report
A conference call to "walk through" the written report will also be provided after the college receives and reviews the report.

Information from interviews in the audit will also be used to develop a customized on-site workshop and recommendations will be discussed in the workshop. These in-person interviews give the consultant a better understanding of the college from which to structure the workshop that follows and from which to make recommendations for future marketing activities. It also gives the college staff more buy-in to the process before the workshops begin.

For further information, a formal proposal or to schedule an audit for your college or university call Sandy at 480-634-7161 or email her at sandra@sandragolden.com

View our article on "Using a Marketing Audit to Set Directions for Results" [ Word File or PDF File] which describes the purpose and scope of college audits.

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