Marketing Needs Analysis                      
  Not sure where to start to improve your organization's marketing efforts?   Then take our Marketing Needs Analysis. The assessment addresses every aspect of your marketing.  It will help you determine the current state of all of your marketing processes, programs and operations. Your answers will indicate specific areas where your marketing may benefit from outside assistance in making improvements.  And it will also help guide your decisions about your future marketing needs and investments. You will be given a grade for each section of the analysis and an overall grade at the end. 

Once you've completed the analysis, you can contact us to review your responses and provide an objective analysis of your current marketing needs.

You may reset all factors to "0" to start over or when you are finished using the tool by clicking the RESET button at the bottom.  You save a PDF copy of this analysis by clicking the PRINT button at the bottom.  You can also save the evaluation to your browser if you're not able to complete it in one sitting.  Just save the results, then open the file later. 
 
  Instructions                            
                               
  In the following sections, select your level of agreement with the statements made regarding marketing processes and practices in your organization.  If the statement does not apply to your industry or business model, select "0" from the drop down list, so that it is not counted in your overall score.  There is a reset button at the top of the analysis.   It will clear all of your answers.    
    Sections in Assessment       Answer Selection and Points scored      
                               
    Strategic Business & Marketing Planning   Answers Points          
Marketing Communications
Lead Generation, Nurturing  and Management Non Applicable 0
Customer Relations Management
Strongly Disagree 1
Data Driven Marketing Management
Disagree 2
Direct Marketing
Somewhat Agree 3
Digital Marketing
Agree
4
Marketing Management and Operations
Strongly Agree 5
  Scorecard                          
  Section Total
Questions 		Questions
Applicable to
Your
Organization's
Business 		Actual Score for Applicable Questions Possible Maximum
Points From
Answered Questions 		Percentage Score Grade Score  
  Strategic Business & Marketing Planning  
  Marketing Communications  
  Lead Generation, Nurturing  and Management  
  Customer Relations Management  
  Data Driven Marketing  
  Direct Marketing  
  Digital Marketing  
  Marketing Management and Operations  
  Totals  
© 2018 DWS Associates.  All Rights Reserved.
Email Us
    Strategic Business & Marketing Planning  
       
    Total Questions 20
    Answered Applicable Questions
    Actual Score
    Possible Total Score 
    Percentage Score
    Grade Score
       
    Factor Score
1)   We do an excellent job of planning our business strategies.
2)   We have a mission statement that clearly states the purpose of our company (organization) .
3)   We have a formal documented business plan that is updated yearly.
4)   We have a formal documented marketing plan which supports our business plan and is updated yearly.
5)   We have a go-to-market strategy that clearly defines the channels we will use to connect with the customer and the organizational processes that guide customer interactions from initial contact through fulfillment.
6)   We have a well defined positioning strategy for our business and / or products.
7)   We have a competitive strategy.
8)   We do market segmentation and analysis.
9)   We conduct SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analyses for our business.
10)   We conduct PEST (political, economic, social, and technology) analyses for our business.
11)   We do market segmentation and analysis.
12)   We are satisfied with our market share.
13)   We have marketing scorecards to judge our marketing performance.
14)   We know what marketing activities provide the greatest return on investment.
15)   We conduct formal marketing audits.
16)   We have a competitive intelligence system to monitor the activities of our top competitors.
17)   We have a formal process for notifying our company's staff when a competitor changes their business operations/practices.
18)   We do an excellent job of monitoring market trends that have an impact on our business.
19)   We have a marketing database to manage our marketing operations and programs.
20)   We do regular analyses of our current customers.
    Marketing Communications  
       
    Total Questions 12
    Answered Applicable Questions
    Actual Score
    Possible Total Score 
    Percentage Score
    Grade Score
       
    Factor Score
1)   We align our marketing communications strategies and plans with our overall business strategies.
2)   We have an integrated marketing communications plan.
3)   Our marketing communications is sending out integrated, coordinated messages.
4)   We have excellent market awareness for our company, products and services.
5)   The market perception of our company, products and services is excellent.
6)   Our advertising expenditures are extremely effective.
7)   We have an integrated marketing campaigns to acquire and communicate with new customers.
8)   We have excellent advertising themes and messages.
9)   We do an excellent job of measuring payback from all of our promotional efforts including advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, and publicity.
10)   We do an excellent job of choosing advertising media for our promotional efforts.
11)   Direct marketing is an important part of our marketing mix.
12)   We have a formal process for monitoring and evaluating our competitor's promotional activities.
    Lead Generation, Nurturing and Management  
       
    Total Questions 18
    Answered Applicable Questions
    Actual Score
    Possible Total Score 
    Percentage Score
    Grade Score
       
    Factor Score
1)   We have a formal lead generation strategy and plan with supporting budgets and forecasts.    
2)   We are satisfied with the number of qualified sales leads that we are generating.
3)   We have a formal process for qualifying leads / new customer prospects.    
4)   We are satisfied with our system for lead scoring and ranking the sales leads our marketing programs generate.    
5)   We are satisfied with the conversion rate of prospects to qualified sales leads.
6)   We are satisfied with the quality of leads generated from our marketing programs.
7)   We are satisfied with our processes for managing the relationship with prospective customers from the point of initial contact through their first purchase.    
8)   We are satisfied with our process for qualifying the sales leads that we do receive.    
9)   We have an effective lead management system in place.
10)   We have an "optimum contact strategy" for our current customers and prospects.    
11)   We have an efficient process of managing relationships with qualified buyers in order to increase conversion rates.    
12)   We are satisfied with the cost of acquiring a new sales lead.
13)   We are satisfied with the number of qualified sales leads we are generating at trade shows.
14)   We are satisfied with the number of qualified sales leads we are generating from our off-line advertising.    
15)   We are satisfied with the number of qualified leads we are generating from our on-line advertising.    
16)   We are satisfied with the number of qualified leads we are generating from our direct mail advertising.    
17)   We are satisfied with our process for qualifying, prioritizing and routing new leads in order to increase conversion rates.    
18)   We are satisfied with our customer acquisition costs.  
    Customer Relationship Management  
       
    Total Questions 19
    Answered Applicable Questions
    Actual Score
    Possible Total Score 
    Percentage Score
    Grade Score
       
    Factor Score
1)   We have formal customer relationship strategies and processes to improve service, cut costs, and revitalize sales and marketing.
2)   We need to do a better job of converting one-time buyers into multi-buyers.  We are satisfied with our programs and processes for converting one-time buyers into multi-buyers.
3)   We are satisfied with the integration of new customers into our customer family.
4)   We know why we are losing customers.
5)   We have strategies and programs that reduce customer defections.
6)   We are satisfied with our customer's loyalty.
7)   We have processes and programs in place to find out who are our best customers are.
8)   We have a customer loyalty/retention program.
9)   We have a customer relationship management system that works.
10)   We have a customer referral program.
11)   We do an excellent job of tracking customer satisfaction levels.
12)   We measure the profitability of our customers.
13)   We have processes and programs in place to win back customers who have defected.
14)   We have a formal process for capturing and disseminating customer feedback so that the appropriate actions can be taken quickly.
15)   We understand our current service levels and compare them to our competitors' service levels.
16)   We have a customer advisory panel to help us in the development of new products and services.
17)   We have an effective cross-sell and up-sell programs with our existing customers.
18)   We are satisfied with overall customer satisfaction.
19)   We regularly use customer satisfaction surveys.
    Data Driven Marketing Management  
    Total Questions 47
    Answered Applicable Questions
    Actual Score
    Possible Total Score 
    Percentage Score
    Grade Score
       
    Factor Score
1)   We're able to interact with our customers and prospects on an individual basis.
2)   We drive different messages to different segments of customers and prospects.
3)   We use predictive models to drive campaigns.
4)   We maintain data tables that identify the different types of campaigns and frequency of the campaigns.
5)   Our reporting system produces timely analysis of campaigns.
6)   We can produce triggered messages to customers and prospects through the year based on data we maintain on these consumers.
7)   We are satisfied with our ability to capture and maintain data on customers and prospects in our database.
8)   Based on data, we are able to test offers, creative, etc. to our customers and prospects.
9)   We maintain a separate database primarily for the use of the Marketing Department.
10)   All of our customer base can be found in the current customer database.
11)   Prospects are included in our database.
12)   We maintain data schemas, data dictionaries for the different data sources.
13)   We collect online data from all web activity.
14)   We track all source data for customers and prospects.  
15)   Our partners or vendors supply us with data that we overlay in our customer and / or prospects database. 
16)   The customer and prospect address data is regularly cleansed and updated.
17)   We append firmographics or demographics to customers or prospects in our database.
18)   Our analytics group create data fields, such as model scores on the database.
19)   We leverage data for use in retention and acquisition programs.
20)   Data is frequency updated.
21)   We track complete transaction history by customer by source.
22)   We track complete transaction history on all customers.  
23)   Standard campaign reports are produced for acquisition, renewal and retention campaigns on a regular basis.
24)   We use a have group of standard metrics that are currently being reported on regularly.
25)   We examine the return on investment for campaigns.
26)   We have models which are routinely used to score prospect lists.
27)   We have retention, renewal and acquisition models
28)   Customer profiles have been done to understand the different customer segments
29)   We segment our customers and prospects in our marketing database.
30)   We share the results of analyses from renewal, reactivation and acquisition between departments.
31)   What are the biggest challenges your analysts face?  Tools? Datamart?  Additional data?
32)   Standardized metrics and measurements are reported to management in a dashboard format.
33)   We are satisfied with the quality of our marketing data.
34)   We have a centralized marketing database that provides one source of information for marketing, sales and service.
35)   We augment our marketing database with information to enhance, authenticate, and / or supplement our marketing database.
36)   We regularly scrub the database for erroneous or outdated information.
37)   We collect multi-channel information to build customer profiles.
38)   All of our customers are maintained in our customer database.
39)   We carefully deduplicate customers and prospects in our database.
40)   We consolidate our prospect and customer data in one marketing database.
41)   We have done life time value analysis on our customers by segment and sub-segment.
42)   We overlay and maintain demographic, psychographic (lifestyle) data on our customers.
43)   We overlay and maintain firmographic, industry, buying characteristics, and other data on our business customers.
44)   We overlay and maintain demographic, psychographic (lifestyle) data on our consumer prospects.
45)   We overlay and maintain firmographic, industry, buying characteristics, and other data on our business prospects.
46)   We have experienced and knowledgeable in-house database marketing analysts.
47)   Our analysts spend the majority of their time analyzing data rather than manipulating it prior to analysis.
    Direct Marketing  
       
    Total Questions 47
    Answered Applicable Questions
    Actual Score
    Possible Total Score 
    Percentage Score
    Grade Score
       
    Factor Score
1)   We are satisfied with our catalog marketing programs.
2)   We are satisfied with the direct marketing knowledge and skills of our marketing staff.
3)   We are satisfied with our in-house telesales center.
4)   We are satisfied with the performance and skills of our telemarketing/telesales staff.
5)   We apply customer analysis, targeting and segmentation techniques.
6)   We are satisfied with the results of our catalog/direct marketing program(s).
7)   We are satisfied with the results we are getting from rented mailing lists.
8)   We use our mailing list to lower our cost of acquiring a new customer.
9)   We have make very effective use of database marketing processes and practices.
10)   We do an excellent job of tracking and measuring the results of all of our marketing programs and activities.
11)   We have implemented programs for testing messages in order to improve the performance of our customer acquisition and retention efforts.
12)   We are satisfied with our in-house circulation planning and management program.
13)   We are satisfied with our in-house phone order processing center.
14)   We are satisfied with our in-house fulfillment operation.
15)   Our customer list is cleansed on a regular basis.
16)   We have developed an accurate demographic profile of our customers.
17)   We code our customer list by recency of purchase.
18)   We code our customer list by frequency of purchase.
19)   We code our customer list by monetary value of purchases.
20)   We use the classic direct marketing formula of recency, frequency and monetary value of  purchase to work our customer list.
21)   We work with competent list brokers to rent and/or buy prospect lists.
22)   We work with competent list compilers and brokers to select prospect lists that match our customer profile.
23)   We test meaningful, measurable, projectable quantities.
24)   We measure the true results of prospect lists, computing for each list, the number of inquires, purchases, net revenue, etc..
25)   We do a excellent job of matching direct marketing offers with our various markets.
26)   We use media with good direct response track records.
27)   We have measured the true results of the media we use, computing for each media the number of inquiries, purchases, revenue, etc.
28)   We have determined how often we can successfully use each media type to reach customers/prospects.
29)   We have determined how frequently we can profitably contact our customers and prospects.
30)   Our advertisements are in character with our products and/or services and the markets we reach.
31)   We have developed the ideal format for all of our advertisements: direct mail, email, print, broadcast, etc..
32)   We consistently test products, media, offers, and formats.
33)   We have tested to determine the best timing of our offers.
34)   We have tested to determine the best frequency of our offers.
35)   we have determined the most responsive geographic areas.
36)   We test all direct marketing communications against control advertisements.
37)   We analyze results by ZIP codes, by demographics, by psychographics (lifestyles), etc..
38)   We compute the level of repeat business by original source.
39)   We have a direct marketing strategic plan that is integrated into our overall marketing communications plan.
40)   We maintain mode of payment as part of our customer file information.
41)   We maintain geographics on our customers and correlate that with recency, frequency and monetary value.
42)   We maintain product and product category purchase information on our customer file.
43)   We maintain length of time information on our customer file.
44)   We maintain original source data on our customer file.
45)   We maintain transaction data on customer file, including: payment information, change of address, correspondence, renewal, etc..
46)   We track the effects of seasonality on customer purchase behavior.
47)   When renting/purchasing outside list sources, we use merge / purge to optimize the combined list before launching a campaign.
       
    Digital Marketing  
       
    Total Questions 8
    Answered Applicable Questions
    Actual Score
    Possible Total Score 
    Percentage Score
    Grade Score
       
    Factor Score
1)   We are satisfied with our e-marketing lead generation efforts.
2)   We are satisfied with our e-marketing customer retention efforts.
3)   Our social media is well integrated into our overall marketing promotional mix.
4)   We have a formal process for monitoring our brand online.
5)   We have a formal process for evaluating and responding to online comments about our company, products and services.
6)   We have a promotional strategy and plan for the use of social media in our marketing promotional mix.
7)   We are satisfied with our customer acquisition program using mobile media.
8)   We are satisfied with our customer retention program using mobile media.
    Marketing Management & Operations  
       
    Total Questions 17
    Answered Applicable Questions
    Actual Score
    Possible Total Score 
    Percentage Score
    Grade Score
       
    Factor Score
1)   We have a market segmentation strategy for identifying, rating, and choosing the best market segments to target.
2)   We have a formal 12-month marketing plan that supports our overall business strategies and objectives.
3)   We have a well trained, experienced and knowledgeable marketing department and staff.
4)   We have a well qualified and knowledgeable senior level marketing management to direct our marketing staff. 
5)   We need additional, experienced marketing staff.
6)   We have an experienced direct marketing staff.
7)   We are satisfied with the training of our junior level marketing staff.
8)   We are happy with our marketing/advertising agency.
9)   We are satisfied with the marketing/advertising agency that we have selected to be our primary agency.
10)   We are satisfied with our mailing house.
11)   We are satisfied with our fulfillment house.
12)   We are satisfied with our in-house telemarketing operation.
13)   We are satisfied with our outside telemarketing operation.
14)   We are satisfied with our in-house fulfillment services.
15)   We are satisfied with our in-house mailing operation.
16)   We are satisfied with our in-house database marketing management operation.
17)   We are satisfied with our outside database marketing management operation.