Marketing audits: The forgotten side of management

Abstract

One of the most profound changes in the business landscape over the last two decades has been the new emphasis on evaluating and managing performance. The urgency of financial performances has been accompanied by growing awareness that these are not sustainable unless the pillars on which they are based - marketing included - are properly assessed. On the other hand, many organizations and professionals still consider marketing as a highly qualitative and creative discipline where almost everything fits and few things are measured. Recent evidence shows that this is not the case. This article seeks to highlight the importance of audits as a means of revising and improving marketing practice, arguing that the concept, while well developed, will need to address some new realities emerging from the changing marketing landscape. This is necessary if marketing audits want to maintain their viability as an important management tool in the future. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Ltd.