Just Ask: Conducting a Communication Audit
By Beth Gallob

The savvy company understands that it must market to an internal audience as well as an external one. How do you find out if your marketing communications are being received and understood by all stakeholders? A Communication Audit can help.

The best way to find out how you’re doing is to ask—customers, managers, staff, suppliers, and investors. At the very least, make sure your message is clear and spend some time analyzing your existing marketing materials and those of your competitors. Then organize the results of your audit, identify ways to improve, and most important, implement the improvements.

The Communication Audit can be as simple or as complex as you want or need. Your resident marketing professional or an outside consultant can guide you. Here’s a brief outline to help you get started.

· Interview managers

Understand company vision, mission, goals

Identify positioning and key messages

Discuss marketing strategy

· Interview employees

Determine understanding of company vision, mission, goals, positioning, key messaging

Determine how employees get information about their company

Identify issues

Solicit suggestions for improvement

· Interview customers, suppliers, investors

Understand perceptions of company, products, marketing materials

Solicit suggestions for improvement

· Define your sales process

Identify marketing materials needed to support sales effort

· Inventory all existing printed and online marketing materials

Include all marketing collateral, Web site, advertising, press releases

Include all sales materials, such as letters, emails, telephone scripts

· Review and evaluate existing marketing materials

What is the purpose of each piece?

Who is the intended audience?

Is the content consistent with corporate position and message?

Does it meet objectives of marketing strategy?

· Research competition

Identify positioning, messaging

Review print and online marketing materials

· Produce audit report with recommendations for improvement

Summarize your findings in each area

Identify areas for improvement

· Develop plan for optimizing marketing materials

Update required existing materials

Develop new materials

Develop communication standards

· Develop processes to optimize internal and external communication process

Create schedule and vehicle to communicate marketing messages internally

Schedule external marketing communication activities and track results

Many companies have a wealth of marketing material, much of which can be redundant and ineffective. By understanding what you have, how you disseminate it, and how internal and external audiences perceive your efforts, you can make your marketing communication more effective.

© 2002, Gallob Communication

?Beth Gallob is the principal of Gallob Communications, providing marketing communication and consulting to technology companies. From marketing plans, marketing materials, and advertising copy to Web site content, articles, and technical white papers, she helps companies tell their story. Contact Beth at or visit www.gallobcomm.com.

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