COURSE OVERVIEW:
Welcome to the Plan & Conduct Internal Marketing Audits course. This program has been designed to equip you with the insight, analytical capability and structured assessment skills required to evaluate marketing performance, compliance and strategic alignment across any industry.
Internal marketing audits provide a comprehensive view of how marketing activities contribute to organisational objectives, stakeholder expectations and long-term business success. This course begins by examining the purpose and value of internal marketing audits, exploring the relationship between marketing effectiveness and organisational strategy, and highlighting the importance of auditor independence, ethical conduct and objectivity. It also clarifies the broad scope of marketing audits, which can encompass brand management, customer insights, digital activity, campaign performance and overall marketing governance.
A strong understanding of marketing audit principles underpins effective evaluation. This section explores strategic, operational and functional perspectives of marketing audits, and highlights the importance of evidence-based assessment and objectivity at every stage. Learners examine the principles of effectiveness, efficiency and alignment, and consider how marketing audits differ from routine performance reviews by focusing on systemic issues, strategic coherence and long-term value.
Marketing audits must be grounded in an understanding of governance and compliance requirements. This section outlines organisational marketing policies, brand standards, regulatory requirements, and ethical, social and cultural considerations that influence responsible marketing practice. It also addresses the risks associated with marketing non-compliance, including reputational damage, legal exposure and breaches of consumer trust.
Effective marketing auditing requires familiarity with marketing management systems and structures. This section examines strategic planning frameworks, product and pricing strategies, distribution systems, promotional models and the integration between marketing and broader business functions. Learners explore common marketing risks, performance gaps and the organisational factors that influence marketing effectiveness.
Clear audit objectives and scope are essential to ensuring that marketing audits remain focused and meaningful. This section explains how to establish the audit purpose, identify key marketing channels and processes, select strategic and operational focus areas, and define measurable criteria to guide assessment. Learners examine how to confirm scope with stakeholders to ensure clarity and alignment.
Planning the marketing audit ensures that audit activities proceed efficiently and consistently. This section outlines how to schedule audit phases, identify resource and data requirements, prepare templates and checklists, and communicate audit expectations to relevant stakeholders. Strong planning supports transparency, structure and credibility throughout the audit process.
The course then explores a range of methodologies and techniques used in marketing audits. This includes strategic audit frameworks such as SWOT, PESTLE and the 7Ps, alongside performance-based, compliance-based and risk-based methods. Learners examine sampling approaches and evidence-collection techniques, and consider how to maintain consistency and objectivity when evaluating marketing activities.
Reviewing marketing documentation and data provides essential insights into strategic intent and operational execution. This section covers the assessment of marketing strategies, business plans, brand guidelines, communication frameworks, campaign briefs, budgets, performance reports and digital analytics. Learners explore how documentation review helps identify alignment, gaps and opportunities for improvement.
Marketing audits also evaluate the quality of market research and customer insights. This section discusses segmentation processes, customer data management, competitor analysis and intelligence gathering. Learners assess how organisations collect, analyse and use market information to inform strategic and operational decisions.
Evaluating branding and positioning helps determine how well the organisation presents itself in the market. This section explores brand alignment, value propositions, messaging consistency, brand recognition and competitive positioning. Learners examine how branding performance influences market perception and organisational outcomes.
Auditing marketing communications and campaigns provides a detailed view of execution quality. This section examines content accuracy, campaign roles and planning, promotional activity evaluation, and the quality of post-campaign reviews. It highlights how effective campaign auditing supports continuous improvement and strategic refinement.
Digital marketing activities form a significant component of modern marketing audits. This section reviews website performance, user experience, social media engagement, digital advertising, email marketing, marketing automation and analytics. Learners explore how to assess digital compliance, performance indicators and conversion effectiveness.
Marketing audits also examine the integration between sales and marketing functions. This section covers alignment of goals, lead generation and nurturing processes, CRM utilisation, data quality and cross-functional communication. Strong integration is essential for consistent customer experience and sustained organisational growth.
Evaluating budgeting and financial controls is essential to assessing marketing accountability. This section explores budget allocation, ROI measurement, procurement and spending controls, and financial transparency. Learners examine how financial analysis supports informed decisions and effective resource management.
Identifying marketing risks and performance gaps allows organisations to address issues before they limit growth or undermine outcomes. This section examines how to detect under-performance, identify inefficiencies, assess customer experience gaps and determine root causes of marketing issues.
Preparing marketing audit findings requires clarity, evidence and rigour. This section outlines how to structure findings, link them to criteria and evidence, prioritise issues based on risk and impact, and ensure findings are objective, actionable and well-supported.
Developing recommendations enables organisations to enhance marketing systems, campaigns and governance. This section discusses how to propose practical improvements, strengthen tools and processes, reinforce compliance and brand consistency, and align recommendations with long-term organisational goals.
Finally, the course concludes with guidance on reporting results and enhancing the marketing audit program. This section covers audit report preparation, communication of findings, monitoring corrective actions and continually improving the audit framework to strengthen organisational marketing capability.
By the end of this course, you will be equipped with the frameworks, methodologies and critical analysis skills required to plan and conduct internal marketing audits that strengthen performance, reinforce governance and support strategic, customer-focused outcomes across any industry.
Each section is complemented with examples to illustrate the concepts and techniques discussed.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of this course, you will be able to understand the following topics:
1. Introduction to Internal Marketing Audits
- Purpose and value of internal marketing audits
- Relationship between marketing performance and organisational objectives
- Auditor independence, ethics and professional conduct
- Scope of marketing audits across different industries
2. Understanding Marketing Audit Principles
- Strategic, operational and functional audit perspectives
- Importance of objectivity and evidence-based assessment
- Principles of effectiveness, efficiency and alignment
- Differences between marketing audits and performance reviews
3. Marketing Governance and Compliance Requirements
- Organisational marketing policies and brand standards
- Legal and regulatory requirements for marketing activities
- Ethical, social and cultural considerations
- Risks of non-compliance in marketing operations
4. Overview of Marketing Management Systems
- Strategic planning and market analysis structures
- Product, pricing, distribution and promotion frameworks
- Integration of marketing systems with other business functions
- Common marketing risks and performance gaps
5. Determining Marketing Audit Objectives and Scope
- Establishing audit purpose and priorities
- Identifying key marketing activities, channels and processes
- Selecting strategic and operational focus areas
- Defining measurable audit criteria
6. Developing the Marketing Audit Plan
- Scheduling and sequencing audit activities
- Identifying required resources, tools and data sources
- Preparing marketing audit templates and checklists
- Communicating audit scope to relevant stakeholders
7. Marketing Audit Methodologies and Techniques
- Strategic audit frameworks (SWOT, PESTLE, 7Ps)
- Performance-based, compliance-based and risk-based methods
- Sampling and evidence-collection methods
- Ensuring consistency and objectivity in marketing assessment
8. Reviewing Marketing Documentation and Data
- Marketing strategy documents and business plans
- Branding guidelines and communication frameworks
- Campaign briefs, budgets and performance reports
- Digital analytics dashboards and CRM insights
9. Assessing Market Research and Customer Insights
- Reviewing customer segmentation methods
- Assessing the use and quality of customer data
- Evaluating competitor analysis processes
- Analysing market intelligence and trend monitoring
10. Evaluating Branding and Positioning Effectiveness
- Reviewing brand alignment and consistency
- Assessing value propositions and messaging
- Evaluating brand recognition and market perception
- Analysing competitive brand positioning
11. Auditing Marketing Communications and Campaigns
- Reviewing content quality, accuracy and relevance
- Evaluating campaign roles, responsibilities and planning
- Assessing promotional activities across channels
- Reviewing campaign reporting and post-evaluation processes
12. Auditing Digital Marketing Activities
- Website performance and user experience considerations
- Social media activity, engagement and compliance
- Email, advertising and automation processes
- Assessment of digital analytics and conversion paths
13. Assessing Sales and Marketing Integration
- Alignment between marketing and sales objectives
- Lead generation, nurturing and handover processes
- Reviewing CRM utilisation and data quality
- Assessing communication and collaboration effectiveness
14. Evaluating Marketing Budgeting and Financial Controls
- Reviewing allocation and management of marketing budgets
- Assessing ROI and cost-effectiveness of activities
- Monitoring approvals, procurement and spending controls
- Analysing financial transparency and accountability
15. Identifying Marketing Risks and Performance Gaps
- Detecting under-performing marketing strategies
- Identifying operational inefficiencies and resource issues
- Assessing gaps in customer experience and delivery
- Determining root causes of performance failure
16. Preparing Marketing Audit Findings
- Structuring findings clearly and impartially
- Linking findings to objectives, evidence and criteria
- Prioritising issues based on risk and impact
- Ensuring findings are actionable and well-supported
17. Developing Marketing Improvement Recommendations
- Proposing enhancements to strategies and campaigns
- Suggesting improvements in processes, tools and systems
- Strengthening governance, compliance and brand consistency
- Aligning recommendations with long-term organisational goals
18. Reporting Marketing Audit Results and Strengthening the Audit Program
- Preparing and presenting marketing audit reports
- Communicating findings to leadership and relevant teams
- Monitoring corrective actions and follow-up activities
- Continuously improving the marketing audit framework
COURSE DURATION:
The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.
COURSE DELIVERY:
Purchase and download course content.
ASSESSMENT:
A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.
CERTIFICATION:
Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.