Critical discussion
The marketing audit (solution analysis) first appeared in the marketing literature in 1959. In 1977, it was redefined
by Philip Kotler (Cheng, 2010). A marketing audit, according to Kotler and Keller (2007), is a thorough, systematic,
independent, and recurring analysis of a company's marketing environment, goals, strategies, and activities with the
goal of identifying problem areas and opportunities and recommending a course of action to enhance the company's
marketing performance.
Due to consumers' shifting tastes and preferences, accelerating technological advancements, and the intensity of
competition in many, especially emerging industries, some businesses had to change their perspective and strategy
to incorporate more offensive and defensive tactics in the planning and execution of their marketing initiatives
(Sutcliffe, 1975; Brownlie, 1993; Kotler et al., 1980). Although the basic premises of the marketing audit have
remained as proposed by Kotler et al. (1977), many authors have contributed to the development and refinement of
various aspects of the audit.
According to Brownlie (1993), the marketing audit could serve as a strategic tool for intervention and change. Many
scholars have elucidated on general parameters for a set of guidelines in order to promote uniformity and
consistency in auditing. Kotler (1997) asserts that a company's marketing situation should be examined in six areas,
including macro- and microenvironments, marketing strategy, marketing organization, marketing systems,
marketing productivity, and marketing functions. As such, marketing audit also known as solutional analysis has
been considered as a essential part of the marketing planning process. It has been suggested that the scope and
nature of the marketing audit need to be broadened to include a global perspective (Rothe et al., 1997). Some
authoritative writers on the subject (Kotler, 1977; Wilson, 1993; Brownlie, 1996b) view the marketing audit as an
instrument to judge an organization’s overall commitment to a marketing orientation.
Brownlie, D. (1993) ‘The Marketing Audit: A Metrology of Explanation,’ Marketing Intelligence and
Planning, 11(1), pp. 4-12.
Cheng, Ch. (2010). A new marketing audit value model based on fuzzy theory and main component
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and Engineering (pp. 638-640). http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/ICIME.2010.5478240
Kotler, P. (1967) Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning, and Control. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.
Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Kotler, P., Gregor, W., and Rodgers, W. (1977) ‘The Marketing Audit Comes of Age,’ Sloan Management
Review, Winter, pp. 25-44.
Kotler, P., FitzRoy, P., and Shaw, R. (1980) Australian Marketing Management. Sydney, Prentice Hall of
Australia.
Kotler, P. (1988) Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning, Implementation, and Control, 6th ed.
Englewood Cliffs, N. J., Prentice Hall International.
Kotler, P. (1997) Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning, Implementation, and Control, 9th ed. Upper
Saddle River, N. J., Prentice Hall.
Kotler, P., and Keller, K. L. (2007). Marketing management. Praha: Grada Publishing.
Rothe, James T., Michael G. Harvey and Candice E. Jackson (1997), The Marketing Audit: Five Decades
Later,” Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 5 (3), 1-16.
Sutcliffe, J. (1975) ‘The Marketing Audit,’ The PA Australian Management Series, Melbourne, Hutchinson
of Australia.
Wilson, Aubrey (1993), Marketing Audit Checklist: A Guide to Effective Marketing Resource Realization,
2nd Edition, London, McGraw Hill.
