Monday, August 30, 2010

CURRENT CUSTOMERS

For a marketing audit, develop your current customer description.

The next section of a marketing audit is where you describe your current audience. If you are a new company, you could describe whom you would like to target. These descriptions can also become part of guiding questions used later to develop marketing messages. By knowing your customers, you can develop your unique selling proposition, differentiating yourself from the competitors.

Most companies have different kinds of clients, so subgroups will most likely occur. By developing a description of who the users of your product or service are, you may see how to put these customers into subgroups. You will be able to identity which group your primary customers fall into as well as who are your secondary markets.

Here is a suggestion of the type of information needed to develop of a customer profile.
  • What is the title of your customers? What is their job function? This information can reveal their responsibilities and challenges.
  • Describe your customers industry. Apply Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) or North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes to industries. Additional market research can be performed to tell you how many companies there are in these industries.
  • List the geographic location of your current customers. This is a demographic that can reveal your service areas are as well as find potential customers.
  • Add the size of the company to your customer profile. How many employees, sales volume, number of locations.
  • List other information that may be used to describe demographics, ethnicity or behavioral issues.
  • Ultimately you should be able to state your current customer audience size.
As an advertising agency, Brigham & Rago is here to help businesses develop marketing communications plans to keep or capture new market share. We are ready to consult with you, then based on our experience and the information we gather, help put together a communications plan. We believe this plan will be a framework for a powerful marketing communications program. Our goal is to help you meet your marketing objectives by assisting in implementing and delivering a clear, consistent message. Call 973-656-9006 to set up a meeting to discuss your next communications project. Visit our online portfolio to see examples of work we’ve created for our clients.