Top 6 Types of Questionnaires on Marketing Policies

This article throws light upon the top six types of questionnaires on marketing policies designed by a management auditor.  The types are: 1. Consumer Needs Assessment 2. Market Segmentation 3. Competition and Product Position 4. Marketing Mix 5. Marketing Programme 6. Resource Allocation.

Marketing Policies: Questionnaire Type # 1. Consumer Needs Assessment:

(a) Is the policy rationale in terms of matching customers’ needs with the firm’s offerings and capabilities? What is the likely consumer reaction?

(b) What were the evaluation studies undertaken to assess consumer reaction particu­larly in respect of—product features, price, distribution outlets, new product concepts, new product introduction?

Marketing Policies: Questionnaire Type # 2. Market Segmentation:

(a) What is the target market conceived?

(b) Is the selection of target market segments based on the customer variables and firm’s objectives?

(c) What parts of the market are chosen with the intention to serve and not to serve?

(d) Is the market segmentation based on empirical data, such as—usage, demographics, benefits sought, users versus non-users, consumer characteristics, etc.?

Marketing Policies: Questionnaire Type # 3. Competition and Product Position:

(a) How many competitive producers including the entity (under evaluation) account for high percentage (say 80%) of sales in the market served?

(b) What is the present position as compared to the largest competitor in respect of market size and market share?

(c) What is the number of entries by producers to the same marketplace during the last few years?

(d) How many competitors have left this market during this period?

(e) What position changes have occurred?

(f) What is the general competitive environment—financial status of competitors, the degree of vertical integration of competitors, the pricing scenario in the market, etc.?

(g) What is the present state of the arts and sciences (i.e. technology) for the products offered?

(h) What particular product characteristics does the firm possess that contribute to the marketplace?

(i) What is the Relative Technical Advantage:

a. Possessed by the firm over competitors?

b. Possessed by the competitors over the firm?

(j) What is relative market position of the products at different stages of their Life- cycle’—from introduction to growth to maturity to decline?

Marketing Policies: Questionnaire Type # 4. Marketing Mix:

(a) What are the marketing research approaches to the design and evaluation of product attributes product positioning, price range, advertising and promotion media, channels of product distribution, etc.?

(b) How is the optimum mix of pricing, distribution, and promotional policy for each of the products of the firm determined?

(c) What are the results and levels of success corresponding to the different types and levels of marketing mixes?

Marketing Policies: Questionnaire Type # 5. Marketing Programme:

(a) Is the programme consistent with the selected market segmentation positioning decision? That means, whether the programme has been designed to emphasize lower price, mass distribution channels and mass advertising to reach numerous market segments in the case of a relatively standardised product, and

(b) Whether the programme emphasizes high price, special distribution channel and limited advertising to serve an ‘upscale’ limited and specialised market in the case of a highly specialised product.

Marketing Policies: Questionnaire Type # 6. Resource Allocation:

(a) Does the marketing programme take into account the interdependencies among the various options and a resource allocation procedure to direct the firm’s commitment of resources among products, market segments and the related marketing strategies to accomplish the objectives?

(b) If so, how is the resource allocation procedure established for marketing decisions, viz.:

i. The allocation of resources within each component of the marketing mix, such as the break-up in the advertisement budget among media, creative and research?

ii. The allocation of resources among the various marketing mix components—i.e. how much to sales promotion, advertisement, distribution, and product design?