1. Company Overview
What business or industry are you in?
How long have you been in business?
How many people work for your company?
Describe your business in one sentence.
(i.e."A Family Business with Family Values”)
What is the story behind the founding of your company?
Choose the most important attribute that your company delivers to its customers:
Financial Value – Your dependability brings your customers a quality product at a low price.
Innovative Products – You are always bringing your customers the very newest products or ideas.
Customized Relationships – You can tailor your services to meet the needs of your customers.
List, in order of importance, the attributes of your company that you would like to emphasize.
What do you think the industry’s impression of your company is?
What is the most common misconception about your company?
What are the company’s major goals in the immediate future?
2. Industry Overview
State any technological trends – shifting trends, signs of obsolescence.
What is the economic state of your industry? Recession? Recovery? Prosperity?
List all trade and industry publications that relate to your business.
3. Products / Services
What products / services do you offer?
Which products / services are most important to your company and why?
How are these products / services unique to the industry?
What are the features you are most excited about?
What would you like to change or improve about the image of your current products / services? Why?
What new products / services will be offered in the immediate future? Distant future?
What perceived value do these new products offer; how will your customers react?
How are your products distributed?
(i.e. retail stores, catalogues, internet, trade shows, door-to-door, etc.)
What is the most compelling reason that someone would be motivated to sell your products / services over someone else’s?
4. Competition
List three competitors, in order of most threatening first, and compare their
strengths and weaknesses to your company in the following areas:
• Target Market & Market Share
• Products / Services Offered
• Quality of Product vs. Pricing
• Corporate Identity & Consumer Awareness
• Current Advertising & Promotion Efforts (Media Mix)
Competitor A:
vs. my company:
Competitor B:
vs. my company:
Competitor C:
vs. my company:
5. Consumer & Marketing Analysis
Who is your ideal target consumer?
(Demographics - characteristics of human populations and population segments; Geographics - physical/geographic location of the population being studied; Psychographics - attitudes, values, lifestyles, and opinions.)
What are they looking for in a product / service?
Why do they want your product / service?
What do they want from your product / service?
Where do they come from? Where do they buy?
How do they purchase your products / services in terms of frequency and purchase habits?
Describe the consumer that you have been pursuing in past marketing efforts.
(Age range, gender, HH income, marital status, geographic location, etc.)
Describe the consumer that you would like to do business with that you are not reaching today.
Is your ideal customer knowledgeable about your products / services?
Does your ideal customer have any known preferences or negatives to overcome?
Why do you feel these are profitable target consumers?
List all industry publications that relate to your target market / consumer.
6. Current Marketing
How are you currently attracting new consumers?
Do you currently have corporate identity standards in place?
If yes, how closely are these standards followed company-wide?
Do you have a formal internal process in place to evaluate creative solutions or do you rely on personal taste and experience? Focus Groups? Please explain how decisions are made.
What do you like most about your current marketing materials, corporate identity, or advertising campaign?
What do you wish you could change?
Do you have a website? What role does it play in your promotional efforts?
Rank the importance of the following in your marketing efforts:
(1 being the most important and 7 being the least)
Print Collateral
Direct Mail Campaigns
Advertising Exposure
Website
Corporate Identity
Branding Strategy
Other (Please Specify)
7. The Working Relationship
What are the most important qualities you consider when selecting a creative services house?
Which of the following best describes your work style?
(Select the statement that best applies)
I’m very hands-off in marketing material development.
I rely on my creative firm to provide leadership and expertise
to implement my marketing strategy.
I prefer a partnership approach – blending the leadership and expertise of my creative firm with my own – in developing an appropriate creative strategy.
I’m very hands-on with all aspects of creative development.
I rely on my creative firm for input and expertise, but I will provide very detailed direction and strong opinions and preferences.
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