Starbucks Company

Answer the following sections about Starbucks Company in paragraphs

1. Marketing Systems Audit:

a. Marketing Information System: Is the marketing intelligence system producing

accurate, enough, and timely information about marketplace developments with

respect to customers, prospects, distributors and dealers, competitors, suppliers, and

various publics? Are company decision makers asking for enough marketing research,

and are they using the results? Is the firm employing the best methods for market

measurement and sales forecasting?

b. Marketing Planning Systems: Is the marketing planning system well-conceived and

effectively used? Do marketers have decision support systems available? Does the

planning system result in acceptable sales targets and quotas?1

c. Marketing Control System: Are the control procedures adequate to ensure that the

annual plan objectives are being achieved? Does management periodically analyze the

profitability of products, markets, territories, and channels of distribution? Are

marketing costs and productivity periodically examined?

d. New-Product Development System: Is the company well organized to gather, generate,

and screen new-product ideas? Does the company do adequate concept research and

business analysis before investing in new ideas? Does the firm carry out adequate

product and market testing before launching new products?

2. Marketing Productivity Audit

a. Profitability Analysis: What is the profitability of the firm’s different products, markets,

territories, and channels of distribution? Should the company enter, expand, contract,

or withdraw from any business segments?

b. Cost-Effectiveness Analysis: do any marketing activities seem to have excessive costs?

Can cost-reducing steps be taken?