This essay paper analyzes the main components of an effective marketing information system and explains how such system may help marketers in their decision-making process.
The questionnaire is the information-gathering process that seeks all relevant data on the company’s own resources and its external environment. It is useful to break questionnaire down into four parts to which attention can be focused:
- internal analysis
- market analysis
- competitor analysis
- environmental analysis
- strategic analysis
Although not conducted in this way in most marketing literature, it can be useful to break the internal analysis down into four parts: an outline of policy; an assessment of resources; a consideration of the marketing resources; and an analysis of marketing activities centered on the elements of the marketing mix.
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Questionnaire designed (physical resources)
- nature of the product: scope and value of the product; preservation facilities; environmental controls; security measures
- description of external appearance of storage facilities: listed status
- location of storage facilities: proximity to rail and bus stations; incidence of passing trade; proximity to public car parks; redevelopment plans for nearby sites
- technological resources: computers; word-processing facilities.
Human resources
- number of employees: full- and part-time; curatorial staff; volunteers
- skills: management; professional; future potential; level of experience
- staff responsibilities: job titles; departmental structure
- services of external personnel: local authority; corporate sponsors
- work experience placements.
Financial resources
- major funding organizations and status of funding
- income for past five years: sources of income—earned; grants; sponsorship; donations; other.
The questionnaires are assessed in terms of the elements of the marketing mix: product; price; place; promotion; and people.
The rationale for focusing on the marketing information system is that, first, the SWOT analysis appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of the company’s resources is conducted in terms of the marketing mix, which means that it is an automatic continuation of the process, rather than reassessing the material already amassed. Second, the marketing strategy is ultimately decided in terms of the marketing mix, and so again it enables a focused continuation of the information-gathering process. The one drawback is that it is all too easy, once the information is gathered, and when deciding the strategy, to refer only to the internal analysis and the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the resources, while ignoring the other data and analyses collected. Therefore this approach is recommended with a caution: the analysis of the company’s environment must not be neglected, but should be integrated with the resource analysis in the final strategic decisions. The following outlines some of the factors to be taken into account when undertaking an internal analysis.
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