Market Audit of South London Tamil Welfare Group - Term Paper Example

Market audit and recommendations report: South London Tamil welfare group. Table of Contents 1.1 Overview: South London Tamil Welfare Group 3 1.2 Background 3 1.3 Summary 5 2.0 Background of market audit 6 2.1 Marketing for Non-profit Organizations 6 2.2 Marketing Analysis Model 7 2.3 Situational Analysis 7 2.4 Marketing Objectives 8 2.5 Case Study 8 3.0 Management summary 10 3.1 Methodology 11 4.0 Marketing Audit 13 4.1 Marketing Audit Research question 13 4.2 External Environment, 14 4.3 The Internal Environment 16 4.4 Steps in the Marketing Auditing process 17 4.5 Research data 18 4.6 Synthesis of material 18 4.7 Marketing System 19 4.8 Activity Analysis 19 4.8.1 Marketing Strategy Audit 19 4.8.2 Marketing Organisation Audit 20 4.8.3 Marketing Systems Audit 20 4.8.4 Marketing Productivity Audit 20 4.8.5 Marketing Function Audit 20 5.0 Marketing Recommendations 22 References 24 APPENDIX 26 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Overview: South London Tamil Welfare Group South London Tamil welfare group (SLTWG) is a non-profit charity organization in London that works for the Tamil community. It has been in operations for slightly more than 29 years since its inception in 1985. It has been tasked with offering Tamil refugees basic services and advice pertaining to their nationality, immigration status, education, employment, welfare benefits, housing and technical skills. Managed by a competent board of trustees and managers, a team of determined well trained staff coordinates with volunteers to discharge the mandate the organization has vested to the Tamil community (Berkowitz, & Flexner 2012, p 53). SLTWG main vision is to improve the quality of livelihoods for the Tamil community with is signified with utmost honour and dignity in the United Kingdom. Its sole existence is for the Tamil group Tamil diaspora that are believed to have originated from Sri Lanka as a result of the deadly Sri Lankan civil war most of whom landed in the united kingdom as refugees. This organization was therefore formed to provide the necessary information services and counsel services as well to help this community with proper living standards through education advancement, basic facility infrastructure and recreation platform so as to ensure smooth transition into the western culture and social economic status (Berry, Conant, & Parasuraman 2011, p. 255). 1.2 Background The organizations strategic objectives were tailored to ensure resilient services are offered in the best way possible to the Tamil community. This means that the clients SLTWG work with get the best service delivery that is packaged with respect for individual personal needs, get tailored advice and counsel pertaining suitable opportunities that are socio-economically viable and last but not least work closely with like-minded organizations the clients to ensure high successes (Brownlie 2003, p. 4) SLTWG main service frame is divided into a number of categories. Tamil’s family empowerment through family learning empowerment program. This is an initiative to empower respective parents from these Tamil families to affect their children with positive effects that amount as a result. This is done by instilling high awareness levels, high self-confidence levels, ease of access to helpful information and positive parenting to front bolder and strong family bonding and connections and the community. Several learning centers have been put to this effect. A successful family learning program has been put up in Merton to front this program, centers like the new children minister and St. Thomas children centre taking the front seats to ensure the story is a continuous success (Brownlie 2003, p. 31). In Wandsworth Tamil families have been linked with Tooting library for ease of access to learning materials. Advocacy and advice service is a service a category that has funded by princess Diana trust albeit the fund coming to an end. The organization seeks for volunteers help and support to either fund or offer the advice services. The advocacy can be summarized into the following sub categories; Abayam advice support to offer advice services across Asian community pertaining to marriages counsel; Tamil health Advocacy services offering support to pregnant Tamil women and their relations planning to have babies; Aged people services to take care of the old; Early childhood care and children centers to provide child growth support services: health trainer program to support health beneficial practices (Rogers 2010, p. 32). SLTWG is focused on the betterment of the Tamil diaspora community living in United Kingdom to provide a sustainable continuous program that fosters socio-economic growth that is beneficial to the Tamil people and Asian community as well to ensure they fit in the new environment with smooth transition. 1.3 Summary This chapter has focused on the general information about this charity organisation. The following chapters are going to analyse the marketing audit process and its components 2.0 Background of market audit Market audit is a combination of a given company or an organization of marketing activities review, evaluation or examination and marketing objectives or plan with the real actual marketing performance. Marketing audit entails infusion of internal environment, internal environment and evaluation of the present marketing strategy. Emphasis is put on the verbs examination, evaluation analysis or review because it entails aggressiveness of dissecting an organization or company’s marketing plan and strategy to determine the position of the current actual performance in relation to the various business environments. Marketing audit is important because it highlights measures to adopt, recommendations to emulate or a problem to solve. Its effectiveness is characterized by a rigorous process that is systematic, regularity, extensiveness, competent examination process. The marketing activities of a company or organization should be well defined for the marketing audit to become comprehensive. The audit being periodic in nature means it’s carried out at specified period. It is carried out by an external person so as to preserve its validity and solidity (Leppard 2009, p. 123). 2.1 Marketing for Non-profit Organizations The aim of marketing audit is to access the company or organization marketing department effectiveness in enhancing the core business or organizations services objectives. The process finds out strengths and weaknesses of a company’s product or service. It acts as a direction determinant in relation to the change of both external and internal environmental factors. It is therefore more than crucial for a company to determine its performance metrics based on the market audit report (Mokwa 2010, p. 90). 2.2 Marketing Analysis Model The audit evaluates the following three categories: Internal marketing environment: The marketing team effectiveness is assessed and the marketing structure assessed as well. External marketing environment: this category focuses on the customers’ reaction or satisfaction and competition from same industry players. Current marketing strategy evaluation: this entails past experiences and notes used as mark-ups for continuous assessment and reviews of the company’s marketing strategy. As much as this marketing audit is an important tool to many companies and organization, it is difficult to apply the procedure to assess, evaluate, review or examine non-profit organization. Non-profit organizations main aim is to offer services or products that lack the profitability clause but maximize consumers’ or clients’ utility. These products and services need no common marketing procedures of promotions or increase in sales like profit organizations hence a totally different marketing strategy (Colby 2007, p. 90). 2.3 Situational Analysis Marketing audit and recommendations being an effective marketing performance measuring tool is limited in its most crucial application of efficient evaluation, review and thorough examination. Non-profit organizations have a totally different operating principal from for profit organizations therefore application of marketing audit procedure in this particular SLTWG context is a bit difficult. It is possible though to study the internal and external environment to gauge the NPO’s performance against its core values. NPO’s set targets based on the core values that the products or service portrays to the intended utility group hence such an organizations performance can be determined by studying the external environment that entails the utility groups of customers or clients so as to determine the internal environment performance (Berkowitz & Flexner, 2012, p 57). This report will document in detail how marketing audit and recommendation can be used to evaluate the performance of South London Tamil Group as a NPO by gathering information from the Tamil community in the United Kingdom. 2.4 Marketing Objectives To determine the type of marketing audit procedure that best suits evaluating the performance of South London Tamil Welfare Group as a non-profit organization. To find out the best methods of conducting a proper marketing audit for non-profit organization like the South London Tamil Welfare Group 2.5 Case Study The South London Tamil Welfare group is a registered charity organisation that has been working for the Tamil community since 1985. They take care of the Refugees in Tamil by providing them with services and advice related to their immigration process. They also handle services that involve housing, welfare benefits. Education, employment, training and education needs. This organization is based in Colliers Wood, London and they also work across south London cities like Wands worth, Kingston and Croydon. The company has strong healthy partnership with the supporters, funding bodies and the key stakeholders. The organization is run and managed by board of managers and trustees (Berry, Conant, & Parasuraman 2011, p. 260). The organization’s services are delivered by committed, well trained volunteers and staff. The organisation’s vision is to enhance and promote the life quality of the Tamil people and community as a whole. They intend to make sure that every person lives with honour and dignity in the United Kingdom. They also have apriority of offering advice and provision of recreation facilities and education advancement. The organisation helps the people to know their freedoms and rights so that they are not infringed or violated without their knowledge. They made the people to be more informed and wise. The organisation’s services have different categories. They had the empowering of the families through family leaning. They offer family learning curriculum and the purpose of this is to ensure that the children get parental support in many ways. They boosted positive parenting and foster healthier relationships among the community and the family members themselves. The organisation also offers Health advocacy services to support expectant women who are planning to have their babies at St George Hospital and they lived within pink team and Lavender (Mokwa 2010, p. 97). The aim of this service is to make sure that the Tamil families used the available maternity services. The organization also offered legal services and aids to the people. This was through educating the laws and policies drafted in the constitution. The organisation also offers health trainer programme which has an aim of working with people from minority communities and hard to reach regions. They enabled them access the health services. They also advised and supported the people in making lifestyles changes that are positive. The trainers work on a personal level with the clients. They helped in developing healthy eating, sensible drinking weight management and many other beneficial acts. The Organisation also offers old people services (Leppard 2009, p. 127). The have employees who attend and help the old people. They spend time with them and they also make different donations to the old people to make them feel encouraged, appreciated and useful. 3.0 Management summary The company had well laid out strategies that it was going to use as a guideline to its future plans. The implementation of the following strategies will make the company be a t a whole new level if adopted by the management. The charity organisation should aim at adopting focussed training with the purpose of strengthening volunteers, trustees and staff. The management should also seek for expansion of their services to Wands worth, Cyodon and other various boroughs for the accommodation of the increase in demand of all members of the community (Berkowitz & Flexner 2012, p 60). They should aim at developing services that involve community participation and involvement programmes. The organisation should aim at intensifying the publicity and marketing of the organisation. It should also plan to effectively advocate and lobby programmes on policies that directly affect the users. It should come up with a strategy on how to raise funds so as to purchase its own building. The organization should plan to undertake commissioning through the preparation of the organisation. The management should plan to have a clear strategy that accesses the fund-raising expertise for sustainment of current services in the advice services. It should also aim at expanding of the health advocacy service to mothers in Tamil who reside in Wands worth borough after they had achieved a similar success in Merton. They should also plan to increase funding in various advice areas, which include early years, supplementary class, the director’s post and the children support services. They should maintain the standard of Investor in the people though reviews and updates (Berry, Conant & Parasuraman 2011, p. 265). The organisation should seek to expand the health advocacy service to mothers in Tamil who reside in Wands worth borough after they had achieved a similar success in Merton. Various departments have their main aims and objectives and they are run individually and independent of the other departmental views. In this way, performance is able to be measured through a healthy and competitive scheme. 3.1 Methodology The researcher used interviews to investigate and gather information regarding the topic. He interviewed the customers to find out their opinions and suggestions regarding the organization policies and packages that are favourable to them. Conducting interviews enabled the researcher get first-hand information from the field. He had the opportunity to talk to the employees on his own in order to acquire information. He carried out in depth interviews with the beneficiaries of the organization. He also did the same with the employees and volunteers of the organization in order to find out the adverse services they offered and how they were received by the people (Brownlie 2003, p. 10). The interviews were semi structured in some cases since the interviewer was free to choose his own words basing on the topics that were shortlisted. The researcher also used group interviews where he interviewed a group of the participants together. In this approach the participants were given substantial control over the issues that were being discussed He also employed focus group as he selected a homogenous group of people with similar back ground to discuss on the same issue. The researcher used observation as a way of collecting information. He looked at the various statistical documents and made conclusions based on the data that was recorded previously by the various companies. By observing the statistics, the researcher was able to gather specific information that he would employ in order to come up with effective retirement policies which the organization was to adopt (Hauser 2004, p. 43). This was a form of naturalistic research as this were observed as they appeared and not artificially set up by the researcher. The researcher used participant observation, which took a qualitative approach. He had dual roles as he was an observer and a participant at the same time. He used unstructured data collection where he collected any relevant data regarding the organization. He also used questionnaires to investigate and collect information about the topic. He issued the questionnaires to employees of different similar companies and also to the employees of his company so that he would determine their opinion and perception regarding the organization. This method was effective because it saved the researcher a lot of time and money as it was cheap. This helped the researcher to determine the attitude scales regarding the services the people received from the organization (Wilson 2010, p. 30). Notes taking were another method that the researcher used to collect information about the topic. He wrote down notes after talking to various employees. The notes helped him memorise the important details of the people’s opinion. He also noted the policies that many employees would prefer. He took notes as he was interacting with the employees this enabled him to get first-hand information on the topic he was researching. 4.0 Marketing Audit 4.1 Marketing Audit Research question What is the best methodology to determine the market audit type to be employed on assessing SLTWG performance as a non-profit organization? 4.2 External Environment, The South London Tamil Welfare group is known for its involvement and participation of various community based activities and other services. It is a charity organisation therefore it does not depend on an internal source of revenue but its existence is based on other bodies that supply the company with various donor funds. The company is in existence because of the following funders: Tudor Trust Peabody Trust Lavender Children Centre St. Georges Maternity Service London Development Agency Parenting Fund Merton Council London Councils Big Lottery Fund In its services, this specific charity organisation has had to form major partnerships to help it in its campaigns. The major partners in this case are the; Age Concern Social Service Department School in different Boroughs Advice UK South West London Law Centre Htec Parenting UK Family Learning Institute Nccvco, Ncvo, Mvsc Sutton and Merton Pct Wandsworth Pct South London Boroughs 4.3 The Internal Environment The main aim of this section is to provide the manager with an independent, objective, comprehensive and systematic approach in the understanding of the various departments of the company and how they all co-relate with the main aim of achieving the company’s objectives. The organisation is therefore divided into various departments that handle the various services that are being offered. Therefore, the organisation is categorized as follows in accordance to the services that are being offered; Tamil families Empowerment through Family Learning Advocacy service and Advice Abayam Advice Support Tamil Health Advocacy Services Children’s Centres Service and Early years Child care Older People service Supplementary Education Classes Health Trainer Programme These departments form the core of the charity organisation and they help structure and achieve the objectives of the company. 4.4 Steps in the Marketing Auditing process The marketing audit for this company followed the following three key steps Fig. 1: Market Audit Steps After this stage, the next important stage was the setting of the Scope and Objectives. This step involved a discussion between the administrative body officials and the auditor so as to come up with and explore the marketing operations nature and marketing audit potential value. The main purpose of this discussion was meant to make the top management agree on the importance of carrying out a marketing audit and if they approved, an agreement would be set about the main objectives of conducting the marketing audit, the area or scope of coverage, the depth, the relevant data sources that would be required, the report format to be adopted and the time frame for which the audit would be conducted (Trustrum 2009, p.341). 4.5 Research data A lot of time was spent on gathering of the information. There was no need for the involvement of an auditing team in this case because this particular charity organisation was small with a limited number of employees. To aid in this process, various data gathering tools were employee. Various interviews with the various departmental heads were organised. The management was also included in this team The questions to be asked were also drafted (see appendix for a sample questionnaire) The relevant time and place where the interviews were to be conducted were set. In this case, the main theatre room was used to conduct the interviews Daily reports of the interviews were written and reviews with the main purpose of identifying key areas that needed clarification and exploration during data collection. 4.6 Synthesis of material During the data collection procedure, the auditor was engaged in the development of tentative conclusions as the new data was coming in. He also made it a routine to meet the company officer twice before the data collection process ended (Hauser, 2004, p. 43). The key purpose of these meetings was to present some initial results of the findings to gauge the reactions and suggestions they would produce. After the data gathering exercise was over, the auditor prepared a verbal and visual presentation to the charity organisation’s group of stakeholders who hired him The presentation consisted of the re-reinstatement of the marketing objectives Showing of the research findings During the marketing audit process, the following key areas were focused on. 4.7 Marketing System The organisation has undergone major expansions and it has managed to consolidate the current services while at the same time aim for quality standards. The charity organisation is non-profit making since its existence is solely dependent on the donors, volunteers and other world based organisations (Jackson 2006, p. 56). The organisation has also encouraged communal based participation in various activities to ensure that the people stay and live a comfortable life while at the same time having access to the most fundamental basic facilities. 4.8 Activity Analysis 4.8.1 Marketing Strategy Audit The charity based organisation seeks to expand the health advocacy service to mothers in Tamil who reside in Wandsworth borough after they had achieved a similar success in Merton. Various departments have their main aims and objectives and they are run individually and independent of the other departmental views (Trustrum 2009, p. 134). In this way, performance is able to be measured through a healthy and competitive scheme. 4.8.2 Marketing Organisation Audit The organisation is made up values service departments that have key projects that require major funding for them to materialize. There are various fields that exist that have to be viewed and supported so that the departments can stand solidly on their own. 4.8.3 Marketing Systems Audit The current systems and structures in place that govern the existence of the various service departments are compliant with the set objectives. 4.8.4 Marketing Productivity Audit The Matrix National Quality Standard award was presented to the company having been recognised for its delivery of high quality advice services 4.8.5 Marketing Function Audit The marketing function comprises of the four ‘P’s. These are the Price, Product, Process and People. Since the company is a charity based organisation, there is little effort and consideration when it comes to pricing of their products since their aim is to make sure all the citizens of India get the benefit of the product. Besides, the organisation receives overwhelming donor support. However, particular emphasis is laid on the other elements of the 4Ps. The charity organisation is cautions that their present market is and also makes estimates of the probability of having a large customer base. The processes are also analysed to come up with the most suitable one that will enhance the reaching out to people to subscribe into this process (Wilson 2005, p. 133). The Product is the responsibility of the different heads of department to ensure that quality products in terms of services are offered to the people. 5.0 Marketing Recommendations The company had well laid out strategies that it was going to use as a guideline to its future plans (Wilson 2010, p. 24). The implementation of the following strategies will make the company be a t a whole new level if adopted by the management 1. The charity organisation should aim at adopting focussed training with the purpose of strengthening volunteers, trustees and staff. 2. They should also seek for expansion of their services to Wandsworth, Cyodon and other various boroughs for the accommodation of the increase in demand of all members of the community 3. They should aim at developing services that involve community participation and involvement programmes. 4. The organisation should aim at intensifying the publicity and marketing of the organisation. 5. It should also plan to effectively advocate and lobby programmes on policies that directly affect the users. 6. It should come up with a strategy on how to raise funds so as to purchase its own building. 7. It should plan to undertake commissioning through the preparation of the organisation. 8. It should plan to have a clear strategy that accesses the fund-raising expertise for sustainment of current services in the advice services. 9. It should also aim at expanding of the health advocacy service to mothers in Tamil who reside in Wandsworth borough after they had achieved a similar success in Merton. 10. They should also plan to increase funding in various advice areas which include early years, supplementary class, the director’s post and the children support services. 11. They should maintain the standard of Investor in the people though reviews and updates References Berkowitz, E. N., & Flexner, W. A. 2012. The marketing audit: a tool for health service organizations. Health care management review, 3(4), 51-57. Berry, L. L., Conant, J. S., & Parasuraman, A. 2011. A framework for conducting a services marketing audit. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 19(3), 255-268. Brownlie, D. T. 2003. The marketing audit: a metrology and explanation. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 11(1), 4-12. Chon, K. S., Weaver, P. A., & Kim, C. Y. 2011. Marketing your community: Image analysis in Norfolk. The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 31(4), 31-37. Kotler, P., Gregor, W., & Rogers, W. 2010. The marketing audit comes of age. Macdonald, C. R. (2011). The marketing audit workbook. Institute for Business Planning. McDonald, M., & Leppard, J. 2009. The marketing audit: Translating marketing theory into practice. London: Butterworth-Heinemann. Mokwa, M. P. 2010. The strategic marketing audit: An adoption/utilization perspective. Journal of Business Strategy, 6(4), 88-95. Parasuraman, A., & Colby, C. L. 2007. Techno-ready marketing: How and why your customers adopt technology. The Free Press. Rothe, J. T., Harvey, M. G., & Jackson, C. E. 2006. The marketing audit: five decades later. Journal of Marketing Theory and practice, 1-16. Taghian, M., & Shaw, R. N. 2008. The marketing audit and organizational performance: an empirical profiling. The Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 16(4), 341-350. Trustrum, L. B. 2009. Marketing: concept and function. European Journal of Marketing, 23(3), 48-56. Tybout, A. M., & Hauser, J. R. 2004. A MARKETING AUDIT USING A CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR: APPLICATION AND EVALUATION. Journal of Marketing, 45(3). Wilson, A. 2005. Marketing Audit Handbook. Kogan Page Publishers. Wilson, A. 2010. Aubrey Wilson's Marketing Audit Check Lists: A Guide to Effective Marketing Resource Realization. McGraw-Hill. APPENDIX Sample Questionnaire: 1. Are u a beneficiary of Tamil welfare group?........................................................................................ 2. How did u learn about it?........................................................................................................................ 3. When did u start benefiting from its services?....................................................................................... 4. What services do u receive from the organisation?…………………………………………………………………………... 5. What is the quality of their services?.................................................................................................... 6. What is your opinion about the organization?........................................................................................ Read More