In-Store Marketing Audit Template
How to take stock of your in-store marketing assets
You rely on in-store marketing to help you create great customer experiences. But keeping track of all the pieces and parts, and whether your stores are actually using the assets they receive, is a complicated, time-consuming task.
And the more locations you have, the more complex.
It’s important to make sure you know exactly what assets each store has on display if your goals are to place accurate orders and shrink your carbon footprint by reducing waste.
Conducting an audit is the best way to collect accurate data to act on.
For example, after conducting an in-store marketing audit, this national retail drug store was able to optimize its annual print spend by 47%.
Another reason to complete an in-store marketing audit: As your brand grows and you add new locations, you may find you need to streamline your operations with an in-store campaign management platform.
When that happens, having accurate store profiles will be critical to your success.
These platforms provide your business with a centralized system to connect store profiles and in-store marketing assets for everything from ad hoc ordering to streamlined orchestration of complex campaign execution.
Once your audit’s complete, you can enter the data into the platform and make your marketing campaigns much more efficient.
But the first step is completing the audit.
What is an in-store marketing audit?
An in-store marketing audit is a methodical survey of the assets in each of your brick-and-mortar stores.
Why should I do an in-store marketing audit?
Because your physical store environment can vary drastically from one location to the next, an audit can provide accurate store-level data to better inform decisions around your retail marketing efforts. It can also reveal insights around field compliance and help you save money on your campaigns.
How do I conduct an in-store marketing audit?
A simple way to get started is by using a template. Here’s how you can use a template to support you:
- Choose a point to begin—perhaps a front entrance or a particular corner of the building—and proceed aisle by aisle, section by section, to walk every square foot of the store.
- Identify each and every asset on display and record how and where it’s being used. Note whether the kit has been correctly assembled in full compliance with the instructions provided.
- Record each element, its size and material, and the quantity you find on display.
- Take photos if possible. This will help you be able to better contextualize each element.
- Use this data to place more accurate orders and reduce waste.
Whether you’re gathering data on permanent signage or measuring small, seasonal campaigns, using an audit template helps to ensure that nothing gets missed.
Audit Template
If you’re not sure where to begin your audit, our tried-and-true in-store marketing template is a great way to get started.
This template has been pre-filled with some of the most commonly used elements, each categorized by store area. It includes fields for you to record the size, material, quantity displayed, and any comments for each asset.
It also includes a few blank fields in each category for those assets not already included.
The second tab of this audit template has been left completely blank, allowing you to fill it out however you need. It includes the same fields, but it can be entirely customized to your retail store’s needs.
How can I fast-track the audit process?
Of course, conducting the audit in-house is not for everyone. It requires an investment of time and resources.
Luckily, there are experienced retail surveyors you can enlist to quickly audit your stores and get you the information you need.
What do I do with the data when the audit is complete?
This is where the fun begins!
With accurate data in hand, it’s critical to establish a single source of truth. Many brands will keep their store data in a spreadsheet or other basic computer software.
However, this can lead to unintentional changes, version control issues, and accidental sharing.
Your best bet is to leverage an in-store marketing platform. You can quickly and easily transfer your audit data from the template into a platform that will maintain your store profiles in real-time and make it easier for store associates to order exactly the visual merchandising assets they need.
The result? Optimized spend, better ROI. Who doesn’t want that?
