MarketSmart Assessment

MARKETSMART is a simple tool designed to help you identify strengths and gaps in your marketing approach—so you can focus on what really moves the needle. This quick assessment covers key areas like understanding your market, using resources wisely, planning and executing effectively, and tracking results. For each question, you’ll rate your business on a scale from:

A. Unfamiliar – We haven’t focused on this area yet.
B. Developing – We’re working on it but need improvement.
C. Emerging – We have a foundation but aren’t fully consistent.
D. Established – We’re solid in this area and see results.
E. Well-Established – We’re fully optimized and always improving.

At the end, you’ll get a clear, actionable score showing where you’re strong and where you can improve—helping you focus on what matters most to grow your business.

Step 1 of 11

Name

First Last

MARKET UNDERSTANDING

Who Are Your Customers

How well do you know your ideal customers, and do you have a clear picture of who they are and what they need?(Required)

A Unfamiliar: We don’t have a clear idea of who our ideal customers are or what they need.	B Developing: We have a general sense of our customers, but we haven’t done much research or documented their key traits	C Emerging – We’ve identified different customer groups and have some details about them, but we don’t consistently use this information in our marketing.	D Established– We have a well-defined understanding of our target customers, backed by research, and we use this knowledge to shape our marketing efforts.	E Well-Established – We deeply understand our customers, update our insights regularly, and actively use this information to guide all marketing decisions.

AUDIENCE INSIGHTS

Knowing Your Customers

How well do you understand what your customers need, what problems they face, and how they make buying decisions? Have you gathered real feedback from them?

A Unfamiliar – We don’t have a clear understanding of our customers’ needs, challenges, or buying habits.	B Developing – We have some general ideas about our customers, but they’re mostly based on assumptions, not real data or feedback.	C Emerging – We’ve gathered some insights on customer needs and behaviors, but we don’t check in with customers regularly to confirm them.	D Established – We have a solid understanding of our customers, backed by data and some direct feedback, and we use it to shape our marketing.	E Well-Established – We deeply understand our customers, continuously gather and update feedback, and actively use it to guide all marketing decisions.

RESOURCES & ROI

Investing Your Marketing Resources

Are you investing the right amount of time, money, and tools into your marketing—and are you seeing a clear return on that investment?

A Unfamiliar – We don’t have a set marketing budget, tools, or dedicated resources, and we’re not sure if our efforts are paying off.	B Developing – We have some budget and tools, but we’re not using them consistently, and we don’t track results closely.	C Emerging – We have a budget and some tools in place, and we track a few key numbers, but we’re not fully measuring our return on investment (ROI).	D. Established– We invest in marketing strategically, track our results regularly, and make adjustments based on what’s working.	E Well-Established – Our marketing is a well-oiled machine—our budget, tools, and team are optimized, and we consistently see strong, measurable returns.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)

Tracking Marketing Success

How do you measure whether your marketing is working, and how often do you review and adjust your approach?

We don’t have a clear way to measure marketing success.We lack a clear marketing budget, tools, or dedicated resources, and we do not track ROI.	B Developing – We track a few basic numbers, but we don’t review them consistently or use them to make decisions.	C Emerging – We have key metrics in place and check them occasionally, but we don’t make frequent adjustments.	D Established– We track important marketing numbers regularly and adjust our strategy based on what the data tells us.	E Well-Established – We closely monitor our marketing results, fine-tune our approach often, and make data-driven decisions to improve performance.

EXECUTION & EFFICIENCY

Getting Things Done

How well does your marketing team plan, create, and launch campaigns? Are things getting done on time and at a high quality?

A Unfamiliar – We don’t have a clear process, and marketing efforts often feel last-minute, delayed, or inconsistent.	B Developing – We have some structure, but things don’t always run smoothly—campaigns may be rushed, late, or inconsistent in quality.	C Emerging – We generally meet deadlines, and our marketing efforts are structured, but there’s room to improve efficiency and quality.	D Established– Our marketing process is well-organized, reliable, and ensures we deliver high-quality work on time.	E Well-Established – Our marketing runs like a machine—everything is planned, executed, and optimized efficiently with top-notch quality.

TARGETING & POSITIONING

Reaching the Right Customers

How effectively are you tailoring marketing messages to specific audience segments, and is your market positioning clearly different from competitors?

A Unfamiliar – We don’t have clearly defined customer groups, and our marketing message is the same for everyone.	B Developing – We have a general idea of who we’re targeting, but our messaging is broad, and we don’t stand out much from competitors.	C Emerging – We adjust our messaging for different types of customers and have a basic idea of what makes us different, but it could be clearer.	D Established– We create targeted messaging for specific customer groups, and our business has a clear and competitive market position.	E Well-Established – We have a strong, well-defined brand that speaks directly to each audience segment, making us stand out from competitors.

STRATEGY ALIGHNMENT

Business and Marketing Goals Working Together

Do you have a clear marketing strategy that supports your overall business goals, and is it updated regularly as the market changes?

A Unfamiliar – We don’t have a formal marketing strategy, and our marketing efforts aren’t connected to our business goals.	B Developing – We have some marketing plans, but they aren’t well-defined or consistently aligned with our business objectives.	C Emerging – We have a documented marketing strategy that supports our business, but we don’t review or update it often.	D. Established– Our marketing strategy is well-documented, aligns with our business goals, and we review it regularly to keep it relevant.	E Well-Established – We have a detailed, data-driven marketing strategy that’s fully aligned with our business objectives and is continuously updated to stay ahead of market changes.

MESSAGING & BRANDING

A consistent and Recognizable Brand

Are your brand message, story, and visuals clear, compelling, and used consistently across all marketing channels? When people see your marketing, do they recognize your brand, no matter where they find it?

A Unfamiliar – We don’t have a clear brand message or look, and it’s not consistent across different platforms.	B Developing – We have some branding, but it’s not strong or applied the same way everywhere.	C Emerging – Our brand is somewhat defined, but it doesn’t always look or sound the same across channels.	D Established– Our brand message and visuals are clear, consistent, and easily recognized in all marketing.	E Well-Established – Our brand is strong, stands out, and is instantly recognizable across every platform.

ANALYTICS & ATTRIBUTION

Tracking What Works

Do you have a way to track your marketing results and know which efforts are actually driving sales or leads?

A Unfamiliar – We don’t track our marketing efforts, so we’re not sure what’s working.	B Developing – We track some numbers, but we can’t clearly connect results to specific campaigns.	C Emerging – We have tracking tools in place, but we’re not consistently measuring which marketing activities drive results.	D Established– We regularly track marketing performance and can see which efforts are paying off.	E Well-Established – We have advanced tracking in place, allowing us to confidently measure ROI and make data-driven decisions.

REVIEW AND REFINEMENT

Keeping Your Marketing Sharp & Effective

How often do you review your marketing efforts and make changes based on what’s working (or not working)?

A Unfamiliar – We rarely, if ever, review our marketing and don’t use data to make improvements.	B. Developing – We check our marketing occasionally, but we make changes inconsistently and not always based on data.	C Emerging – We review our marketing from time to time and make some adjustments, but we don’t fully rely on data.	D Established– We regularly assess our marketing and make improvements based on data and performance insights.	E Well-Established – We continuously track and refine our marketing using real-time data, keeping up with trends and market changes.

BONUS QUESTION: TEAM & TALENT

Having the Right Marketing Skills

Do you or your team have the marketing skills needed to succeed, and do you invest in training or outside help when needed?

A Unfamiliar – Our team may lack key marketing skills, and we have no formal training or outsourcing strategy to address gaps.	B Developing – We have some marketing expertise, but there are gaps, and training or outsourcing is inconsistent.	C Emerging – We have a solid foundation, and we occasionally invest in training or outside support.	D Established– We have a skilled marketing team and actively invest in training or outsourcing to stay ahead.	E Well-Established – Our team has top-level expertise, continuous training programs, and a smart outsourcing strategy for specialized needs.