How to write a marketing consulting report

In business, companies that do not have the budget for an in-house marketing department often hire consultants to come in on a contract basis and overhaul the marketing. The consultant will review the company's processes, audience, existing materials and the market, and will produce a report that covers the findings and recommendations. As you write a marketing consulting report, consider how you can explain to the company ways in which they can improve their marketing and give the reasons behind your recommendations.

Start with an executive summary that explains your findings and recommendations briefly. In one page or less, write about the target audience, the strengths and weaknesses of existing marketing materials, and an overview of the ways the business can improve its promotional activities to spur business growth. After reading the executive summary, readers should have a general understanding of what to expect in the rest of the report.

Explain your background and market research. In this section, you should write about the results of your research into the company's target audience, competitors, and market position. Include a summary of survey results, visual representations of competitor marketing strategies, and data about the current audience group the company is targeting. This section should present a picture of where the company currently stands so that everyone has the same information.

Lay out your recommended changes to existing materials and strategies. If the company's brochure is old and does not reflect the current service offerings, for example, include brochure updates as a list item. For each recommendation you make, include the reason, referring to the background research results as necessary. In this section, you should also list strategies or materials that can be cut without harming the company's marketing plan.

Write about recommendations for new marketing activities. In this section, include detailed information about new marketing strategies the company can make to increase its sales, enhance its recognition, or improve its image in the community. You might address strategies that will reach new audience groups, for example, or introduce an event or campaign that brings the company up to date with current technologies.

Rank your recommendations in order of priority, depending on the individual company's business and growth goals. If the business wants to increase brand awareness, for example, you might recommend that they focus on a social media campaign and update their website before tackling the mission statement. This will give the company a viable action plan that will let them focus on the most important changes first.