Marketing in Auditing: Application of the ۷P Model

Effective and efficient marketing is a vital tool for promoting any business. Consequently, establishing criteria for assessing marketing quality remains a contentious topic within marketing studies. Given its significance, the service sector necessitates distinct marketing criteria and dedicated research due to its unique characteristics. This study explores the feasibility of applying the ۷P model in the auditing profession as a dimension of marketing quality. In this research, we adopted a mixed-method approach. Initially, we conducted semi-structured interviews with ۲۶ professional experts in ۲۰۲۲ to gather data. The research goal was pursued using content analysis. After the coding stage, aimed at extracting the marketing techniques employed by auditing firms in Iran, data saturation was achieved through ۲۱ additional interviews. Once auditing firms' marketing techniques were identified, eight auditing experts ranked them using the best-worst method. This ranking revealed that the "promotions" element, with a weighting factor of ۰.۲۷۷, secured the top position, while the "location" element occupied the seventh place with a weighting factor of ۰.۰۸۲۱. These findings hold valuable implications for policymakers in the auditing profession, enabling them to formulate well-informed marketing strategies for audit firms.