Marketing due diligence: the underestimated key to sound investment decisions

Why investors and buyers should not only look at the balance sheet, but also at the marketing - and how a well-founded audit separates the wheat from the chaff.

Between gut feeling and business case - why marketing is more than just “advertising”

In M&A processes, every figure is often turned over three times. Balance sheets, market shares and sales trends are examined - but the marketing area is often left out. Why is that?

This is precisely where opportunities are hidden, but also enormous risks: promises of scaling that are based on shaky systems. Leads that never become customers. Branding that looks good but doesn't convert. Marketing due diligence provides clarity.

What is marketing due diligence about?

In contrast to the classic marketing audit, which evaluates existing measures and potential within a company, marketing due diligence is aimed at assessing a company in the context of an investment, acquisition or participation.

It answers questions such as:

• Are the lead figures realistic - or is the growth based on paid traffic with low quality?

• Is the CRM system scalable or a repository of historical data corpses?

• Is there a clear funnel - or does the marketing only work with "magic hands"?

What exactly is being checked?

Well-founded due diligence in marketing checks:

✅ Understanding and addressing target groups

✅ Existing marketing channels and their performance

✅ Lead generation and conversion rates

✅ CRM structure, automation and segmentation logic

✅ Attribution & tracking (are successes really measurable?)

✅ Content strategy and SEO performance

✅ Team structure & external partners

✅ Scalability of measures

Additional factor: Unrealistic growth forecasts can also be identified - or validated - by a well-founded analysis.

Why is this important?

Because investments are often based on assumptions. And this is precisely where the risk lies. A practical example: a company promises 100,000 new users per quarter. This looks good on paper - but a look at the backend shows that 95% come from paid campaigns, which increase costs and reduce quality. Without due diligence, nobody would have noticed this.

Marketing Due Diligence ≠ One-off Audit

A good marketing due diligence is not a snapshot, but a critical look at the future viability of marketing and sales structures. It not only provides investors with security, but also:

• Clear recommendations for action

• Early indicators for scalability

• Indications for necessary interim support

When interim support makes sense

Sometimes a due diligence reveals not only gaps, but also an immediate need for action. For example, if the CRM is not GDPR-compliant or the funnel is too unstable for further growth.

This doesn't require a 6-month restructuring - but targeted, project-related support, e.g. for

• setting up a data-driven campaign setup

• creating a score model for leads

• revising the automation and tracking infrastructure

Conclusion: If you want to invest wisely, you have to look at marketing

Because the best product, the best pitch and the most charming sales team are of no use if the marketing doesn't deliver. Marketing due diligence creates precisely this transparency - and lays the foundation for sustainable growth.