What are the competitive tools that are required to test the functionality of the marketing strategy?

I think that one of the most efficient tool is getting a middleman. Middlemen have a role in providing information about the market to the manufacturer. Developments like changes in customer demography, psychography, media habits and the entry of a new competitor or a new brand and changes in customer preferences are some of the information that all manufacturers want. Since these middlemen usually are present in the market place and close to the customer they can provide this information (sometimes at a reasonable cost). The producer can concentrate on the production function leaving the marketing problem to middlemen who specialize in the profession. Their services can best utilized for selling the product. The finance, required for organising marketing can profitably be used in production where the rate of return would be greater.

SWOT analysis