The Advertising of External Audit Available to Purchase

This study reports the results of a survey designed to examine the factors or attributes that finance managers consider important in their choice of accounting firms. The results indicated that accounting firms contemplating advertising emphasise qualitative factors focusing on expertise, experience and reputation rather than physical factors relating to fees, location and size of accounting firms. Differences in demographic characteristics based on presence or absence of previous public accounting experience, age and educational level were found to have no effect on finance managers′ perceptions. The findings should provide useful input for the advertising strategies of practising accountants.