how to write swot analysis in case study

SWOT Analysis Case Studies

The SWOT analysis method is the situation analysis method. It was proposed by Weirik, a professor of management at the University of San Francisco in the early 1980s. It is often used in enterprise strategy formulation, competitor analysis and other occasions including analysis of S trengths, W eaknesses, O pportunities, and T hreats. Therefore, the SWOT analysis is a method that comprehensively summarizes the various aspects of the internal and external conditions of the enterprise, and then analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the organization, opportunities, and threats faced.

Through SWOT analysis, you can help companies to pool resources and actions in their strengths and where there are the most opportunities; and to make their strategy clearer.

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What is a SWOT model

The analysis of strengths and weaknesses focuses on the strength of the company itself and its comparison with competitors, while the opportunity and threat analysis focus on changes in the external environment and possible impact on the company. In the analysis, all internal factors (i.e., strengths and weaknesses) should be grouped together and then evaluated by external forces (opportunities and threats).

Internal Factors (Strengths and weaknesses)

The analysis of strengths and weaknesses (S-W) of internal conditions is an internal method of assessment. The main purpose is to confirm the relationship between expertise and ability of the organization’s internal conditions. The strengths and weaknesses of its internal conditions are internal factors that the organization can control, including financial resources, technical resources, research and development, organizational culture, human resources, product characteristics, and marketing resources.

External Factors (opportunities and threats)

With the rapid development of economy, science and technology and many other aspects, especially the acceleration of globalization and integration of the world economy, the establishment of global information networks and the diversification of consumer demand, the environment in which companies are located are more open and volatile. This change has had a profound effect on almost all businesses. Because of this, environmental analysis has become an increasingly important corporate function.

The Opportunity and Threat (O-T) analysis is a method of evaluating the external environment. The main purpose is to confirm the relationship between the competitions of the industrial environment outside the organization. The opportunities and threats of the external environment are external factors that cannot be controlled by the organization, including factors such as competition, politics, economy, law, society, culture, science and technology, and demographic environment.

What is a Competitive Advantage?

Identifying attractive opportunities in the environment is one thing, and having the necessary competency to succeed in an opportunity is another matter. Each company must regularly check its strengths and weaknesses. When two companies are in the same market or they all can provide products and services to the same customer group, if one of them has higher profitability or profit potential, then we think that the company has a higher competitive advantage than the other. In other words, the so-called competitive advantage refers to a company’s ability to surpass its competitors, and this ability helps to achieve the company’s main goal – profitability. However, it is worth noting that competitive advantage is not necessarily fully reflected in higher profitability, because sometimes companies prefer to increase market share or employees.

Competitive advantage can refer to any superiority in the eyes of a consumer or its product in comparison with its competitors. It can be the breadth of the product line, the size, quality, reliability, suitability, style, and image of the product and services. Although a competitive advantage refers to a company that has a stronger overall advantage than its competitors, it is more meaningful to specify in which area the company has an advantage, because only in this way can we foster strengths and avoid weaknesses, or we can defeat the weakness.

Since the enterprise is a whole and the sources of competitive strengths are very extensive, it is necessary to make a detailed comparison between the company and its competitors from the aspects of the entire value chain when analyzing the strengths and weaknesses. Such as whether the product is novel, whether the manufacturing process is complicated, whether the sales channel is unimpeded, and whether the price is competitive. If an enterprise’s advantage in one aspect or several aspects is the key success factor that a company in the industry should have, then the enterprise’s comprehensive competitive advantage may be stronger. It should be pointed out that to measure whether a company and its products have a competitive advantage can only stand on the perspective of existing potential users, rather than stand on the perspective of the company.

In the process of maintaining a competitive advantage, enterprises must profoundly understand their resources and capabilities and take appropriate measures. Because once a company has a competitive advantage in one aspect, it is bound to attract the attention of competitors. Generally speaking, after a period of hard work, the company establishes a certain competitive advantage; then it is in a situation to maintain this competitive advantage, and competitors start to respond gradually; and if the competitors directly attack the advantage of the company, or Taking other more powerful strategies will weaken this advantage.

The main factors affecting the duration of a company’s competitive strengths are:

• How long does it take to establish this advantage?
• What are the advantages to be obtained?
• How long does it take for a competitor to make a strong reaction?

If the company analyzes these three factors clearly, it will identify itself in establishing and maintaining its competitive advantage.

The company should not correct all its weaknesses, nor should it make use of all its strengths. The main question is whether the company should be limited to the opportunities it already has, or whether it should acquire and develop some strengths to find better opportunities.

SWOT Analysis Strategies

In the process of adaptability analysis, enterprise top management should be based on the determination of internal and external variables, using leverage, inhibitory, vulnerability, and problematic four basic concepts to analyze this model.

• Leverage (S + O).  Leverage effects arise when internal and external opportunities are consistent and adaptive to one another. In this situation, companies can use their internal strengths to pick up external opportunities and fully integrate opportunities and strengths. However, opportunities are often fleeting, so companies must sharply capture opportunities and seize the opportunity to seek greater development.
• Inhibitory (W + O).  Inhibiting means impeding, preventing, influencing and controlling. When the opportunities provided by the environment are not suited to the internal resource advantages of the company, or cannot be overlapped with each other, the strengths of the enterprise will no longer be realized. In this situation, companies need to provide and add certain resources to promote the transformation of internal resources and weaknesses into strengths to cater to or adapt to external opportunities.
• Vulnerability (S + T).  Vulnerability means the decrease or decrease in the degree or intensity of strengths. When environmental conditions pose a threat to the company’s strengths, the strengths cannot be fully exerted and ending up with a fragile situation. In this situation, companies must overcome the threats to take advantage of them.
• Problematic (W + T).  When the company’s internal weaknesses and corporate external threats meet, companies face severe challenges. If they are not properly handled, they may directly threaten the survival of the company.

Steps for Conducting SWOT Analysis

• What is the current strategy?
• Confirm the changes in the external environment of the company (Porter 5 force or PEST)
• According to the company’s resource mix, confirm the company’s key capabilities and key constraints.
• Construct the SWOT Matrix by placing each one of already identified factors. This is an excellent graphic presentation of what is good and what is bad in your company, and what you can expect as an opportunity or threat.
• Define SWOT Strategies
• Choose what strategy to be adopted and determine the future direction and improvement actions to be taken

Case Study 1: Amazon SWOT Analysis

Amazon Detailed SWOT Analysis

• Brand Identity: Amazon is synonymous with online sales services, and Amazon focuses on improving customer satisfaction during the business process.
• Pioneer advantage: Amazon is undoubtedly the leader in the online retail industry.
• Cost structure: Amazon effectively uses its cost advantage, operates on thin profits, and is still profitable in trading.
• Business Development: Amazon continuously improves its service level and provides diversified services.
• Low-profit margins: Amazon has a very thin profit margin to maintain its cost-leading strategy. But low-profit margins make companies vulnerable to external shocks and crises, as well as other market changes.
• Seasonality: There is a seasonal difference between Amazon’s revenue and business scope, with sales and revenue peaking in the fourth quarter of each year.

Opportunity

• Today’s diversification of e-commerce business
• Continues to increase awareness of its own branded products and services.
• Amazon develops more local websites to participate in the international market. With the international expansion of Amazon, some local businesses have the opportunity to enter the international market.
• Promoting the strategic cooperation between Amazon e-commerce and its related affiliated industries will drive positive development of the industry
• Loss of profits due to low-profit margins
• Patent infringement and other aspects of Amazon’s litigation
• E-commerce industry barriers to entry barriers
• Cybersecurity issues

Amazon – Recent Development

What do you need to do next after you understand strengths and weaknesses and identify opportunities and threats? Let us take a look at how Amazon has seized the opportunity to successfully transform itself from an e-commerce company into a global leading technology company! When Amazon realized the limitations of the retail industry, it expanded its business boundaries promptly. In addition to cloud computing and smart voice, Amazon has also contacted third-party platforms such as logistics and suppliers, and even invested in the film and television industry, making its business model more diversify. In 2008, Amazon realized that content can attract and extend users’ time on the platform, and began to provide original content on Prime Instant Video, Amazon’s mainstream media video platform, and as part of the Prime membership service. Amazon’s ecology can be described as a rotating flywheel. This flywheel is centered on Prime’s membership system, and new interests have been added to it, gradually creating an all-encompassing ecology. While continuing to attract new users, it has promoted the development of Amazon’s e-commerce and other new businesses, and it will continue to do so.

Case Study 2: Starbucks SWOT Analysis

• Strengths – The Starbucks Group has strong profitability, with 2004 revenue exceeding $600 million.
• Weaknesses – Starbucks is known for its continuous improvement and innovation. (Translator’s Note: It can be understood as the instability of the product line)
• Opportunity – The launch of new products and services, such as the sale of coffee at the show.
• Threats – rising costs of coffee and dairy products.

Starbucks Detailed SWOT Analysis

• Starbucks Corporation is a very profitable organization, earning more than $600 million in 2004. The company generated revenue of more than $5000 million in the same year.
• It is a global coffee brand built a reputation for fine products and services. It has almost 9000 cafe shop in almost 40 countries.
• Starbucks was one of the Fortune Top 100 Companies to Work For in 2005. The company is a respected employer that values ​​its workforce.
• The organization has strong ethical values ​​and an ethical mission statement as follows, ‘Starbucks is committed to a role of environmental leadership in all facets of our business.’
• Starbucks has a reputation for new product development and creativity. However, they can vulnerable to the possibility that their innovation may falter over time.
• The organization has a strong presence in the United States of America with more than three-quarters of its cafe shop located in the home market. Some people think they need to invest in different countries (national portfolios) to spread business risks.
• The organization is dependent on a main competitive advantage, the retail of coffee. This could make them slow to diversify into other sectors should the need arise.

Opportunities

• Starbucks is very good at taking advantage of opportunities. E.g. In 2004 the company created a CD-burning service in their Santa Monica (California USA) cafe with Hewlett Packard, where customers created their music CD.
• New products and services that can be retailed in their cafe shop, such as low price products.
• The company has the opportunity to expand its global operations. New markets for coffee such as India and the Pacific Rim nations are beginning to emerge.
• Co-branding with other manufacturers of food and drink and brand franchising to manufacturers of other goods and services both have potential.
• Who knows if the market for coffee will grow and stay in favor with customers, or whether another type of beverage or leisure activity will replace coffee in the future?
• Starbucks is exposed to rises in the cost of coffee and dairy products.
• Since its conception in Pike Place Market, Seattle in 1971, Starbucks’ success has to lead to the market entry of many competitors and copycat brands that pose potential threats.

Case Studies 3: Coca-Cola SWOT Analysis Example

Coca-Cola Detailed SWOT Analysis

• Most sponsored corporate partners.
• Spread across the world in 650 languages ​​and regions.
• The market territory spans nearly 200 countries on five continents.
• To develop new products, the Coca-Cola Company not only sells cola but also other types of beverages.
• Coca-Cola has a long history, so it has a certain status in the market.
• There is no certain integration and the common goal of strategic management.
• The failure to develop new tastes.
• The gradual transfer of customer loyalty.
• Loss of market development opportunities.
• Sponsor the Olympic Games, use this opportunity to replace their brands, products, and make advertisements, especially The Olympic Games is a worldwide movement that allows the world’s population to recognize this product, expand its market reach, and raise awareness of its products.
• Participate in the World Cup, take this world-wide activity to pave the way for your products and gain popularity.
• Enter the Chinese rural market.
• Enter the American film market.
• Pepsi is Coca-Cola’s biggest competitor
• The products produced by the company may not be favored by young people today.
• Coca-Cola is not considered to be good for health by many people

Formulating Actions for SWOT Analysis

Having completed a SWOT Analysis, so what’s next? Is this enough to conduct the SWOT analysis? You need to know when you are analyzing that at the end of the process you need to expect future directions for next actions. Here is an example of formulating actions for a SWOT analysis:

Disclaimer : This case study has been compiled from information freely available from public sources. It is merely intended to be used for educational purposes only.

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SWOT Analysis: How To Do One [With Template & Examples]

Published: October 05, 2023

As your business grows, you need a roadmap to help navigate the obstacles, challenges, opportunities, and projects that come your way. Enter: the SWOT analysis.

This framework can help you develop a plan to determine your priorities, maximize opportunities, and minimize roadblocks as you scale your organization. Below, let’s go over exactly what a SWOT analysis is, a few SWOT analysis examples, and how to conduct one for your business.

When you’re done reading, you’ll have all the inspiration and tactical advice you need to tackle a SWOT analysis for your business.

What is a SWOT analysis? Importance of a SWOT Analysis How to Write a Good SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis Examples How to Act on a SWOT Analysis

What is a SWOT analysis?

A SWOT analysis is a strategic planning technique that puts your business in perspective using the following lenses: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Using a SWOT analysis helps you identify ways your business can improve and maximize opportunities, while simultaneously determining negative factors that might hinder your chances of success.

While it may seem simple on the surface, a SWOT analysis allows you to make unbiased evaluations on:

• Your business or brand.
• Market positioning.
• A new project or initiative.
• A specific campaign or channel.

Practically anything that requires strategic planning, internal or external, can have the SWOT framework applied to it, helping you avoid unnecessary errors down the road from lack of insight.

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Importance of a SWOT Analysis

You’ve noticed by now that SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. The framework seems simple enough that you’d be tempted to forgo using it at all, relying instead on your intuition to take these things into account.

But you shouldn’t. Doing a SWOT analysis is important. Here’s why.

SWOT gives you the chance to worry and to dream.

A SWOT analysis is an important step in your strategic process because it gives you the opportunity to explore both the potential risks and the exciting possibilities that lie ahead.  You’re giving yourself the space to dream, evaluate, and worry before taking action. Your insights then turn into assets as you create the roadmap for your initiative.

For instance, when you consider the weaknesses and threats that your business may face, you can address any concerns or challenges and strategize on how to mitigate those risks. At the same time, you can identify strengths and opportunities, which can inspire innovative ideas and help you dream big. Both are equally important. 

SWOT forces you to define your variables.

Instead of diving head first into planning and execution, you’re taking inventory of all your assets and roadblocks. This process will help you  develop strategies that leverage your strengths and opportunities while addressing and mitigating the impact of weaknesses and threats.

As a result, you'll gain a comprehensive understanding of your current situation and create a more specific and effective roadmap. Plus, a SWOT analysis is inherently proactive. That means you'll be better equipped to make informed decisions, allocate resources effectively, and set realistic goals. 

SWOT allows you to account for mitigating factors.

As you identify weaknesses and threats, you’re better able to account for them in your roadmap, improving your chances of success.

Moreover, accounting for mitigating factors allows you to allocate your resources wisely and make informed decisions that lead to sustainable growth. With a SWOT analysis as a guide, you can confidently face challenges and seize opportunities.

SWOT helps you keep a written record.

As your organization grows and changes, you’ll be able to strike things off your old SWOTs and make additions. You can look back at where you came from and look ahead at what’s to come.

In other words, SWOT analyses serve as a tangible history of your progress and provide a reference point for future decision-making. With each update, your SWOT analysis becomes a living document that guides your strategic thinking and helps you stay agile and adaptable in an ever-changing business landscape.

By maintaining this written record, you foster a culture of continuous improvement and empower your team to make data-driven decisions and stay aligned with your long-term vision.

Parts of a SWOT Analysis

Conducting a SWOT analysis will help you strategize effectively, unlock valuable insights, and make informed decisions. But what exactly does a SWOT analysis include?

Let’s explore each component: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

Your strengths are the unique advantages and internal capabilities that give your company a competitive edge in the market. A strong brand reputation, innovative products or services, or exceptional customer service are just a few examples. By identifying and capitalizing on your strengths, you can foster customer loyalty and build a solid foundation for growth.

No business is flawless. Weaknesses are areas where you may face challenges or fall short of your potential. It could be outdated processes, skill gaps within the team, or inadequate resources. By acknowledging these weaknesses, you can establish targeted initiatives for improvement, upskill your team, adopt new technologies, and enhance your overall operational efficiency.

Opportunities are external factors that can contribute to your company's progress. These may include emerging markets, technological advancements, changes in consumer behavior, or gaps in the market that your company can fill. By seizing these opportunities, you can expand your market reach, diversify your product offerings, forge strategic partnerships, or even venture into untapped territories.

Threats are external factors that are beyond your control and pose challenges to your business. Increased competition, economic volatility, evolving regulatory landscapes, or even changing market trends are examples of threats. By proactively assessing and addressing them, you can develop contingency plans, adjust your strategies, and minimize their impact on your operations.

In a SWOT analysis, you’ll have to take both internal and external factors into account. We’ll cover those next.

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SWOT Analysis Internal and External Factors

A SWOT analysis typically has internal (i.e., within your organization) and external (i.e., outside your organization) factors at play. Here's a breakdown of each.

Internal Factors

Internal factors refer to the characteristics and resources within your organization that directly influence its operations and performance. These factors are completely within your organization's control, so they can be modified, improved, or capitalized upon.

In a SWOT analysis, strengths and weaknesses are categorized as internal factors. Let’s look at a few examples.

• Brand reputation
• Unique expertise
• Loyal customer base
• Talented workforce
• Efficient processes
• Proprietary technology
• Outdated technology
• Inadequate resources
• Poor financial health
• Inefficient processes
• Skill gaps within the team

External Factors

External factors are elements outside the organization's control that have an impact on its operations, market position, and success. These factors arise from the industry climate and the broader business environment. You typically have no control over external factors, but you can respond to them.

In a SWOT analysis, opportunities and threats are categorized as external factors. Let’s look at a few examples.

• Emerging markets
• Changing consumer trends
• Technological advancements
• Positive shifts in regulations
• New gaps in the market you could fill
• Intense competition
• Economic downturns
• Disruptive technologies
• Changing regulations
• Negative shifts in consumer behavior

Remember, a well-rounded SWOT analysis empowers you to capitalize on strengths, address weaknesses, seize opportunities, and navigate threats — all while making informed decisions for the future.

Now, let’s take a look at how you can write a good SWOT analysis for yourself or for stakeholders.

How do you write a good SWOT analysis?

There are several steps you’ll want to take when evaluating your business and conducting a strategic SWOT analysis.

1. Download HubSpot's SWOT Analysis Template.

There’s no need to start from scratch for your analysis. Instead, start by downloading a free, editable template from HubSpot. Feel free to use the model yourself, or create your own as it suits your needs.

3. Identify your objective.

Before you start writing things down, you’ll need to figure out what you’re evaluating with your SWOT analysis.

Be specific about what you want to analyze. Otherwise, your SWOT analysis may end up being too broad, and you’ll get analysis paralysis as you are making your evaluations.

If you’re creating a new social media program, you’ll want to conduct an analysis to inform your content creation strategy. If you’re launching a new product, you’ll want to understand its potential positioning in the space. If you’re considering a brand redesign, you’ll want to consider existing and future brand conceptions.

All of these are examples of good reasons to conduct a SWOT analysis. By identifying your objective, you’ll be able to tailor your evaluation to get more actionable insights.

4. Identify your strengths.

“Strengths” refers to what you are currently doing well. Think about the factors that are going in your favor as well as the things you offer that your competitors just can’t beat.

For example, let’s say you want to use a SWOT analysis to evaluate your new social media strategy.

If you’re looking at a new social media program, perhaps you want to evaluate how your brand is perceived by the public. Is it easily recognizable and well-known? Even if it’s not popular with a widespread group, is it well-received by a specific audience?

Next, think about your process: Is it effective or innovative? Is there good communication between marketing and sales?

Finally, evaluate your social media message, and in particular, how it differs from the rest of the industry. I’m willing to bet you can make a lengthy list of some major strengths of your social media strategy over your competitors, so try to dive into your strengths from there.

5. Identify your weaknesses.

In contrast to your strengths, what are the roadblocks hindering you from reaching your goals? What do your competitors offer that continues to be a thorn in your side?

This section isn’t about dwelling on negative aspects. Rather, it’s critical to foresee any potential obstacles that could mitigate your success.

When identifying weaknesses, consider what areas of your business are the least profitable, where you lack certain resources, or what costs you the most time and money. Take input from employees in different departments, as they’ll likely see weaknesses you hadn’t considered.

If you’re examining a new social media strategy, you might start by asking yourself these questions: First, if I were a consumer, what would prevent me from buying this product, or engaging with this business? What would make me click away from the screen?

Second, what do I foresee as the biggest hindrance to my employees’ productivity, or their ability to get the job done efficiently? What derails their social media efforts?

6. Consider your opportunities.

This is your chance to dream big. What are some opportunities for your social media strategy you hope, but don’t necessarily expect, to reach?

For instance, maybe you’re hoping your Facebook ads will attract a new, larger demographic. Maybe you’re hoping your YouTube video gets 10,000 views and increases sales by 10%.

Whatever the case, it’s important to include potential opportunities in your SWOT analysis. Ask yourself these questions:

• What technologies do I want my business to use to make it more effective?
• What new target audience do I want to reach?
• How can the business stand out more in the current industry?
• Is there something our customers complain about that we could fix?

The opportunities category goes hand-in-hand with the weaknesses category. Once you’ve made a list of weaknesses, it should be easy to create a list of potential opportunities that could arise if you eliminate your weaknesses.

7. Contemplate your threats.

It’s likely, especially if you’re prone to worry, you already have a good list of threats in your head.

If not, gather your employees and brainstorm. Start with these questions:

• What obstacles might prevent us from reaching our goals?
• What’s going on in the industry, or with our competitors, that might mitigate our success?
• Is there new technology out there that could conflict with our product?

Writing down your threats helps you evaluate them objectively.

For instance, maybe you list your threats in terms of least and most likely to occur and divide and conquer each. If one of your biggest threats is your competitor’s popular Instagram account, you could work with your marketing department to create content that showcases your product’s unique features.

SWOT Analysis Chart

Download a free SWOT analysis chart included in HubSpot’s free market research kit .

A SWOT analysis doesn’t have to be fancy. Our SWOT analysis chart provides a clear and structured framework for capturing and organizing your internal strengths and weaknesses, and external opportunities and threats. It's the perfect visual aid to make sense of the wealth of information gathered during your analysis.

(Plus, you can always customize and paste it into a document you plan to share with stakeholders.)

But remember: Filling out the SWOT chart is just one step in the process. Combine it with our entire market research kit , and you'll have all the tools necessary to help your organization navigate new opportunities and threats.

SWOT Analysis Examples

The template above helps get you started on your own SWOT analysis.

But, if you’re anything like me, it’s not enough to see a template. To fully understand a concept, you need to see how it plays out in the real world.

These SWOT examples are not exhaustive. However, they are a great starting point to inspire you as you do your own SWOT analysis.

Apple’s SWOT analysis

Here’s how we’d conduct a SWOT analysis on Apple.

First off, strengths. While Apple has many strengths, let’s identify the top three:

• Brand recognition.
• Innovative products.
• Ease of use.

Apple’s brand is undeniably strong, and its business is considered the most valuable in the world . Since it’s easily recognized, Apple can produce new products and almost ensure a certain degree of success by virtue of the brand name itself.

Apple’s highly innovative products are often at the forefront of the industry. One thing that sets Apple apart from the competition is its product inter-connectivity.

For instance, an Apple user can easily sync their iPhone and iPad together. They can access all of their photos, contacts, apps, and more no matter which device they are using.

Lastly, customers enjoy how easy it is to use Apple’s products. With a sleek and simple design, each product is developed so that most people can quickly learn how to use them.

Next, let’s look at three of Apple’s weaknesses.

• High prices
• Closed ecosystem
• Lack of experimentation

While the high prices don’t deter Apple’s middle- and upper-class customer base, they do hinder Apple’s ability to reach a lower-class demographic.

Apple also suffers from its own exclusivity. Apple controls all its services and products in-house, and while many customers become loyal brand advocates for this reason, it means all burdens fall on Apple employees.

Ultimately, Apple’s tight control over who distributes its products limits its market reach.

Lastly, Apple is held to a high standard when it comes to creating and distributing products. Apple’s brand carries a high level of prestige. That level of recognition inhibits Apple from taking risks and experimenting freely with new products that could fail.

Now, let’s take a look at opportunities for Apple.

It’s easy to recognize opportunities for improvement, once you consider Apple’s weaknesses. Here’s a list of three we came up with:

• Expand distribution options.
• Create new product lines.
• Technological advancement.

One of Apple’s biggest weaknesses is its distribution network, which, in the name of exclusivity, remains relatively small. If Apple expanded its network and enabled third-party businesses to sell its products, it could reach more people globally, while alleviating some of the stress currently put on in-house employees.

There are also plenty of opportunities for Apple to create new products. Apple could consider creating more affordable products to reach a larger demographic, or spreading out into new industries — Apple self-driving cars, perhaps?

Finally, Apple could continue advancing its products’ technology. Apple can take existing products and refine them, ensuring each product offers as many unique features as possible.

Finally, let’s look at threats to Apple.

Believe it or not, they do exist.

Here are three of Apple’s biggest threats:

• Tough competition.
• International issues.

Apple isn’t the only innovative tech company out there, and it continues to face tough competition from Samsung, Google, and other major forces. In fact, Samsung sold more smartphones than Apple did in Q1 of 2022 , shipping 17 million more units than Apple and holding 24% of the market share.

Many of Apple’s weaknesses hinder Apple’s ability to compete with the tech corporations that have more freedom to experiment, or that don’t operate in a closed ecosystem.

A second threat to Apple is lawsuits. Apple has faced plenty of lawsuits, particularly between Apple and Samsung . These lawsuits interfere with Apple’s reputable image and could steer some customers to purchase elsewhere.

Finally, Apple needs to improve its reach internationally. The company isn’t number one in China and doesn’t have a very positive relationship with the Chinese government. In India, which has one of the largest consumer markets in the world, Apple’s market share is low , and the company has trouble bringing stores to India’s market.

If Apple can’t compete globally the way Samsung or Google can, it risks falling behind in the industry.

Starbucks SWOT Analysis

Now that we’ve explored the nuances involved with a SWOT analysis, let’s fill out a SWOT template using Starbucks as an example.

Here’s how we’d fill out a SWOT template if we were Starbucks:

Download this Template for Free

Restaurant Small Business SWOT Analysis

Some small business marketers may have difficulty relating to the SWOTs of big brands like Apple and Starbucks. Here’s an example of how a dine-in Thai restaurant might visualize each element.

Small restaurants can lean into their culinary expertise and service skills to find opportunities for growth and brand awareness. A SWOT analysis can also help identify weaknesses that can be improved, such as menu variation and pricing.

While a restaurant might not be as worried about high-level lawsuits, a small business might be more concerned about competitors or disruptors that might enter the playing field.

Local Boutique SWOT Analysis

In another small business example, let’s take a look at a SWOT analysis for a local boutique.

This shop might be well known in its neighborhood, but it also might take time to build an online presence or get its products in an online store.

Because of this, some of its strengths and opportunities might relate to physical factors while weaknesses and threats might relate to online situations.

How to Act on a SWOT Analysis

After conducting a SWOT analysis, you may be asking yourself: What’s next?

Putting together a SWOT analysis is only one step. Executing the findings identified by the analysis is just as important — if not more.

Put your insights into action using the following steps.

Take advantage of your strengths.

Use your strengths to pursue opportunities from your analysis.

For example, if we look at the local boutique example above, the strength of having affordable prices can be a value proposition. You can emphasize your affordable prices on social media or launch an online store.

Address your weaknesses.

Back to the boutique example, one of its weaknesses is having a poor social media presence. To mitigate this, the boutique could hire a social media consultant to improve its strategy. They may even tap into the expertise of a social-savvy employee.

Make note of the threats.

Threats are often external factors that can’t be controlled, so it’s best to monitor the threats outlined in your SWOT analysis to be aware of their impacts on your business.

When to Use a SWOT Analysis

While the examples above focus on business strategy in general, you can also use a SWOT analysis to evaluate and predict how a singular product will play out in the market.

Ultimately, a SWOT analysis can measure and tackle both big and small challenges, from deciding whether or not to launch a new product to refining your social media strategy.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in May 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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How to Write a SWOT Analysis (Template and Examples Included)

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Written by  Scribendi

Planning for the Future

Where do you see yourself in five years? How about your career? Your business? 

These questions keep a staggering amount of people awake at night. All too often, the future can seem like a dark, ominous cloud that looms just out of view. As the old proverb goes, we fear the unknown—and little can possibly be more unknowable than the future.

While there is no crystal ball that can accurately predict future market trends or the steps you should take to optimize your productivity and sharpen your competitive edge, we can offer some advice: Reframe the question. Rather than trying to pinpoint where you think you might be in five years, think about where you want to be at that point in time. Once you have a destination in mind, you can start planning a route to get there. After all, maps are great tools, but they can't help you if you don't know where you're going.

So, what's the metaphorical map in this scenario? We present to you the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis.

How to Write a SWOT Analysis

SWOT analyses are great strategic tools that are useful in project planning, business development , financial strategizing, and personal advancement . Simple, honest, and to-the-point, they facilitate a profound understanding of your or your business's current standing. Essentially, a SWOT analysis is a comparative list of all your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

There's more power in this process than you might think. You may be only hazily aware of your own strengths and weaknesses. However, thoughtfully recording and reflecting on them creates a thorough, conscious familiarity with both the resources available to you and the obstacles standing in your way. This awareness allows you to map out a path toward your goals with great precision and purpose. Writing a SWOT analysis will help you clearly evaluate whether your goals are feasible according to your resources and needs.

In this guide, we'll break down exactly how to write a SWOT analysis and provide a few examples along the way. Feel free to use our SWOT analysis template, given below, to write your own!

Our SWOT Analysis Template

Your list of strengths should focus on your current resources and abilities. It should relate to things that you do or that your company does well. These might be your or your company's accomplishments—both great and small—and the assets that you or your company have. Your strengths give you your greatest edge; they are the resources that propel you forward and that you can continue to develop as you progress.

When you draw up your first SWOT analysis, you may find yourself at a loss. Don't worry—it's difficult for most people to come up with an objective list of strengths and weaknesses on the spot. For your convenience, we've included a list of questions you can ask yourself to get started.

These questions should help you identify a few of your strengths. Remember, while our example questions mostly relate to business strengths, they can also apply to personal strengths. Go ahead and boast as much as you can.

• What sets your company apart from others?
• What do you have that other companies don't?
• What are you most proud of about your company?
• What makes clients come back to you?
• What does your company do well?
• What assets do you have access to?
• What qualities does your company have that other companies try to emulate?
• What has always been easy for your company? 

Listing your weaknesses might be a little more uncomfortable than detailing your strengths, but trust us—doing so will help you in the long run. Understanding the obstacles in your path and the elements of your business or skills you may need to improve is just as important as appreciating your strengths. Once you're aware of your weaknesses, you can start working on them and building your next steps around them.

Your list of weaknesses should pertain to any current problems and challenges. Check out the list of questions below—it should give you an idea of where to start. Again, if you'd rather focus on your personal or career growth, feel free to alter these questions to suit your needs.

• What makes your company blend in with its competition?
• What do other companies have that you don't?
• What are the most common criticisms that you receive from clients?
• Why have certain clients not returned to you?
• What does your company need to improve upon?
• What kind of feedback do you receive from your employees?
• What might your competition consider to be a weakness?
• What has always been difficult for your company?
• What are you unwilling to do or change?

Opportunities

Think about the opportunities available to you as potential future strengths. Your opportunities are the assets, resources, and events that could be beneficial to you in some way in the future. You may need to change some of your current approaches or adapt in other ways to capitalize on these opportunities, and that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to identify your potential opportunities:

• What is happening in the current market that you could capitalize upon?
• What changes have you been making that have returned positive results?
• What is working for other companies?
• How could you introduce new technology to make your processes more efficient?
• What costs can you cut?
• Could you access new sectors or demographic groups?
• How can you improve or modernize your marketing techniques?
• How can you remove existing obstacles?

  Threats

Just as your opportunities are based on potential, so are your threats; these are the possible obstacles or issues that are not yet directly affecting your progress. But this doesn't mean that you shouldn't start thinking about them! Being aware of the challenges that you may encounter will help you either plan around them or confront them with solutions. Try to come up with several future events that may realistically hinder the momentum you build from engaging with your strengths and opportunities.

To get started, take a peek at our list of questions:

• What obstacles might your weaknesses create?
• Do changing market trends negatively affect your competitive edge?
• What might stand in the way of the changes you make to accommodate your strengths and opportunities?
• Do you have a lot of debt?
• Could your competition exploit your weaknesses?

How did you do? Do you feel like you've listed everything? Or do you think you're missing something? Below, we've drafted examples of a business and a personal SWOT analysis to provide you with some perspective on what a completed one might look like.

An Example of a Personal SWOT Analysis

An Example of a Business SWOT Analysis  

Final Words

The humble but effective SWOT analysis will produce a detailed map of your current environment—its hills and valleys alike. Knowing how to write a SWOT analysis will provide you with the vantage point you need to choose a direction and blaze a trail toward your goals. SWOT analyses may not be crystal balls, but they are something like compasses. Use them wisely, and you will never be lost.

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SWOT analysis: Examples and templates

A SWOT analysis helps you identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for a specific project or your overall business plan. It’s used for strategic planning and to stay ahead of market trends. Below, we describe each part of the SWOT framework and show you how to conduct your own.

Whether you’re looking for external opportunities or internal strengths, we’ll walk you through how to perform your own SWOT analysis, with helpful examples along the way. 

What is a SWOT analysis?

A SWOT analysis is a technique used to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for your business or even a specific project. It’s most widely used by organizations—from small businesses and non-profits to large enterprises—but a SWOT analysis can be used for personal purposes as well. 

While simple, a SWOT analysis is a powerful tool for helping you identify competitive opportunities for improvement. It helps you improve your team and business while staying ahead of market trends.

What does SWOT stand for?

SWOT is an acronym that stands for: 

Opportunities

When analyzed together, the SWOT framework can paint a larger picture of where you are and how to get to the next step. Let’s dive a little deeper into each of these terms and how they can help identify areas of improvement. 

Strengths in SWOT refer to internal initiatives that are performing well. Examining these areas helps you understand what’s already working. You can then use the techniques that you know work—your strengths—in other areas that might need additional support, like improving your team’s efficiency . 

When looking into the strengths of your organization, ask yourself the following questions:

What do we do well? Or, even better: What do we do best?

What’s unique about our organization?

What does our target audience like about our organization?

Which categories or features beat out our competitors?

 Example SWOT strength:

Customer service: Our world-class customer service has an NPS score of 90 as compared to our competitors, who average an NPS score of 70.

Weaknesses in SWOT refer to internal initiatives that are underperforming. It’s a good idea to analyze your strengths before your weaknesses in order to create a baseline for success and failure. Identifying internal weaknesses provides a starting point for improving those projects.

Identify the company’s weaknesses by asking:

Which initiatives are underperforming and why?

What can be improved?

What resources could improve our performance?

How do we rank against our competitors?

Example SWOT weakness:

E-commerce visibility: Our website visibility is low because of a lack of marketing budget , leading to a decrease in mobile app transactions.

Opportunities in SWOT result from your existing strengths and weaknesses, along with any external initiatives that will put you in a stronger competitive position. These could be anything from weaknesses that you’d like to improve or areas that weren’t identified in the first two phases of your analysis. 

Since there are multiple ways to come up with opportunities, it’s helpful to consider these questions before getting started:

What resources can we use to improve weaknesses?

Are there market gaps in our services?

What are our business goals for the year?

What do your competitors offer?

Example SWOT opportunities:

Marketing campaign: To improve brand visibility, we’ll run ad campaigns on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Threats in SWOT are areas with the potential to cause problems. Different from weaknesses, threats are external and ‌out of your control. This can include anything from a global pandemic to a change in the competitive landscape. 

Here are a few questions to ask yourself to identify external threats:

What changes in the industry are cause for concern?

What new market trends are on the horizon?

Where are our competitors outperforming us?

Example SWOT threats:

New competitor: With a new e-commerce competitor set to launch within the next month, we could see a decline in customers.

SWOT analysis example

One of the most popular ways to create a SWOT analysis is through a SWOT matrix—a visual representation of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The matrix comprises four separate squares that create one larger square. 

A SWOT matrix is great for collecting information and documenting the questions and decision-making process . Not only will it be handy to reference later on, but it’s also great for visualizing any patterns that arise. 

Check out the SWOT matrix below for a simple example. As you can see, each of the quadrants lists out the company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

When used correctly and effectively, your matrix can be a great toolkit for evaluating your organization’s strengths and weaknesses. 

How to do a SWOT analysis, with examples 

A SWOT analysis can be conducted in a variety of ways. Some teams like to meet and throw ideas on a whiteboard, while others prefer the structure of a SWOT matrix. However you choose to make your SWOT analysis, getting creative with your planning process allows new ideas to flow and results in more unique solutions. 

There are a few ways to ensure that your SWOT analysis is thorough and done correctly. Let’s take a closer look at some tips to help you get started.

Tip 1: Consider internal factors 

Often, strengths and weaknesses stem from internal processes. These tend to be easier to solve since you have more control over the outcome. When you come across internal factors, you can start implementing improvements in a couple of different ways.

Meet with department stakeholders to form a business plan around how to improve your current situation.

Research and implement new tools, such as a project management tool , that can help streamline these processes for you. 

Take immediate action on anything that can be changed in 24 hours or less. If you don’t have the capacity, consider delegating these items to others with deadlines. 

The way you go about solving internal factors will depend on the type of problem. If it’s more complex, you might need to use a combination of the above or a more thorough problem management process.

Tip 2: Evaluate external factors

External factors stem from processes outside of your control. This includes competitors, market trends, and anything else that’s affecting your organization from the outside in. 

External factors are trickier to solve, as you can’t directly control the outcome. What you can do is pivot your own processes in a way that mitigates negative external factors. 

You can work to solve these issues by:

Competing with market trends

Forecasting market trends before they happen

Improving adaptability to improve your reaction time

Track competitors using reporting tools that automatically update you as soon as changes occur 

While you won’t be able to control an external environment, you can control how your organization reacts to it. 

Let’s say, for instance, that you’re looking to compete with a market trend. For example, a competitor introduced a new product to the market that’s outperforming your own. While you can’t take that product away, you can work to launch an even better product or marketing campaign to mitigate any decline in sales. 

Tip 3: Hold a brainstorming session

Brainstorming new and innovative ideas can help to spur creativity and inspire action. To host a high impact brainstorming session, you’ll want to: 

Invite team members from various departments. That way, ideas from each part of the company are represented. 

Be intentional about the number of team members you invite, since too many participants could lead to a lack of focus or participation. The sweet spot for a productive brainstorming session is around 10 teammates. 

Use different brainstorming techniques that appeal to different work types.

Set a clear intention for the session.

Tip 4: Get creative

In order to generate creative ideas, you have to first invite them. That means creating fun ways to come up with opportunities. Try randomly selecting anonymous ideas, talking through obviously bad examples, or playing team building games to psych up the team.

Tip 5: Prioritize opportunities

Now, rank the opportunities. This can be done as a team or with a smaller group of leaders. Talk through each idea and rank it on a scale of one through 10. Once you’ve agreed on your top ideas based on team capabilities, competencies, and overall impact, it’s easier to implement them.

Tip 6: Take action

It’s all too easy to feel finished at this stage —but the actual work is just beginning. After your SWOT analysis, you’ll have a list of prioritized opportunities. Now is the time to turn them into strengths. Use a structured system such as a business case , project plan, or implementation plan to outline what needs to get done—and how you plan to do it.

SWOT analysis template

A SWOT analysis template is often presented in a grid format, divided into four quadrants. Each quadrant represents one of the four elements. 

Use this free SWOT analysis template to jump-start your team’s strategic planning.

Identify the strengths that contribute to achieving your objectives. These are internal characteristics that give you an advantage. Some examples could be a strong brand reputation, an innovative culture, or an experienced management team.

Next, focus on weaknesses. These are internal factors that could serve as obstacles to achieving your objectives. Common examples might include a lack of financial resources, high operational costs, or outdated technology. 

Move on to the opportunities. These are external conditions that could be helpful in achieving your goals. For example, you might be looking at emerging markets, increased demand, or favorable shifts in regulations.

Lastly, let's address threats. These are external conditions that could negatively impact your objectives. Examples include increased competition or potential economic downturns.

Why is a SWOT analysis important?

A SWOT analysis can help you improve processes and plan for growth. While similar to a competitive analysis , it differs because it evaluates both internal and external factors. Analyzing key areas around these opportunities and threats will equip you with the insights needed to set your team up for success.

A SWOT analysis isn’t only useful for organizations. With a personal SWOT analysis, you can examine areas of your life that could benefit from improvement, from your leadership style to your communication skills. These are the benefits of using a SWOT analysis in any scenario. 

1. Identifies areas of opportunity

One of the biggest benefits of conducting an analysis is to determine opportunities for growth. It’s a great starting point for startups and teams that know they want to improve but aren’t exactly sure how to get started. 

Opportunities can come from many different avenues, like external factors such as diversifying your products for competitive advantage or internal factors like improving your team’s workflow . Either way, capitalizing on opportunities is an excellent way to grow as a team.

2. Identifies areas that could be improved

Identifying weaknesses and threats during a SWOT analysis can pave the way for a better business strategy.

Ultimately, learning from your mistakes is the best way to excel. Once you find areas to streamline, you can work with team members to brainstorm an action plan . This will let you use what you already know works and build on your company’s strengths.

3. Identifies areas that could be at risk

Whether you have a risk register in place or not, it’s always crucial to identify risks before they become a cause for concern. A SWOT analysis can help you stay on top of actionable items that may play a part in your risk decision-making process. 

It may be beneficial to pair your SWOT analysis with a PEST analysis, which examines external solutions such as political, economic, social, and technological factors—all of which can help you identify and plan for project risks .

When should you use a SWOT analysis?

You won’t always need an in-depth SWOT analysis. It’s most useful for large, general overviews of situations, scenarios, or your business.

A SWOT analysis is most helpful:

Before you implement a large change—including as part of a larger change management plan

When you launch a new company initiative

If you’d like to identify opportunities for growth and improvement

Any time you want a full overview of your business performance

If you need to identify business performance from different perspectives

SWOT analyses are general for a reason—so they can be applied to almost any scenario, project, or business. 

SWOT analysis: Pros and cons

Although SWOT is a useful strategic planning tool for businesses and individuals alike, it does have limitations. Here’s what you can expect.

The simplicity of SWOT analysis makes it a go-to tool for many. Because it is simple, it takes the mystery out of strategic planning and lets people think critically about their situations without feeling overwhelmed. 

For instance, a small bakery looking to expand its operations can use SWOT analysis to easily understand its current standing. Identifying strengths like a loyal customer base, weaknesses such as limited seating space, opportunities like a rising trend in artisanal baked goods, and threats from larger chain bakeries nearby can all be accomplished without any specialized knowledge or technical expertise.

Versatility

Its versatile nature allows SWOT analysis to be used across various domains. Whether it’s a business strategizing for the future or an individual planning their career path, SWOT analysis lends itself well. 

For example, a tech start-up in the competitive Silicon Valley landscape could employ SWOT to navigate its pathway to profitability. Strengths might include a highly skilled development team; weaknesses could be a lack of brand recognition; opportunities might lie in emerging markets; and threats could include established tech giants. 

Meaningful analysis

SWOT excels in identifying external factors that could impact performance. It nudges organizations to look beyond the present and anticipate potential future scenarios. 

A retail company, for example, could use SWOT analysis to identify opportunities in e-commerce and threats from changing consumer behavior or new competitors entering the market. By doing so, the company can strategize on how to leverage online platforms to boost sales and counteract threats by enhancing the customer experience or adopting new technologies.

Subjectivity and bias

The subjective nature of SWOT analysis may lead to biases. It relies heavily on individual perceptions, which can sometimes overlook crucial data or misinterpret information, leading to skewed conclusions. 

For example, a manufacturing company might undervalue the threat of new entrants in the market due to an overconfidence bias among the management. This subjectivity might lead to a lack of preparation for competitive pricing strategies, ultimately affecting the company's market share.

Lack of prioritization

SWOT analysis lays out issues but falls short on prioritizing them. Organizations might struggle to identify which elements deserve immediate attention and resources. 

For instance, a healthcare provider identifying numerous opportunities for expansion into new services may become overwhelmed with the choices. Without a clear way to rank these opportunities, resources could be spread too thinly or given to projects that do not have as much of an impact, leading to less-than-ideal outcomes.

Static analysis

Since SWOT analysis captures a snapshot at a particular moment, it may miss the evolving nature of challenges and opportunities, possibly leading to outdated strategies. An example could be a traditional retail business that performs a SWOT analysis and decides to focus on expanding physical stores, overlooking the growing trend of e-commerce. As online shopping continues to evolve and gain popularity, the static analysis might lead to investment in areas with diminishing returns while missing out on the booming e-commerce market trend.

SWOT analysis FAQ

What are the five elements of swot analysis.

Traditionally, SWOT stands for its four main elements: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. However, a fifth essential element often overlooked is "actionable strategies." Originally developed by Albert Humphrey, SWOT is more than just a list—it's a planning tool designed to generate actionable strategies for making informed business decisions. This fifth element serves to tie the other four together, enabling departments like human resources and marketing to turn analysis into actionable plans.

What should a SWOT analysis include?

A comprehensive SWOT analysis should focus on the internal and external factors that affect your organization. Internally, consider your strong brand and product line as your strengths, and maybe your supply chain weaknesses. Externally, you'll want to look at market share, partnerships, and new technologies that could either pose opportunities or threats. You should also account for demographics, as it helps in market targeting and segmentation.

How do you write a good SWOT analysis?

Writing an effective SWOT analysis begins with research. Start by identifying your strengths, like a strong brand, and your weaknesses, like a small human resources department. Following that, look outward to find opportunities, possibly in technological advancement, and threats, like fluctuations in market share. Many businesses find it helpful to use a free SWOT analysis template to structure this information. A good SWOT analysis doesn't just list these elements; it integrates them to provide a clear roadmap for making business decisions.

What are four examples of threats in SWOT analysis?

New technologies: Rapid technological advancement can make your product or service obsolete.

Supply chain disruptions: Whether due to natural disasters or geopolitical tensions, an unstable supply chain can seriously jeopardize your operations.

Emerging competitors: New players entering the market can erode your market share and offer alternative solutions to your customer base.

Regulatory changes: New laws or regulations can add costs and complexity to your business, affecting your competitiveness.

How do you use a SWOT analysis?

Once you've completed a SWOT analysis, use the results as a decision-making aid. It can help prioritize actions, develop strategic plans that play to your strengths, improve weaknesses, seize opportunities, and counteract threats. It’s a useful tool for setting objectives and creating a roadmap for achieving them.

Plan for growth with a SWOT analysis

A SWOT analysis can be an effective technique for identifying key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Understanding where you are now can be the most impactful way to determine where you want to go next. 

Don’t forget, a bit of creativity and collaboration can go a long way. Encourage your team to think outside of the box with 100+ team motivational quotes .

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SWOT Analysis

• Support your understanding of the SWOT Analysis to...
• 1 When to use a SWOT analysis
• 2 Exploring the environment of a project
• 3.1 Strengths and weaknesses
• 3.2 Opportunities and threats
• 4 Completing the SWOT analysis

5.1 SWOT analysis: a case study

• Self Assessment Questions
• End of Module Quiz
• References and acknowledgements
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• SWOT Analysis quiz
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Read through the case study and SWOT Analysis Template, then try to complete the activity below.

Case study 1: Syed’s business opportunity

Syed runs his own enterprise in an area on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He manages a collective of people with disabilities who make Bangladeshi puppets in a traditional style, mainly selling to tourists through local shops, and pays them a basic salary as well as a profit share. The puppets are all made to Syed’s own designs, and are quite different to the standard items in most tourist stores. His quirky designs and their popularity with shoppers have come to the attention of Muhammad, who runs a relatively large factory producing puppets and other tourist-friendly wares. Muhammad approaches Syed to suggest that he buy his enterprise, including his designs, and that Syed and his employees all come and work at Muhammad’s factory. He is offering a lot of money, and Syed doesn’t know whether he wants to maintain his independence or go for the security offered by a lump cash sum and guaranteed employment. He uses a SWOT analysis to take a snapshot of his current situation and help him consider the decision:

Looking at the case study above, including Syed’s SWOT analysis, imagine you are helping Syed make his decision. What points would you highlight? Would you recommend him to sell to Muhammad? Make some notes in answer to this question in the text box below.

Syed has provided some interesting information in his SWOT analysis. By taking a realistic look at his business as it is, he can decide what is most likely to make sense for its future. There’s no absolute right or wrong here (there rarely is in this sort of decision-making), but based on the information given I would advise Syed not to sell. These are the key points I would highlight:

• Syed has a lot of strengths, mainly based on the very fact that the organisation is small and under his management.
• Being dependent on one supplier is always a risk, especially now they are becoming unreliable. However, there’s no reason he couldn’t identify other suppliers and shop around to get a good deal and spread the risk by regularly using two or three.
• Syed has said that cash flow is a weakness that stops him from expanding. It sounds like now would be a great time to explore the financial support from the new NGO, as this would enable him to respond to some of the other opportunities (new shops and the potential for export) at his own pace and under his control.
• If he expands, perhaps he could take on some new employees part time? If he has, say, four employees who work half time rather than two who work full time, he has spread the risk of his dependency – if someone is ill or leaves, one or more of the others might be able to increase their hours.
• If he agrees to Muhammad’s offer, he will lose his independence and have to commute to a different workplace. Will the people he works with be able to commute, or in practical terms will this mean they become unemployed (and how might he feel about that)? More people will see and buy his designs, but will his name or mark be on them?
• What if he explores the opportunities for expansion that the SWOT analysis has highlighted, and then considers whether the offer looks tempting?

Finally, I would perhaps suggest that this isn’t a yes or no decision, and there might be a way that Syed could maintain all his strengths but still work in partnership with Muhammad. He could create some designs especially for Muhammad’s factory, and/or draw on some of his resources in exchange for design expertise. At this point, a SWOT analysis of the potential partnership could be a useful decision-making tool.

5 Using the SWOT analysis for decision making

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SWOT Analysis

All business students are assigned to conduct SWOT analysis, usually at the earlier stages of their studies. This page focuses on the application of SWOT analysis in a business context as a part of academic assignments . This is a comprehensive SWOT resource and it contains an explanation of SWOT theory, an illustration of how to do a SWOT analysis and links to examples of SWOT analysis of major multinational brands. Moreover, SWOT analysis template further below can be used to generate SWOT tables of top multinational companies along a range of industries.

SWOT Analysis: Theory

SWOT is a strategic analytical tool for assessing strengths and weaknesses of a business, analyzing opportunities available to the business, as well as, threats faced by the business. SWOT analysis can be used at organizational and personal levels.

As it is illustrated below, strengths and weaknesses are internal, i.e. businesses are able to influence and to manipulate with their strengths and weaknesses. Opportunities and threats, on the other hand, are external. It means businesses can only react to opportunities and threats and they do not have any means to influence opportunities and threats.

SWOT analysis has important practical implications. Specifically, with findings of SWOT analysis in their hands, the senior level management identify and built upon their strengths, discover new opportunities and work upon eliminating or minimising threats to the business. Accordingly, SWOT can be a powerful aid for senior level management to develop appropriate strategy for the business.

As a strategic analytical tool, SWOT analysis has some weaknesses as well. Specifically, the application of this tool may encourage users to focus on quantity of factors, instead of focusing on a few, but the most powerful factors having the biggest impact on the business. In other words, SWOT analysis lacks guidance and provision in terms of differences in importance between factors. As a result weak strengths may appear to balance strong weaknesses.

The majority of sources explaining SWOT analysis assume that their audience is businesses aiming to improve their operational efficiency. This SWOT analysis resource is different. It explains SWOT analysis assuming that you a business student and you have been assigned to conduct SWOT analysis as a part of your assignment.

How to do SWOT Analysis

You can conduct a SWOT analysis with the following four steps:

Step 1: Selecting a company

If your assignment requires conducting a SWOT analysis, you are either given a case study company by your educational institution or you are free to analyze a company of your own choice. In the first scenario, you have no option but to conduct a SWOT analysis of the company named in your assignment instructions. However, the majority of educational institutions provide students the flexibility to conduct SWOT analysis of a company of their own choice.

Students are often tempted to conduct SWOT analysis of their employer. Choosing your employer as a case study can be a good strategy if you have an access to detailed relevant information. Please note that only descriptive information would not suffice and you will have to justify your arguments by referring to relevant quantitative data. Therefore, if you are not able to find relevant quantitative data about your employer, your best choice could be to conduct SWOT analysis of a multinational enterprise. This is due to the availability of data about the majority multinational enterprises. This portal offers up-to-date sample SWOT analyses of the most famous multinational enterprises as part of company reports .

Step 2: Finding information

If you are conducting a SWOT analysis of a small or medium sized organization such as your employer, family business or a company you are related to in some ways, approaching the company directly may prove to be an efficient strategy to obtain required information. You may try to secure a meeting with a senior level manager and explain practical implications of your SWOT analysis for the business. In other words, you may be able to convince a senior manager that results of your SWOT analysis may provide an important insight into the business and managers can act upon this knowledge to increase the efficiency of the business at various fronts.

Alternatively, if you are conducting SWOT analysis of a multinational enterprise, company annual report is usually the most comprehensive source of the relevant information. Note that annual reports highlight information about strengths of the business within the first few pages and you cannot find information about weaknesses of a company in its annual report for obvious reasons.

Information about Strengths in SWOT Analysis

Information about strengths of the company is easiest to find in your SWOT analysis. Strengths are competitive advantages of the business that made it successful in the first place. In case of small or medium sized organizations, the manager you are interviewing will be happy to discuss the strengths of the business.

In case of multinational companies, on the other hand, the first few pages of annual reports boast about competitive advantages of the business by referring to specific figures and charts. Using some of these charts in your assignment and properly referencing the source is going to increase the quality of your work.

You can determine strengths of businesses in answers to the following questions:

• What advantages does the company have?
• What does the company better than its competitors?
• What unique or low-cost resources are available to the company that are not available to its rivals?
• What Unique Selling Propositions (UPS) are associated with the company?

The following table illustrates the major strengths possessed by businesses and tips about how to discuss these strengths in your swot analysis:

Information about Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis

It may not be easy to find information about weaknesses of small and medium sized businesses. The manager you are interviewing may not want to discuss weaknesses of their business either intentionally, or they may not be aware of weaknesses. It is important for you to motivate your interviewee to discuss weaknesses of their company by asking relevant questions in a polite way.

It is easier with multinational organizations. An extensive online research can reveal relevant information about weaknesses associated with the company you are analyzing.The majority of big corporations have been involved in some kind of scandals during the past two years and you can discuss the damage of these scandals to the brand image as noteworthy weakness of the company.

For example, suppose you have chosen Coca Cola Company for your SWOT analysis assignment. If you google the term ‘Coca Cola scandal’, search results on the top relate to a scandal where the company funded obesity research that downplayed the negative health implications of Coca Cola products. Negative implications of this incident on Coca Cola brand image is brand’s weakness you can discuss in you SWOT analysis.

All arguments and numbers need to be referenced using referencing style required by your educational institution in an appropriate manner. Preference has to be given to online journals and magazines over online discussion forums and personal blogs.

Answers to the following questions can help to identify weaknesses of your case study company:

• What aspects of the business could the company improve?
• What should the company avoid?
• What factors are causing the company to lose sales?
• What aspects of products/services are customers are likely to see as weaknesses?

Major weaknesses of businesses and brief tips about discussing them in your assignment are illustrated in the following table:

Information about Opportunities in SWOT Analysis

Information about opportunities available to the business can be derived from its weaknesses in a way that businesses often have an opportunity to turn their weaknesses into strengths. At the same time, it is important that your SWOT analysis also identifies a set of opportunities that are not related to weaknesses. If you can’t think of any company-specific opportunities, you can discuss business opportunities that can be explored by any business in general, such as new product development, international market expansion and increasing the level of effectiveness of social media marketing. Interesting trends in the industry can also be opportunities for the business.

Opportunities can be identified through answering the following questions:

• What are interesting trends in the market that can be profitably explored by the company?
• What are the demographic and social changes that present new opportunities in the industry?
• Are there any government policies and regulations that can help the industry?
• Are there any opportunities for the company related to technological developments?

The following table illustrates the major opportunities available for businesses and tips about how to discuss these opportunities in your SWOT analysis:

Information about Threats in SWOT Analysis

Threats faced by the business can be classified into two categories. Firstly, there are company-specific threats that stem from company-specific factors such as the threat of losing market share due to ineffective cost structure or the threat of negative media coverage and damage to the brand image due to neglecting the importance of corporate social responsibility. Secondly, there are threats to the industry or to the economy on the whole, such as a threat of introducing tariffs to a certain range of products or the threat of a global economic and financial crisis. You will need to find information about threats belonging to both categories with more emphasis on the threats from the first category, i.e. company-specific threats.

You can identify the main threats to the business through answering the following questions:

• What are the main obstacles faced by the company?
• What are the latest developments in competitor Unique Selling Propositions?
• Does the company have substantial amount of bad debts or cash-flow problems?
• Was the company involved in any scandal recently?

Main threat facing the majority of businesses and brief tips about discussing them in your SWOT analysis are illustrated in the following table:

Step 3: Writing

You can structure your writing of SWOT analysis in the following way:

Firstly, you will need to discuss the company profile, its strategy and the most recent changes that have taken place in the company prior to presenting your SWOT analysis. The length of such a discussion depends on your assignment instructions and the total word count for your assignment.

Secondly, develop a SWOT Analysis Matrix for your chosen company. You can develop a table containing four sections headed strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of your chosen company can be presented in bullet points under respective boxes. These should be precise and verifiable statements.

Using steps 1 and 2 above, you should have long list of factors related to strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the business. Now it is time to prioritize factors to be included in your SWOT analysis by focusing on the most significant factors. The numbers of factors that should be discussed under each category depends on the total word-count for your assignment.

Thirdly, you have to discuss bullet points in your SWOT table. Your analysis needs to contain statistical data and ideally graphs and tables as well. Do not forget to reference sources, using referencing system  required by your university. Moreover, you can discuss how to address weaknesses and threats identified as a result of your SWOT analysis and get additional marks for your work.

SWOT Analysis Example

This portal contains example SWOT analysis of the following companies:

SWOT is an acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to organizations. The following table illustrates SWOT analysis:

SWOT Analysis Template

Please choose an industry and a company below to generate a SWOT table containing bullet points of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of your chosen company. In order to complete the SWOT analysis you will need to expand the bullet points into a couple of paragraphs with discussions and references from reliable sources to support your arguments.

How to Write a SWOT Analysis: A Comprehensive Guide

Having a plan and a smart strategy is really important in today’s changing world. A SWOT analysis helps to analyze strengths and weaknesses and address potential opposing sides of the project. Composing a SWOT analysis can give you a clear understanding of your current situation and the factors affecting your future performance.

A SWOT analysis can be used for various purposes, such as business, education, health, personal development, and more. Hence, the ability to write a SWOT analysis is critical for both students who work on a case study and business analyst who writes a SWOT analysis report.

This guide will take you through the detailed steps of writing a SWOT analysis and give practical advice to write a SWOT analysis paper.

Benefits of Writing a SWOT Analysis

Writing a SWOT analysis skill is important for business planning and personal development. People with this ability can form a structured framework to discover their strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, they will be aware of external opportunities and threats.

Writing a SWOT analysis will ensure that your business plan will achieve success. If you want to write a good SWOT analysis about yourself, this guide will also be helpful. Before diving deeper into the topic, let us explain the SWOT analysis concept. This method consists of four dimensions, each letter for one aspect:

• S stands for Strength .These are internal factors that give you an advantage. They could be skills, resources, or qualities that set you apart. Your strong sides can set you apart from competitors and become a determinant of your success. Strengths are very important for your personal and business strategy to move forward.
• W stands for Weaknesses .These are internal factors that hold you back and do not allow you to develop. Know your weaknesses if you want to succeed. Identifying them is crucial for improvement. A person who is aware of their own weak sides will learn how to address them for the good. 
• O stands for Opportunities .These are external factors in your environment that you can leverage to your advantage. You can see opportunities in new courses or classes to improve your knowledge and proficiency. Opportunities can be everywhere, and SWOT analysis helps to recognize them. Seeing opportunities is essential for personal and professional growth. 
• T stands for Threats . These are external factors that pose challenges and risks to your goals. They could be people or organizations that also want to succeed or just random or repetitive events that can prevent you from achieving goals. Knowing your threats will help you prepare and respond to challenges.

7 Easy Steps to Write a Great SWOT Analysis Paper

Writing a SWOT analysis may seem difficult. Indeed, you have to conduct a real investigation to reveal all necessary factors. However, do not worry, we will help! You only need to follow our six steps to make a detailed SWOT analysis paper in the best way.

Read carefully if you want to find out how to compose a SWOT analysis report. Let’s get started and make an effective paper together! 

Step 1: Research and gather information

Research the subject of your analysis carefully before starting a SWOT analysis report. You need to collect data on performance, market trends, and competitors for the company’s report. For a personal SWOT analysis, reflect on your goals, values, and skills.

Step 2: Create a detailed SWOT matrix

Organize a SWOT analysis table with four cells for each dimension. Then organize your findings in the matrix to make navigation easier. List each point clearly and provide examples to support them. The SWOT matrix will help you visualize your insights to facilitate the research.

Step 3: Write a SWOT analysis summary

Write a SWOT analysis summary that is clear and informative. Try to include all key points and important insights from the matrix. Your summary only includes the most important points of the analysis so other people can immediately get an outlook of your SWOT analysis. This section will become the backbone of your SWOT analysis report.

Step 4: Make an effective conclusion

Offer a final assessment of the situation in your conclusion. State how you aim to use strength and opportunities while mitigating weaknesses and threats. Make your conclusion strong and explicit, leaving no room for uncertainty.

Step 5: Follow APA format (if applicable)

Working on the academic essay may require the use of APA format for citations and references. Various guidelines will provide you with an outlook on basic rules and principles. Always pay attention to the formatting style to make your SWOT analysis report neat.

Step 6: Provide examples

Always use examples to support your points and make your analysis more informative. Examples add credibility to both case studies and personal essays. They will show your understanding of the topic and your experience and illustrate your writing skills.

Step 7: Seek for advice

Advice and professional assistance is an important part of learning. If you are struggling with your assignment, seek writing help from professional services. You can easily visit CustomWritings to write your paper by experienced writers offering assistance with various tasks, particularly SWOT analysis reports.

Crafting Your Path to Success

Seeking feedback from peers and mentors can also improve your SWOT analysis quality. Don’t be afraid to show your work to classmates and tutors to hear constructive criticism from other people. Your reviewer can provide a fresh perspective on your SWOT analysis paper and give suggestions for improvement.

Remember that we live in a society, so collaboration is key for personal and professional growth. The quality of your SWOT analysis report depends not only on you but on your ability to learn and perceive.

Now, we have learned about SWOT analysis and are aware of our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This knowledge has many applications, whether in school or work. You can use it for a business plan, personal goals, or case studies. SWOT analysis allows you to use your strengths wisely and proactively address challenges.

A SWOT analysis is not just a paper or report that you need for work or education. It is a dynamic tool for continuous improvement and decision-making in all life domains.

As you continue your journey, keep in mind these key takeaways. A thorough research is the backbone for a SWOT analysis. Real-world examples will provide depth and add credibility. Finally, the structured SWOT matrix and solid conclusion will make your report full. Use your SWOT analysis to guide your next steps and strategies.

It does not matter if you are a business professional, a student, or a person seeking development. A proper SWOT analysis is a tool for constant growth and adaptation.

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How to Write a Case Study Analysis

Step-By-Step Instructions

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When writing a business case study analysis , you must first have a good understanding of the case study . Before you begin the steps below, read the business case carefully, taking notes all the while. It may be necessary to read the case several times to get all of the details and fully grasp the issues facing the group, company, or industry.

As you are reading, do your best to identify key issues, key players, and the most pertinent facts. After you are comfortable with the information, use the following step-by-step instructions (geared toward a single-company analysis) to write your report. To write about an industry, just adapt the steps listed here to discuss the segment as a whole.

Step 1: Investigate the Company’s History and Growth

A company’s past can greatly affect the present and future state of the organization. To begin, investigate the company’s founding, critical incidents, structure, and growth. Create a timeline of events, issues, and achievements. This timeline will come in handy for the next step. 

Step 2: Identify Strengths and Weaknesses

Using the information you gathered in step one, continue by examining and making a list of the value creation functions of the company. For example, the company may be weak in product development but strong in marketing. Make a list of problems that have occurred and note the effects they have had on the company. You should also list areas where the company has excelled. Note the effects of these incidents as well.

You're essentially conducting a partial SWOT analysis to get a better understanding of the company's strengths and weaknesses. A SWOT analysis involves documenting things like internal strengths (S) and weaknesses (W) and external opportunities (O) and threats (T). 

Step 3: Examine the External Environment

The third step involves identifying opportunities and threats within the company’s external environment. This is where the second part of the SWOT analysis (the O and the T) comes into play. Special items to note include competition within the industry, bargaining powers, and the threat of substitute products. Some examples of opportunities include expansion into new markets or new technology. Some examples of threats include increasing competition and higher interest rates.

Step 4: Analyze Your Findings

Using the information in steps 2 and 3, create an evaluation for this portion of your case study analysis. Compare the strengths and weaknesses within the company to the external threats and opportunities. Determine if the company is in a strong competitive position, and decide if it can continue at its current pace successfully.

Step 5: Identify Corporate-Level Strategy

To identify a company’s corporate-level strategy, identify and evaluate the company’s mission , goals, and actions toward those goals. Analyze the company’s line of business and its subsidiaries and acquisitions. You also want to debate the pros and cons of the company strategy to determine whether or not a change might benefit the company in the short or long term.​

Step 6: Identify Business-Level Strategy

Thus far, your case study analysis has identified the company’s corporate-level strategy. To perform a complete analysis, you will need to identify the company’s business-level strategy. (Note: If it is a single business, without multiple companies under one umbrella, and not an industry-wide review, the corporate strategy and the business-level strategy are the same.) For this part, you should identify and analyze each company’s competitive strategy, marketing strategy, costs, and general focus.

Step 7: Analyze Implementations

This portion requires that you identify and analyze the structure and control systems that the company is using to implement its business strategies. Evaluate organizational change, levels of hierarchy, employee rewards, conflicts, and other issues that are important to the company you are analyzing.

Step 8: Make Recommendations

The final part of your case study analysis should include your recommendations for the company. Every recommendation you make should be based on and supported by the context of your analysis. Never share hunches or make a baseless recommendation.

You also want to make sure that your suggested solutions are actually realistic. If the solutions cannot be implemented due to some sort of restraint, they are not realistic enough to make the final cut.

Finally, consider some of the alternative solutions that you considered and rejected. Write down the reasons why these solutions were rejected. 

Step 9: Review

Look over your analysis when you have finished writing. Critique your work to make sure every step has been covered. Look for grammatical errors , poor sentence structure, or other things that can be improved. It should be clear, accurate, and professional.

Business Case Study Analysis Tips

Keep these strategic tips in mind:

• Know the case study ​backward and forward before you begin your case study analysis.
• Give yourself enough time to write the case study analysis. You don't want to rush through it.
• Be honest in your evaluations. Don't let personal issues and opinions cloud your judgment.
• Be analytical, not descriptive.
• Proofread your work, and even let a test reader give it a once-over for dropped words or typos that you no longer can see.
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SWOT Analysis

The swot analysis is an extremely useful tool to assess a company’s strategic positioning, use a swot analysis to determine whether a company’s key strategies are aligned with its objectives and what obstacles have to be overcome.

Internal positive factors are called  S trengths, internal negative factors are called W eaknesses, external positive factors are called  O pportunities, and external negative factors are called T hreats. This framework is seldom used in the day-to-day work of MBB consultants because it overlaps between many categories (for example, customers putting pressure on prices can be seen as either an external threat or an internal weakness of the customer base). However, in case interviews , the SWOT analysis can still be used as a tool to segment influences into a  2x2 matrix . 

We will now go over each of the four branches in more detail and provide examples. 

Strengths  (Internal positive factors)

The strengths of a company are its resources and capabilities, for example:

• Image/Goodwill
• Financial resources
• Access to networks, natural resources

Weaknesses  (Internal negative factors)

Weaknesses can usually be viewed as the absence of specific strengths or things that are done better by competitors, for example:

• Poor reputation
• High cost structure
• Lack of customer/employee loyalty
• Lack of innovative R&D
• Lack of access to key distribution channels/resources/trade associations

Opportunities  (External positive factors)

Opportunities reveal new options for growth in profits including:

• New technologies
• Removing barriers to trade
• Loosening of regulations
• Entry into new markets

Threats  (External negative factors)

External changes that will have a negative effect on growth and profit are threats, for example:

• A shift in customers’ needs, expectations, and taste away from the core of the companies products
• New regulations
• Neutral factors like this can also be opportunities if they are beneficial to the company
• Especially with external factors like these, it is important to set it into the context of the respective company
• New market entrants/low barriers to entry
• Emergence of a substitute product (see Porter's Five Forces )

Once you have completed the SWOT analysis, draw insights into the matrix

After lining out the gathered information in a simple 2x2 Matrix ,  step further by identifying strategies that address the following questions:

• How to use strengths to take advantage of the opportunities.
• How to take advantage of the strengths to avoid threats.
• How to use opportunities to overcome weaknesses.
• How to minimize weaknesses and avoid them.

Key takeaways

• The SWOT matrix is a simple analysis of internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats.
• Opportunities can be seen as threats and vice versa.
• SWOT matrices don’t show the interrelationship between internal and external factors.
• The SWOT analysis itself does not allow us to make strategic decisions but can be used for meaningful insights.

Home » blog » Understand SWOT Analysis With 3 Examples – Netflix, Pepsico & Starbucks

Understand SWOT Analysis With 3 Examples – Netflix, Pepsico & Starbucks

Brand marketing is an ancient art form. Did you know ancient civilizations would stamp their goods for customers to guarantee the quality? That was probably the earliest form of cultivating brand loyalty. 

Then came the printing press. With it, we entered the age of pamphlets, posters and paper-centric information. 

With mass media, brands made an appearance everywhere. Outside your window on a billboard, next to your favorite newspaper crossword and in between your favorite TV show. 

If you follow the trail, brands go where the customers are. When the consumer moved online, all companies followed suit. We are now in the age of digital marketing. It’s an advanced form of the marketing industry that uses sophisticated techniques and technology to reach the target customer. Unlike earlier, you no longer have to shout from the rooftops about your brand. Now you can quietly slip into someone’s email or cleverly catch their attention through social media algorithms. In 2022, five billion people were on the internet. With digital marketing, not only can you effectively reach out to this massive number, but you can also personalize the message to have a significant impact. It also helps to perform a SWOT analysis in marketing as it always helps to understand your company better and enhance productivity. 

What Is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing is a form of online communication that uses different electronic media to promote brands and spread messages. People are constantly on their phones, tablets or computers. Look around, and you’ll see eyeballs glued to phone screens everywhere. That tiny piece of digital space is prime marketing real estate. You can use it to showcase ads, banners, links, direct emails and social media posts that are tailor-made to appeal to the customer. It’s an exciting opportunity to be creative yet precise. You can fine-tune your strategy to appeal to specific consumers. It is a fantastic way to generate interest in your products among potential customers as you create a unique connection. 

Read more about Digital Marketing

Why Do Digital Marketing Agencies Use SWOT Analysis? 

The competition between brands has never been more fierce. If you want the online user to prefer your brand and be a loyal customer, you need a structured system to form your strategy. That is what SWOT is all about. Here is the SWOT full form in marketing:

Opportunities 

SWOT isn’t a new tool. It has already been implemented by companies the world over. However, it has also proven useful when it comes to digital marketing. It is a valuable method to help your business become successful and stay ahead of the competition. 

What is SWOT analysis? 

The SWOT method can help you create a long-term digital marketing strategy that works. It is essential to ask the right questions when doing the analysis. 

Internal factors

• What is the company’s USP?
• What is the quality of services compared to other businesses?
• How strong is our brand recall?
• Do we have a strong clientele?

Weaknesses 

• In which areas are we lacking productivity? 
• Where are we falling behind our competition?
• What complaints have we received?
• Any internal limitations are affecting our targets?

External factors  

• Will the new product fill in a gap in the market?
• Can we reach out to a larger audience? 
• Is there a faster, more efficient way to increase numbers?
• Is new technology affecting our business?
• Are new products in the market taking our customers?
• Is there a lack of resources due to unforeseen circumstances? 

Benefits Of Doing A SWOT Analysis In Marketing

• You can build an efficient model that helps you accurately gauge the business performance
• Analyze the organization’s internal and external strengths 
• You learn how to increase visibility in the market
• Develop a plan of action that is implemented when needed 
• Discover new areas of opportunities 
• You can understand your business position in the market better, especially when compared to the competition
• You solve customer problems and business-related challenges 
• Understand where the company needs improvement 

Case studies for SWOT Analysis in digital marketing

The electronic transformation of businesses has created a paradigm shift in how companies are run. You need a high-powered digital strategy to optimize your presence across all online channels. Here are a few major companies that have successfully used product SWOT analysis to enhance their digital marketing campaign. 

As one of the most viewed OTT platforms, Netflix has nearly 200 million subscribers all over the world. However, they are facing a lot of competition from other streaming services and have lost quite a few subscriptions in 2022. Here is the SWOT analysis for Netflix: 

• The streaming service enjoys a strong reputation worldwide and has a big name in the market 
• Award-winning, original content across various genres that is customized to every region 
• Flexible services
• Uses data analytics to create algorithms for personalized recommendations 
• The user-centric strategy aimed at keeping the customers happy 
• Available across different media platforms such as phones, tablets and laptops
• Uses SEO, social media channels and emails to attract and retain customers 
• Prime content is largely aimed at the North American region and needs to improve quality for non-English speaking areas 
• Limited copyright issues which affect their profits 
• Weak customer service department that influences consumer satisfaction 
• Pricing is higher than the competition
• Increasing debt 

OPPORTUNITIES 

• Can enter other digital domains such as gaming, VR, interactive channels, etc. 
• Tie up with production companies in various countries and encourage new talent to create high-quality yet localized content
• Improve social media presence by collaborating with influencers, celebrities and industry giants 
• Create an innovative digital marketing strategy to promote content and create hype
• Use algorithms to personalize direct emails to every customer 
• Introduce an advertising-based model to increase revenue 
• Losing subscribers to cheaper services like Amazon Prime and Disney+, YouTube
• Stricter government rules in some countries can affect the content streamed there 
• Saturated markets as subscription rates have slowed down 
• Piracy over Netflix shows occurs all over the world, leading to several losses 

What started as a beverage company to rival Coca-Cola, is now a multi-brand, diversified food giant with a steady hold over the market in many countries. However, the packaged food industry is saturated with many products. Can the company continue to command such a large share of market value?

Here is the SWOT analysis for PepsiCo: 

• Overwhelming global presence in over 200 countries 
• Occupies a dominant position in all major outlets, such as restaurants, supermarkets, vending machines, etc.
• Known for its award-winning advertising and traditional marketing strategies 
• Targets the younger generation 
• Excellent supply chain management system that reduces production costs 
• Partners with major sports events and hires famous celebrities as brand ambassadors 

WEAKNESSES 

• The entire portfolio of products is in the ‘unhealthy’ classification, therefore a large section of the target audience, i.e. children, are not allowed to indulge often
• Spends too much money on retaining big celebrities, TV ads and other forms of traditional media 
• Are responsible for contributing to major environmental issues such as excess plastic production, water and air pollution, etc. 
• Have quite a few failed products in their kitty, such as Pepsi Blue
• The company has been in several controversies over the years, which has tarnished their reputation 
• Expanding their presence online through various e-commerce platforms 
• Increase research and development funding in the health food sector of the industry 
• Adapt to changing trends by introducing newer flavors and updating older packaging to appeal to a younger audience 
• Most of the younger generation is now found online
• Explore options to connect with target audiences through social media ads, online content sponsorships, banners and emails
• Hire digital content creators to add value to PepsiCo’s online presence 
• Tie up with online food brands or food delivery apps 
• There is intense competition in the food and beverage industry
• Many consumers are moving towards a healthier lifestyle and are well aware of the harmful effects of excess salt and sugar 
• If PepsiCo doesn’t adapt to newer technology and changes in the marketplace, it will lose out to stronger competitors 
• Government regulations about ‘unhealthy’ foods can affect their business 
• Demographics are changing as some countries have a higher population of older people which is not PepsiCo’s target audience 
• Sales are hit during economic crises and recessions

A multinational chain of coffeehouses that is also a multi-billion dollar enterprise, Starbucks is a textbook corporate success story. The organization took the humble cup of coffee and transformed it into an addictive experience. However, can they make as much of an impact with most of their customers shopping online? 

Here is the SWOT analysis for Starbucks:

• Loyal customers who are devoted to buying Starbucks products 
• A wide selection of premium beverages and edibles 
• Cool, urban vibe that appeals to most coffee drinkers 
• Huge presence and a strong reputation around the world 
• Continues to be a profitable venture 
• There are a lot of newer, cheaper options available on the local level in several countries 
• The company is subjected to different government regulations and tax laws that exist in other nations
• It can be a challenge to procure coffee beans at competitive prices, especially from other countries 
• The menu needs to change periodically to ensure customers don’t tire of the brand

OPPORTUNITIES

• The Asian markets are an untapped segment and prime for expansion 
• Moving to online delivery apps can help reach a wider net of customers 
• Direct marketing methods such as social media tie-ups and emailers can keep the customer aware of new products and discounts 
• Use data analytics to observe the more popular, trending products and capitalize on them 
• Other multinational fast-food chains such as Mcdonald’s offer cheaper coffee 
• The younger generation prefers healthier or vegan options for hot beverages 
• Too many sugary drinks or salty foods can be considered a ‘health hazard’ 
• The lack of a strong digital presence can cause the brand to lose some of its value

About The Digital Marketing Course 

If you want to be the next big thing in digital marketing, you need to do a course and get certified first. A digital marketing qualification teaches you industry-centric knowledge and skills to master the genre. Once you receive your certificate, you can work in any company. Almost all organizations are now online or are getting there. As a digital marketing specialist, you will be in great demand.

Course Syllabus

Here are some of the topics that are covered in the digital marketing certification

• Internet marketing foundation
• Paid Search Marketing
• Display Advertising
• Email Marketing
• Social Media

Why Proschool’s Digital Marketing Course Is One Of TheBest

A good coaching center helps you holistically prepare for the digital marketing course . Proschool has a wide range of resources, innovative teaching methods and a stellar faculty to ensure you are well-equipped to join the industry. The institute has adopted active learning methods, so the students learn from real-world examples. The students are put together in groups and work as a team. The onus is to learn by ‘doing’. There is also a strong focus on skill development. Once you finish the course, you are eligible to apply for six certifications by Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. 

Course highlights:

• There is a 3-week that spans 20 hours 
• The 3-month course has an 80-hour duration
• You receive an NSDC certification with the 3-month program 
• You can attend weekend classes or do the course online 
• The coaching classes cover all the subjects, including case studies using SWOT analysis 
• On completion, Proschool offers all its students job placement assistance 
• You are well-trained in digital marketing and ready to apply for any entry-level job

In Conclusion 

Digital marketing is here to stay. Traditional companies are fast making a move online while new start-ups begin their journey in cyberspace. To help businesses grow, a SWOT analysis of digital marketing is an important tool. It draws focus on the key points of the company and areas where improvement is needed. You can do it at any time, for any reason. And the results will help you achieve your targets. 

Find out more about the digital marketing course here

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PESTLE Analysis

The Latest and Best Analysis Online

SWOT Analysis: Everything You Need to Know

Last Updated: Mar 31, 2024 by Jim Makos Filed Under: SWOT Analysis

What is a SWOT Analysis?

SWOT analysis reveals the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of an organization. It’s a strategic planning tool used in business and project management.

Here, I will discuss everything you need to know about SWOT analysis if you run across this analysis for the first time. In the next 10 minutes, you’ll know more about SWOT analysis than 99% of people out there, as I’m explaining everything as concisely as possible. Let’s start.

What does SWOT stand for?

Did you know that SWOT was initially known as SOFT analysis, standing for Satisfactory, Opportunity, Fault, and Threat before evolving into SWOT?

SWOT analysis now stands for these four words:

• Strengths (the ‘S’ in SWOT)
• Weaknesses (the ‘W’ in SWOT)
• Opportunities (the ‘O’ in SWOT)
• Threats (the ‘T’ in SWOT)

Now, let’s take a closer look at each of those.

What are the 4 Steps/Components of SWOT Analysis?

These four components of SWOT analysis are split into two parts:

• The Internal Factors
• The External Factors

SWOT Analysis Internal Factors

Strengths and Weaknesses are considered the internal factors affecting a business.

Strengths in a SWOT analysis refer to the internal attributes that provide an organization, individual, or project a competitive advantage in the market.

The weaknesses are the internal factors that hinder the growth of an organization or project.

SWOT Analysis External Factors

Opportunities and Threats are considered the external factors affecting a business.

• Opportunities

Opportunities are the chances that lie in front of an organization to grow or a project to reach new highs.

Threats in a SWOT analysis refer to external factors that could threaten the success of an organization or a project.

Why is SWOT Analysis important?

I’ve found that SWOT analysis has an edge over all the other tools since SWOT provides a complete picture of what internal and external factors impact a business, industry, or individual. In addition, SWOT analysis is a very simple tool to use by people like me who lack business education. Here are 6 reasons why SWOT is important :

• SWOT analysis helps organizations make well-informed operational decisions in general
• SWOT analysis helps organizations identify growth opportunities and develop strategies to capitalize on those
• SWOT analysis helps businesses to gain and hold a competitive advantage
• SWOT analysis helps businesses allocate their resources efficiently and maximize profits
• SWOT analysis helps organizations form strategies according to their external and internal environment
• By doing so, SWOT analysis ensures the long-term sustainability of a business

When to use a SWOT Analysis?

I use SWOT analysis when I find myself in any of the following scenarios:

• I am setting new goals or refining existing ones, either before launching a new project or when planning for the future of a business ( strategic planning )
• I’m entering new markets and want to evaluate their potential and challenges, as I’m looking to launch new products or services (business growth and expansion)
• I’m looking to fix operational inefficiencies in a business or improve my project’s standing (operational improvement)
• I’m identifying vulnerabilities to a project’s process and want to predict the consequences of any change I attempt ( risk management )
• I’m making a new investment or budgeting decision (resource allocation)
• I’m reviewing annual financial data and speaking with my team about any findings (organizational reflection)
• I’m considering a merger and acquisition
• I’m focusing on the R&D department and how technology can help my task (innovation and research)

In general, it’s beneficial to conduct a SWOT analysis periodically, such as annually. Or at the very least, when preparing for important business decisions.

How to do and write a good SWOT Analysis

Writing a good SWOT Analysis is easy .

It’s just listing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats you found. It’s the research to unearth those valuable stats and reports that is hard.

So, I start by doing research online:

• Google is my friend
• I check media sites for the latest news on the company I’m analyzing
• Press releases can sometimes prove helpful
• The company’s website might have some fresh data that isn’t published elsewhere
• Social media and especially X (formerly Twitter) has been quite helpful in the past
• Forums like Reddit are my last resort

But my research doesn’t stop when I turn off my computer. At times, real-life personal experience has provided me with a SWOT element I would have otherwise missed.

So, now that I’ve got my data, I still have one task at hand before conducting the SWOT analysis.

Sorting. Ranking my findings will help me pinpoint key elements of my SWOT analysis down the line and focus on what’s important.

Now, I’m done with collecting my data. It’s time to put it on the paper.

SWOT Table or Matrix

Whatever I found during my research and consider important for my SWOT analysis will be included in a SWOT table . For that, I’ll have to draw a 2×2 table and label rows, columns and cells. After that, I’ll have to fill each of these cells with my findings.

The final SWOT matrix will clearly highlight the points of improvement so that the business or project continues on the right path.

But if I’m doing a SWOT analysis for this website, I’ll use our own template.

SWOT Analysis Template

This is the general SWOT template I use whenever I’m doing a SWOT analysis for PESTLEanalysis.com. I add the company’s name to the title and replace the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats according to my research.

More often than not, these factors tend to be common between a lot of projects and companies. Especially if they operate in the same industry. So, don’t be afraid if you run across the same factors for different companies.

For instance, technological innovation will likely be an opportunity for more than 90% tech companies you are analyzing!

Benefits and Limitations of SWOT Analysis

Let’s check out a few benefits of SWOT:

• Everyone can do a SWOT analysis, even with no previous business experience, thanks to the internet’s free information
• SWOT can find applications in many studies
• SWOT promotes discussion
• The analysis is visually pleasing
• SWOT offers valuable insight
• SWOT fosters collaboration

SWOT analysis can be somewhat limited nonetheless:

• SWOT might not be well-suited for positive thinkers since it focuses on the negatives more or less
• As a consequence, SWOT might not be that motivational to me or my team
• SWOT is not that proactive or action-oriented
• SWOT does not analyze the external factors as much as a PESTLE analysis does
• SWOT makes me think that last year’s analysis may be still good this year; big mistake
• SWOT might make a threat look bigger than it actually is

That’s why I tend to use SWOT analysis together with alternatives .

SWOT Analysis Example

Alright, now we’ve covered all that ground, let me show you how I did a SWOT analysis of Adidas recently.

I began by doing research on the company: economic reports, revenue and profit margin, when it started doing business, its history and background, etc. No matter how familiar I am with a popular company, I always discover new facts during my research. And these facts don’t necessarily need to be strictly business.

If you’ve followed the website for a while, you’ll know that I like including little-known facts about the companies I’m analyzing. When I check analyses done in the corporate world, I find them too ‘professional.’ As an outsider to the business realm and with no business degree, let alone a PhD under my belt, I like having a bit of fun while also getting the job done.

So, once I have a pretty good knowledge of the business’ whereabouts, I start with strengths .

For Adidas, the powerful global brand name stood out immediately. Then came endorsements with athletes, proving Adidas’ strong marketing game. Then I followed through with pinpointing more strengths and completed the first part.

For weaknesses, I looked into one of their main competitors, Nike. It turns out that Nike is doing a better job when it comes to partnering with celebrities. Also, common weaknesses of companies operating globally fell into place here as well. These include a complex supply chain and currency fluctuations. These will appear in more SWOT analyses that you think!

So, since Adidas has fallen back on their relationship with celebrities, this could pose as an opportunity for the company. Hence, I include collaborations with celebrities and designers as an opportunity, in an effort for Adidas to penetrate the fashion industry more and reach new audiences.

Once I had enough opportunities listed, I moved to the last part: Threats. When we’re talking of a saturated and competitive market, competition will always threaten the top brands. It’s one thing to reach the top, and it’s another thing to stay there. Other threats I ran across were labor costs, environmental regulations, and technological advancements by competitors. For instance, Nike launched a new Air Max shoe, capitalizing on technological innovations that have been happening lately, which I only heard when I did a PESTLE analysis for Nike! You never know when one analysis will lead to an update on another!

Now, having a complete list of every component for my SWOT analysis, I was ready to fill in the blanks in my SWOT template.

Notice that the Adidas SWOT analysis is different than the SWOT template I included in the beginning.

More business analysis strategies

Before I wrap up, I have to remind you that SWOT is just one of many business analysis tools and strategies. Although I focus more on PESTLE analysis in this website , I may occasionally write about the following tools:

• If you haven’t heard about PESTLE analysis, I’ve got you covered
• Porter’s Five Forces assesses the competitive environment
• Value Chain analysis demonstrates that I should add as much value to my product as possible
• Ansoff Matrix , a strategic tool that tells me if I should sell new products or target new markets
• BCG Matrix , a business management tool based on dogs, cows and stars (yes, really)
• VRIO framework is used for internal analysis and focuses on resources
• SWOC analysis is similar to SWOT, since it substitutes (T)hreats with (C)hallenges.

Finally, the whole point of a SWOT analysis is to act on it, of course. Once someone has completed an analysis, they need to:

• Build on their Strengths
• Take care of their Weaknesses
• Seize Opportunities
• Never forget the Threats

And now you know more than 99% of the people out there about SWOT analysis!

How to do a SWOT Analysis The Right Way + [Free Template]

Here's how to do a SWOT Analysis in 5 Easy Steps. Analyze your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Plust get our Free SWOT Analysis Template.

Ben runs the content operation at Mayple. He's got 7+ years in digital marketing, previously worked for an 8-figure eCommerce brand, has published articles on FastCompany, Invoca, Loox, Sindible, and ShaneBarker.

Learn about our

Natalie is a content writer and manager who is passionate about using her craft to empower others. She thrives on team dynamic, great coffee, and excellent content. One of these days, she might even get to her own content ideas.

Updated November 20, 2023.

Running a marketing strategy without doing a SWOT analysis is like driving a car without GPS. You're definitely going somewhere, but you're probably not going to get to your destination.

I remember I was taking a graduate-level course in marketing strategy and we spent several classes talking about SWOT analysis. And I thought to myself, man, this is so basic, why do we need to cover this?

What I found out is that a thorough SWOT analysis is the foundation of a firm's strategy. It's the first thing that investors ask when they're talking to a new startup and it's the framework companies use to create new products.

In this post, we break down exactly what a SWOT analysis is, how you can use it to grow your business, and provide a really easy marketing template to make it all happen.

Let's dive in.

What is a SWOT analysis?

SWOT analysis is a framework used to identify the internal and external factors that affect your business. It was created in the 1960s by Albert Humphrey of the Stanford Research Institute during a study he conducted to understand why corporate planning consistently failed.

SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

Strengths are internal factors you have control over, such as your company’s human resources, finances, or expertise. Weaknesses are also internal factors that can be improved upon with time and effort.

Opportunities and threats are external factors. Opportunities can include a new market, consumer demand, or new technology. Threats can be a new competitor or a demand for a new feature that you don't currently have.

SWOT analysis gives businesses insight into where they stand at any given point in time so they can make smart decisions about where to focus their efforts moving forward — whether it's on growing their strengths or overcoming weaknesses — while minimizing threats and capitalizing on opportunities.

The Benefits of doing a SWOT analysis

There are many benefits to a SWOT analysis including:

• It provides you with an overview of your business , allowing you to see its internal strengths and weaknesses as well as any external opportunities or threats.
• It helps you identify your biggest competitors (competitor analysis) and your position in the market (or market share)
• A SWOT analysis can be used to identify new market trends and see where improvements need to be made in order for the company to grow
• It helps companies uncover expansion opportunities by understanding their situation better so they can plan accordingly
• It helps businesses control risks and take advantage of opportunities
• It helps businesses create a marketing plan that sets out their goals and objectives for the future of their company

Components of SWOT Analysis

Strengths are the positive qualities of your business that give you an advantage over others. Areas in which you excel, or have a strong reputation, can be listed here.

Strengths are the internal positive attributes that are in your favor, that provide your company with a competitive advantage. They can be tangible or intangible, but they’re the things that you do really well. This could include a certain technology or product feature, intellectual property, a talented team member, or even something more fundamental such as raw materials or a strong cash reserve.

Here are some examples:

• You have a leadership team that is experienced in the industry and has worked together for many years.
• Your company has a reputation for being environmentally friendly and sustainable.
• Your company values its employees, which means you have a low turnover rate and high employee morale.

Weaknesses are internal disadvantages or drawbacks of your organization. This is typically a lack of experience, resources, or technical expertise. This key component of a SWOT analysis can include weaknesses in relation to other companies in your industry or

For example, if you want to start a business in the food industry and don't have much capital to invest in starting up the business, or if you lack cooking skills, then that would be your weakness.

Opportunities

Opportunities are external factors that can help your business grow in a positive way. They could include:

• Government policy changes that favor your business
• The exit of key players in the market
• An increase in demand due to a change in consumer preferences

Opportunities are also called “market opportunities” or “external opportunities” because they help you find ways to capitalize on market trends and customer needs.

Threats are external factors that can disrupt your business and can include anything from competitors to changing regulations to economic conditions.

Examples of threats in different industries include:

• A competitor who is offering a similar product at a lower price point (which is why it’s super important to track competitor pricing )
• The introduction of new technology that makes your company's products obsolete.
• An unstable political environment or natural disaster that causes disruption in supply chains, making it difficult for you to fulfill orders on time or at all

Internal vs external factors in a SWOT analysis

Looking at the four components of the SWOT analysis you'll notice that they divide into two main ones - internal factors and external factors. An internal factor is something that your company can control, like a strength or weakness. An external factor is something that's outside of your company's control, like an opportunity or threat.

And that's what really makes the framework so powerful for brands. Marketing teams have biases and tend to ignore one or more quadrants (oops) and that's why you should do this analysis to make sure you have everything you need to create a really good strategic plan and make better business decisions.

How to do a SWOT analysis

Now that you know what goes into a SWOT analysis let's talk about how to actually do one. Here are five simple steps to help you use the framework.

Step 1 - Determine your goal

Before you start the actual SWOT analysis, it's important to know the purpose of your analysis and what you hope to achieve at the end of the process. That way, you can make sure that every step of the process is relevant and helpful.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Are you launching a new business and need to create a business plan?
• Are you trying to improve your existing business strategies?
• Do you need to pivot and better align your product with your target audience?
• Are you looking to expand into a new geography and need to determine what potential threats there may be or what future operations will look like?

Now that you have your goal in mind, it's time to gather some data.

Step 2 - Gather your data

To create your SWOT analysis, you will need data and information about your business and the market. You can get this by interviewing employees, surveying customers, or examining existing data and reports.

The best way to work through the framework is to have a brainstorming session with all of the relevant team members. You should grab someone from marketing, product, R&D, operations, and customer service.

Step 3 - Compile ideas

Once you have everyone in the room it's time to fill out the four quadrants. You should begin to list ideas for each category, as many as possible.

Here are a few key analysis questions to answer:

• What is our competitive advantage?
• What resources do we have?
• Which of our products is performing well?
• What resources do we lack?
• Where can we improve?
• Which products are underperforming?
• What new trends are we seeing in the marketplace?
• Can we expand our operations?
• What new market segments can we test?
• What potential opportunities exist for the company
• What are competitors doing?
• What regulations are changing?
• How are consumer trends changing?
• What are the various external negative factors that could impact our business performance in the future?

Step 4 - Refine findings

Now it's time to clean up your ideas. Take your list for each category and select the most important factors. The most powerful strengths and weaknesses, the most promising opportunities, and the most troubling threats. You may need to debate some of these until you finalize your analysis.

Step 5 - Develop the strategy

The next step is to develop a strategy based on the information you have gathered from your SWOT analysis. This involves deciding which opportunities will be prioritized and how you will address the threats.

You should create the main action plan with a list of action items for each department. And you should also create a contingency plan in case something goes wrong.

Get our SWOT Analysis Template

Use our SWOT analysis template to create your own analysis or help revise an existing analysis and make improvements. It's a really easy customizable Google Sheet template that you can duplicate, and make your own.

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• How to perform a SWOT analysis in practice with case study
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Performing a SWOT analysis involves analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities , and threats of a business or project . Here’s a practical step-by-step guide to conducting a SWOT analysis:

• Define the objective: Clearly state the purpose of the analysis. It could be for a specific project , a department, a product, or the entire business.
• Gather a diverse team: Bring together a group of individuals who have a good understanding of the subject matter. Include people from different departments or backgrounds to ensure a comprehensive perspective.
• Identify strengths (internal): Analyze the positive attributes of the business or project . Consider factors such as unique skills, expertise, resources, market position, brand reputation, competitive advantage, and successful past performance. Ask questions like: What does the organization do well? What advantages does it have over competitors?

• Identify weaknesses (internal): Identify the areas where the business or project lacks strength or has potential vulnerabilities. Look at factors such as skill gaps, limited resources, weak infrastructure, poor processes, low customer satisfaction, and areas where competitors have an advantage. Ask questions like: What does the organization need to improve? What obstacles does it face?
• Identify opportunities (external): Examine external factors that could provide growth or improvement opportunities . Consider emerging trends, market changes, technological advancements, new customer segments, partnerships, or untapped markets. Ask questions like: What new market or technology trends could benefit the organization? What opportunities are available in the industry or market?
• Identify threats (external): Identify external factors that could pose risks or challenges to the business or project . Look at market competition, changing regulations, economic conditions, disruptive technologies, or negative trends. Ask questions like: What are the potential risks the organization faces? What obstacles are competitors or market conditions creating?
• Analyze the findings: Once the SWOT analysis is complete, review and analyze the collected information. Look for connections, patterns, or relationships between different elements of the analysis. Identify key insights, prioritize issues, and assess the impact of each factor .
• Develop an action plan: Based on the analysis, develop a strategic action plan. Capitalize on strengths, minimize weaknesses, exploit opportunities , and mitigate threats. Prioritize the actions based on their potential impact and feasibility.
• Implement and review: Put the action plan into practice and monitor progress. Regularly review and revise the plan as necessary to adapt to changing circumstances or new information.

Remember that a SWOT analysis is just one tool in the strategic planning process . It provides a snapshot of the current situation and helps identify areas of focus, but it should be used in conjunction with other analytical tools and frameworks for a comprehensive strategic approach.

Let’s take a hypothetical case study of a small software development company conducting a SWOT analysis.

Define the objective: The objective of the SWOT analysis is to assess the company’s current position and identify strategies to enhance its competitiveness in the market.

Gather a diverse team: The team consists of the CEO, the head of software development, a marketing manager, a finance representative, and a customer support executive.

Identify strengths (internal):

• Strong technical expertise in software development.
• High-quality software products with a track record of customer satisfaction.
• Skilled and motivated software development team.
• Efficient project management processes.
• Established relationships with key clients.
• Strong financial position with healthy cash flow.

Identify weaknesses (internal):

• Limited marketing capabilities and brand visibility.
• Reliance on a few key clients for a significant portion of revenue.
• Lack of diversification in software offerings.
• Inadequate resources for research and development.
• Skills gap in emerging technologies.
• Inconsistent customer support response times.

Identify opportunities (external):

• Growing demand for mobile app development.
• Expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) market.
• Increased adoption of cloud computing solutions.
• Potential partnerships with complementary software companies.
• Market expansion into untapped geographic regions.
• Government initiatives supporting technology-driven industries.

Identify threats (external):

• Intense competition from larger software development firms.
• Rapidly changing technological landscape.
• Data security and privacy concerns.
• Economic downturn affecting customer spending.
• Regulatory changes impacting software development practices.
• Difficulty in attracting and retaining top talent.

Analyze the findings:

• The company’s technical expertise and strong customer relationships are valuable assets.
• The limited marketing capabilities and heavy reliance on a few clients pose risks.
• Expanding into mobile app development, IoT, and cloud computing offers growth opportunities .
• Strategic partnerships can help enhance product offerings and market reach.
• The company needs to invest in research and development to stay competitive.
• Addressing customer support response times can improve customer satisfaction.

Develop an action plan:

• Strengthen marketing efforts to increase brand visibility and attract new clients.
• Diversify software offerings to include mobile app development, IoT, and cloud solutions.
• Seek strategic partnerships with complementary software companies.
• Allocate resources for research and development to stay ahead in emerging technologies.
• Improve customer support processes and reduce response times.
• Develop contingency plans to mitigate potential threats.

Implement and review:

The company implements the action plan, assigns responsibilities, and sets timelines. Progress is regularly monitored, and the plan is adjusted as needed. Quarterly or annual reviews are conducted to assess the effectiveness of the strategies.

By conducting this SWOT analysis and implementing the resulting action plan, the software development company can capitalize on its strengths, seize opportunities , address weaknesses, and mitigate threats, ultimately enhancing its competitive position in the market.

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How to Conduct a SWOT Analysis in Marketing [+Examples]

By Jessie Strongitharm , Jul 12, 2022

As marketers, we know how important it is to do your research — especially when it comes to your own strategies, campaigns and all decision-making therein. Yet in my experience, being balanced in your assessments ain’t easy when you’re on the inside looking in. 

Luckily, that’s exactly where a marketing SWOT analysis comes into play. 

A SWOT analysis helps you identify the strengths, weaknesses, potentials and pitfalls of your company so you can refine your strategies for the future.

So in today’s blog, you’ll learn how to use a SWOT analysis to identify problems and strategize solutions in marketing. I’ve also included plenty of customizable templates to give you a leg up.

Let’s get started!

Click to jump ahead

What is a marketing swot analysis , why should marketers conduct a swot analysis, how to create a marketing swot analysis .

• What are common SWOT analysis mistakes?
• SWOT analysis in marketing FAQs 

Hint: It’s no fly-shooing action, nor an internet prank gone wrong. 

A SWOT analysis is a simple and practical evaluation model that helps you understand the internal and external conditions that can make or break your marketing plans . Here’s a quick video on the topic for more context: 

Shorthand for Strengths , Weaknesses , Opportunities , and Threats , SWOT analyses are strategic tools that allow you to visually showcase these insights by organizing them within columns or a matrix. 

Typically, each section explores aspects of a company’s performance, resources and competitive position in the marketplace. Here’s a brief overview of each category: 

Strengths (internal) – Your strengths are the advantages you have in relation to the market and your competitors –  AKA your core competencies, Unique Selling Propositions (USPs) and the areas your brand should focus on to differentiate from others. A strong online presence, diverse service offerings and in-house talent are some examples of strengths. 

Weaknesses (internal) – Your weaknesses are the characteristics of your company that place you at a disadvantage compared to others. Limited resources, poor differentiation from competitors and negative customer perceptions are all examples of weaknesses that affect marketing.

Opportunities (external) – Opportunities are elements in your business’s environment that have the potential to improve your position if used to your advantage. Some examples include: the emergence of new technology and new consumer behaviors or buying preferences.

Threats (external) – Threats are elements in your business’s environment that hurt your company’s potential to compete in the market. Economic downturns, tighter regulations and increasing competition are all examples of threats that can impact your marketing efforts. (Psst – check out the FAQ below for more information!) 

Spoiler alert: the easiest way to build a SWOT analysis is to use a free SWOT analysis template , like the one shown below. Keep scrolling for more templates that you can customize for your own marketing needs. 

Return to Table of Contents

Similar to how a financial balance sheet provides a snapshot of a company’s assets and liabilities at a point in time, a SWOT analysis offers this same level of insight to marketers. (Hint: your sales organizations should do a SWOT analysis too.)

From launching new campaigns and exploring new channels, to considering new technologies and responding to industry trends, SWOT is designed to provide actionable information that  helps marketers — and their organizations — achieve their goals.

This process primes their strategic approaches, allowing them to use their strengths and potential opportunities to balance out, reduce or limit any weaknesses and external threats. 

What’s more, a well-executed SWOT matrix is a crucial ingredient for conducting a competitive analysis — AKA gaining insight on competitors’ marketing tactics, products and performance.

This is key for understanding your relative positioning and resulting competitive advantages, helping you get ahead in the marketing game. 

Check out the competitor SWOT examples below for inspo… 

So in sum, by providing a clear understanding of the market, industry competition and company’s strengths, a marketing SWOT analysis can help you answer questions like: 

• How successful is a given marketing strategy? 
• How are market changes impacting our business operations?
• How is our company performing financially?
• What marketing tactics should we be using?
• What advantage do we have over our competitors?
• What are we doing that our competitors are also doing?
• What products or services are performing/not performing well?
• What current marketplace trends can we take advantage of?
• What new target markets are available?
• What tools and resources do we have to reach at our disposal?
• What factors are pulling time away from our employees?
• Where are we failing to connect with our target market?

You know, just to name a few.

It’s worth noting, these types of analyses are extremely useful in industries where things change quickly. For instance, a  SWOT analysis in healthcare  would’ve helped organizations during the pandemic stay on top of these unprecedented events.

Creating a professional and polished SWOT framework is easy with Venngage’s SWOT analysis templates and drag-and-drop visual editor. Here’s how to get started: 

Define your focus 

The first step to creating an effective marketing SWOT analysis is to identify what your intention is. 

For example: are you looking to create a marketing plan? Or alter your current trajectory? Are you thinking about entering a new market with your existing product/service? Or trying out a new channel/technology? 

No matter the specific use case, know that the more specific your intention, the more useful the outcomes of your analysis will be. 

Compile your data 

It’s time to get all your ducks in a row – and by that, I mean your data! 

Gather your team members and brainstorm points for each section of your matrix, then do your best to condense each into a few succinct point notes. It’s best to keep things as concise as possible to avoid derailing your strategic efforts (more on this below). 

Sign up for a Venngage account and choose from hundreds of templates 

With Venngage, it’s easy to serve up information in a sleek, versatile and professional way.

All you need to do is fill in your user information and your desired use cases to access hundreds of customizable SWOT templates. Once set up, you’ll be able to create beautiful charts without any graphic design knowledge or technical expertise. 

Note: there are hundreds of templates available that you can design and share for free. If you want to access other designs, take advantage of in-editor features like My Brand Kit/Team collaboration and download your files, you’ll need to upgrade your account to a paid plan. 

Customize your SWOT analysis template 

The beauty of Venngage’s drag-and-drop editor is its a simple and powerful design solution for business communications. Once you’ve logged into your account and selected a template, you have the freedom to customize your templates and swap out or add any assets (i.e. text, icon and colors etc) into your design. 

But wait, there’s more! 

Looking to keep your branding consistent? Venngage’s My Brand Kit lets you apply your brand colors and logos to any template with one click.

Want to get more eyeballs on your SWOT analysis before you present it? Team collaboration feature lets you invite members to your team, edit designs together in real time, leave comments, create folders, save your creations and more. 

Easy-peasy, template-squeezy. 

Download your SWOT analysis diagram

Last but certainly not least, you can share or download a high-resolution version of your framework for immediate use in presentations and business communications. 

Sharing is available free-of-charge, while a Premium or Business plan allows you to export your creations to PNG, PDF, HTML and Powerpoint. (And gives you access to the other nifty features I mentioned above!)

What are some common SWOT analysis mistakes?

Congrats – you’re well on your way to becoming a SWOT-ting savant! 

That being said, there are some mistakes even seasoned marketers still make that you’ll want to avoid. Let’s take a look…

1. Listing too many items

Look, I get it: there’s nothing quite like a good brainstorming session to make you come up with 101 ideas and then some.

But the key to an actionable SWOT analysis is being able to present those ideas in a clear, concise and compelling way. That means having a defined focus, and avoiding overloading readers with information.

Try to condense and categorize your individual insights into a few overarching points. Use point-form to convey your ideas in a short space, then organize the information so your most important ideas come first. This will help you decide what to tackle foremost when creating your strategy.

2. Making generalizations

While being concise is important, make sure not to fall into the trap of oversimplifying. This only leads to incorrect, misleading assumptions that hurt your decision-making in the end. 

A good rule of thumb in strategic planning is to avoid black-and-white scenarios. Your data should reflect real-world preferences and campaign performance – not brash assumptions. 

3. Overestimating strengths

Often, people over exaggerate their business’ strengths. While it might feel good in the moment, this idealism only harms your ability to make well-informed strategic choices moving forward. So repeat after me: objectivity is key! Being honest about the facts will help you uncover your true opportunities and risks. 

4. Minimizing weaknesses

The flipside of overestimated strengths? Underestimated weaknesses. So for good measure, I’ll say it again: objectivity is key . 

Even the most successful businesses have areas that need improvement.  If your organization is aware of  its weaknesses, it becomes that much easier to mitigate future roadblocks, meet your targets and achieve long-term growth overall. 

SWOT analyses in marketing FAQs

What do you do with swot analysis data.

Data gained from a SWOT analysis is your key to making smart marketing decisions. 

By evaluating your company’s strengths and weaknesses, you can determine how to allocate your resources efficiently — helping you achieve maximum revenue growth and profitability.

And when you’re aware of what your company can achieve, it’s that much easier to adapt to market trends and changing dynamics. 

How important is the SWOT analysis for marketing managers?

In a word? Very. 

Similar to how market research is vital, without SWOT, it’s nearly impossible to gain a balanced view of your company’s positioning and potential.

Marketing managers who know their external circumstances, strengths and limitations can base their campaigns around informed decisions rather than idealistic assumptions. This helps them adapt to the rapidly changing world of marketing more successfully, and be proactive in their approaches. 

What are examples of threats in a marketing SWOT?

Remember: threats in a marketing SWOT analysis are external factors affecting your businesses’ ability to carry out your marketing objectives successfully. This involves assessing the actions of competitors, the emerging trends in the market and the overall landscape your business finds itself in.

Some good questions to ask are:

• What strategies are our competitors using?
• What advantages do our competitors have over us?
• What overlap exists between our services and our competitors?
• What technological challenges are impacting our business? 
• What adverse market changes are we facing now or in the future?

Like other external challenges, these factors might not be in your control. But the understanding you gain from this process puts you in a prime position to adapt to competitor action and economic changes. 

TLDR: fewer surprises = less last-minute course corrections needed.

Ready to create a SWOT analysis for your marketing team? 

To create a well-executed SWOT analysis that communicates your marketing prospects and pitfalls, you’ll need a way to showcase these insights in a visually appealing way.

While you could draw a matrix out by hand or Word doc the day away, it pays dividends to have a data visualization tool that can do this for you in a flash. 

Venngage’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor helps you create beautiful, professional graphics quickly and easily. Choose from tons of ready-made SWOT analysis templates and swap out the text with your own insights and icons, then export your content in a few clicks. 

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What Is SWOT Analysis?

Understanding swot analysis, how to do a swot analysis, the bottom line.

• Fundamental Analysis

SWOT Analysis: How To With Table and Example

These frameworks are essential to fundamentally analyzing companies

Ariel Courage is an experienced editor, researcher, and former fact-checker. She has performed editing and fact-checking work for several leading finance publications, including The Motley Fool and Passport to Wall Street.

SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis is a framework used to evaluate a company's competitive position and to develop strategic planning. SWOT analysis assesses internal and external factors, as well as current and future potential.

A SWOT analysis is designed to facilitate a realistic, fact-based, data-driven look at the strengths and weaknesses of an organization, initiatives, or within its industry. The organization needs to keep the analysis accurate by avoiding pre-conceived beliefs or gray areas and instead focusing on real-life contexts. Companies should use it as a guide and not necessarily as a prescription.

Subscribe to 'Term of the Day' and learn a new financial term every day. Stay informed and make smart financial decisions. Sign up now .

Key Takeaways

• SWOT analysis is a strategic planning technique that provides assessment tools.
• Identifying core strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats leads to fact-based analysis, fresh perspectives, and new ideas.
• A SWOT analysis pulls information internal sources (strengths of weaknesses of the specific company) as well as external forces that may have uncontrollable impacts to decisions (opportunities and threats).
• SWOT analysis works best when diverse groups or voices within an organization are free to provide realistic data points rather than prescribed messaging.
• Findings of a SWOT analysis are often synthesized to support a single objective or decision that a company is facing.

Investopedia / Xiaojie Liu

SWOT analysis is a technique for assessing the performance, competition, risk, and potential of a business, as well as part of a business such as a product line or division, an industry, or other entity.

Using internal and external data , the technique can guide businesses toward strategies more likely to be successful, and away from those in which they have been, or are likely to be, less successful. Independent SWOT analysts, investors, or competitors can also guide them on whether a company, product line, or industry might be strong or weak and why.

SWOT analysis was first used to analyze businesses. Now, it's often used by governments, nonprofits, and individuals, including investors and entrepreneurs. There is seemingly limitless applications to the SWOT analysis.

Components of SWOT Analysis

Every SWOT analysis will include the following four categories. Though the elements and discoveries within these categories will vary from company to company, a SWOT analysis is not complete without each of these elements:

Strengths describe what an organization excels at and what separates it from the competition : a strong brand, loyal customer base, a strong balance sheet, unique technology, and so on. For example, a hedge fund may have developed a proprietary trading strategy that returns market-beating results. It must then decide how to use those results to attract new investors.

Weaknesses stop an organization from performing at its optimum level. They are areas where the business needs to improve to remain competitive: a weak brand, higher-than-average turnover, high levels of debt, an inadequate supply chain, or lack of capital.

Opportunities

Opportunities refer to favorable external factors that could give an organization a competitive advantage. For example, if a country cuts tariffs, a car manufacturer can export its cars into a new market, increasing sales and market share .

Threats refer to factors that have the potential to harm an organization. For example, a drought is a threat to a wheat-producing company, as it may destroy or reduce the crop yield. Other common threats include things like rising costs for materials, increasing competition, tight labor supply. and so on.

Analysts present a SWOT analysis as a square segmented into four quadrants, each dedicated to an element of SWOT. This visual arrangement provides a quick overview of the company’s position. Although all the points under a particular heading may not be of equal importance, they all should represent key insights into the balance of opportunities and threats, advantages and disadvantages, and so forth.

The SWOT table is often laid out with the internal factors on the top row and the external factors on the bottom row. In addition, the items on the left side of the table are more positive/favorable aspects, while the items on the right are more concerning/negative elements.

A SWOT analysis can be broken into several steps with actionable items before and after analyzing the four components. In general, a SWOT analysis will involve the following steps.

Step 1: Determine Your Objective

A SWOT analysis can be broad, though more value will likely be generated if the analysis is pointed directly at an objective. For example, the objective of a SWOT analysis may focused only on whether or not to perform a new product rollout . With an objective in mind, a company will have guidance on what they hope to achieve at the end of the process. In this example, the SWOT analysis should help determine whether or not the product should be introduced.

Step 2: Gather Resources

Every SWOT analysis will vary, and a company may need different data sets to support pulling together different SWOT analysis tables. A company should begin by understanding what information it has access to, what data limitations it faces, and how reliable its external data sources are.

In addition to data, a company should understand the right combination of personnel to have involved in the analysis. Some staff may be more connected with external forces, while various staff within the manufacturing or sales departments may have a better grasp of what is going on internally. Having a broad set of perspectives is also more likely to yield diverse, value-adding contributions.

Step 3: Compile Ideas

For each of the four components of the SWOT analysis, the group of people assigned to performing the analysis should begin listing ideas within each category. Examples of questions to ask or consider for each group are in the table below.

Internal Factors

What occurs within the company serves as a great source of information for the strengths and weaknesses categories of the SWOT analysis. Examples of internal factors include financial and human resources , tangible and intangible (brand name) assets, and operational efficiencies.

Potential questions to list internal factors are:

• (Strength) What are we doing well?
• (Strength) What is our strongest asset?
• (Weakness) What are our detractors?
• (Weakness) What are our lowest-performing product lines?

External Factors

What happens outside of the company is equally as important to the success of a company as internal factors. External influences, such as monetary policies , market changes, and access to suppliers, are categories to pull from to create a list of opportunities and weaknesses.

Potential questions to list external factors are:

• (Opportunity) What trends are evident in the marketplace?
• (Opportunity) What demographics are we not targeting?
• (Threat) How many competitors exist, and what is their market share?
• (Threat) Are there new regulations that potentially could harm our operations or products?

Companies may consider performing this step as a "white-boarding" or "sticky note" session. The idea is there is no right or wrong answer; all participants should be encouraged to share whatever thoughts they have. These ideas can later be discarded; in the meantime, the goal should be to come up with as many items as possible to invoke creativity and inspiration in others.

Step 4: Refine Findings

With the list of ideas within each category, it is now time to clean-up the ideas. By refining the thoughts that everyone had, a company can focus on only the best ideas or largest risks to the company. This stage may require substantial debate among analysis participants, including bringing in upper management to help rank priorities.

Step 5: Develop the Strategy

Armed with the ranked list of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, it is time to convert the SWOT analysis into a strategic plan. Members of the analysis team take the bulleted list of items within each category and create a synthesized plan that provides guidance on the original objective.

For example, the company debating whether to release a new product may have identified that it is the market leader for its existing product and there is the opportunity to expand to new markets. However, increased material costs, strained distribution lines, the need for additional staff, and unpredictable product demand may outweigh the strengths and opportunities. The analysis team develops the strategy to revisit the decision in six months in hopes of costs declining and market demand becoming more transparent.

Use a SWOT analysis to identify challenges affecting your business and opportunities that can enhance it. However, note that it is one of many techniques, not a prescription.

Benefits of SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis won't solve every major question a company has. However, there's a number of benefits to a SWOT analysis that make strategic decision-making easier.

• A SWOT analysis makes complex problems more manageable. There may be an overwhelming amount of data to analyze and relevant points to consider when making a complex decision. In general, a SWOT analysis that has been prepared by paring down all ideas and ranking bullets by importance will aggregate a large, potentially overwhelming problem into a more digestible report.
• A SWOT analysis requires external consider. Too often, a company may be tempted to only consider internal factors when making decisions. However, there are often items out of the company's control that may influence the outcome of a business decision. A SWOT analysis covers both the internal factors a company can manage and the external factors that may be more difficult to control.
• A SWOT analysis can be applied to almost every business question. The analysis can relate to an organization, team, or individual. It can also analyze a full product line , changes to brand, geographical expansion, or an acquisition. The SWOT analysis is a versatile tool that has many applications.
• A SWOT analysis leverages different data sources. A company will likely use internal information for strengths and weaknesses. The company will also need to gather external information relating to broad markets, competitors, or macroeconomic forces for opportunities and threats. Instead of relying on a single, potentially biased source, a good SWOT analysis compiles various angles.
• A SWOT analysis may not be overly costly to prepare. Some SWOT reports do not need to be overly technical; therefore, many different staff members can contribute to its preparation without training or external consulting.

SWOT Analysis Example

In 2015, a Value Line SWOT analysis of The Coca-Cola Company noted strengths such as its globally famous brand name, vast distribution network, and opportunities in emerging markets. However, it also noted weaknesses and threats such as foreign currency fluctuations, growing public interest in "healthy" beverages, and competition from healthy beverage providers.

Its SWOT analysis prompted Value Line to pose some tough questions about Coca-Cola's strategy, but also to note that the company "will probably remain a top-tier beverage provider" that offered conservative investors "a reliable source of income and a bit of capital gains exposure."

Five years later, the Value Line SWOT analysis proved effective as Coca-Cola remains the 6th strongest brand in the world (as it was then). Coca-Cola's shares (traded under ticker symbol KO) have increased in value by over 60% during the five years after the analysis was completed.

To get a better picture of a SWOT analysis, consider the example of a fictitious organic smoothie company. To better understand how it competes within the smoothie market and what it can do better, it conducted a SWOT analysis. Through this analysis, it identified that its strengths were good sourcing of ingredients, personalized customer service, and a strong relationship with suppliers. Peering within its operations, it identified a few areas of weakness: little product diversification, high turnover rates, and outdated equipment.

Examining how the external environment affects its business, it identified opportunities in emerging technology, untapped demographics, and a culture shift towards healthy living. It also found threats, such as a winter freeze damaging crops, a global pandemic, and kinks in the supply chain. In conjunction with other planning techniques, the company used the SWOT analysis to leverage its strengths and external opportunities to eliminate threats and strengthen areas where it is weak.

What Is an Example of SWOT Analysis?

Home Depot conducted a SWOT analysis, creating a balanced list of its internal advantages and disadvantages and external factors threatening its market position and growth strategy. High-quality customer service, strong brand recognition, and positive relationships with suppliers were some of its notable strengths; whereas, a constricted supply chain, interdependence on the U.S. market, and a replicable business model were listed as its weaknesses.

Closely related to its weaknesses, Home Depot's threats were the presence of close rivals, available substitutes, and the condition of the U.S. market. It found from this study and other analysis that expanding its supply chain and global footprint would be key to its growth.

What Are the 4 Steps of SWOT Analysis?

The four steps of SWOT analysis comprise the acronym SWOT: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. These four aspects can be broken into two analytical steps. First, a company assesses its internal capabilities and determines its strengths and weaknesses. Then, a company looks outward and evaluates external factors that impact its business. These external factors may create opportunities or threaten existing operations.

How Do You Write a Good SWOT Analysis?

Creating a SWOT analysis involves identifying and analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of a company. It is recommended to first create a list of questions to answer for each element. The questions serve as a guide for completing the SWOT analysis and creating a balanced list. The SWOT framework can be constructed in list format, as free text, or, most commonly, as a 4-cell table, with quadrants dedicated to each element. Strengths and weaknesses are listed first, followed by opportunities and threats.

Why Is SWOT Analysis Used?

A SWOT analysis is used to strategically identify areas of improvement or competitive advantages for a company. In addition to analyzing thing that a company does well, SWOT analysis takes a look at more detrimental, negative elements of a business. Using this information, a company can make smarter decisions to preserve what it does well, capitalize on its strengths, mitigate risk regarding weaknesses, and plan for events that may adversely affect the company in the future.

A SWOT analysis is a great way to guide business-strategy meetings. It's powerful to have everyone in the room discuss the company's core strengths and weaknesses, define the opportunities and threats, and brainstorm ideas. Oftentimes, the SWOT analysis you envision before the session changes throughout to reflect factors you were unaware of and would never have captured if not for the group’s input.

A company can use a SWOT for overall business strategy sessions or for a specific segment such as marketing, production, or sales. This way, you can see how the overall strategy developed from the SWOT analysis will filter down to the segments below before committing to it. You can also work in reverse with a segment-specific SWOT analysis that feeds into an overall SWOT analysis.

Although a useful planning tool, SWOT has limitations. It is one of several business planning techniques to consider and should not be used alone. Also, each point listed within the categories is not prioritized the same. SWOT does not account for the differences in weight. Therefore, a deeper analysis is needed, using another planning technique.

Business News Daily. " SWOT Analysis: What It Is and When to Use It ."

Seeking Alpha. " The Coca-Cola Company: A Short SWOT Analysis ."

Panmore. " Home Depot SWOT Analysis & Recommendations ."

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How to Write a SWOT Research Analysis

If you’re writing a SWOT research analysis, there are a few key things that you want to keep in mind. A SWOT research analysis is a way to look at another company and this could be a competitor, or someone who you want to do business with. What you want to do is use a SWOT analysis method that breaks down all the details on the company.

A SWOT research analysis is defined as S.W.O.T., or strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. If you are going to write out a SWOT analysis, there are a few key things that you have to focus on. For starters, you want to write out a detailed description of the company that you’re going to be:

• researching
• and analyzing

What that means is you want to get all the details you can on the company. You may want to start online and go to their website. When you go to the website try to get as much information you can about them and if you can’t find it there, you can go to sites like Wikipedia. This can give you information on the company and it might let you know how they started. It will give you background information like the number of employees, their services and focus. You may not always find this on their website, so researching online is a great way to get more details.

Your next step will be to start your actual SWOT analysis so on your paper. You are going to put down a box with four equal boxes inside. In the first one you can write ‘strengths’, next to that, ‘weaknesses’. Write ‘opportunities’ below the strengths and next to that write ‘threats’.

As you do the research of a company, you want to look at areas where you know they’re strong. Maybe they were in the news recently because they made a lot of money or they bought another company. That’s big news that you want to list. They may have even started working on a really big deal.

For example, if you were looking at Facebook (read the SWOT analysis of social media), you might say: “Wow, Facebook stock has gone up a lot and they’ve been in the news a lot lately”. That’s a strength.

In the next block, begin writing down the company’s weaknesses. Start looking up the weaknesses the company might have. When you look at weaknesses, you want to look at all the problems that the company has had in the news. A great example would be Walmart which has been in the news a lot because of labor issues. They’ve had problems with:

• with paying employees
• not giving high salaries

These are all weaknesses. You also want to make sure that you look at things like their stock and whether or not you are reading articles that say they’re doing well or if they’re doing poorly.

You next step is going to be about the opportunities. What you want to do ideally is to look at what the company mentions in their latest press release. A press release can tell you basically a little bit of information about a company and what they’re getting ready to do next. You can also look at an annual report or an earnings report.

You don’t want to read the full report because that might take days to get through! A lot of the information in there is really a bunch of numbers, so you want to go to the summary of the report.

The easiest way to do this is to just do a search for that particular company and search for the summary in their annual report. So if it was Facebook that you were looking up, you can go under Facebook and then type in ‘annual report summary’. This is a recap so you will find all the information there. Alternatively, you could just type in their annual report and then Facebook and look for the first few articles that come up from different companies or firms who are writing articles about them.

You may also find that there are finance companies who write about them and give articles with details on their weakness and opportunities. What they are giving you is a SWOT in a different version. They’re going to give you a smaller detailed version of what you need to know. What you’re going to look for is any opportunity that they may be working on in the future. For example, if you were doing opportunities for Netflix, you might see something like them mentioning that they now have a new season of Game of Thrones or the new season of their show Orange is the New Black. That’s because they actually mention things they’re working on in their particular business because they do streaming videos. They are going to mention them, but they won’t tell you who is in which episode!

While these might be popular videos, they are also considered opportunities because these are areas where they are expanding. Keep in mind this is not always the case. A few years ago Netflix lost a big deal with the video channel Starz where they pulled their movies from the Netflix line-up because Starz and Netflix were fighting over money. Some news will be good and some news will be bad.

As it relates to threats, that’s going to be the next line that you typing. You’re going to write what the competition is for this particular company you’re looking at.

Netflix threats could be Blockbuster which is going through bankrupt filings. You could say Roku is another threat. You could mention other companies like Play On, Sling and these are all different streaming content sites. You can also mention Amazon Prime.

This is how you are going to start writing your SWOT analysis. Make sure that it is detailed and well-rounded. You are also going to update this information within another year or so if you’re looking at this company again because you need fresh details and a fresh report.

Image: marekuliasz/Shutterstock.com

Related posts:

• What is a SWOT Analysis?
• Constructing a SWOT Model for Business Analysis
• SWOT Analysis for Applied Research Technologies
• Using SWOT in Business Analysis
• The SWOT Analysis Definition your Organization Needs
• How to Write a Case Study for a Research Paper
• Research Design: Definition, Types and How to Write

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The Potential of Tourism Sustainability through SWOT Analysis: The Case study of Pahang National Park, Malaysia

B E Ahmad 1,7 , M F Abdullah 2,7 , M N H Roslan 3 , M P Yusoh 4 , S A Salleh 5,7 and F Pardi 6,7

Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science , Volume 1316 , 2nd International Conference on Biodiversity and Sustainable Development 2023 29/11/2023 - 30/11/2023 Online Citation B E Ahmad et al 2024 IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 1316 012007 DOI 10.1088/1755-1315/1316/1/012007

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1 Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA Jengka Campus, 26400 Bandar Tun Razak, Pahang, Malaysia.

2 Faculty of Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 42300 Puncak Alam, Malaysia.

3 Academy of Contemporary Islamic Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Raub Campus, 27600 Raub, Pahang, Malaysia.

4 Borneo Institute for Indigenous Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

5 College of Build Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.

6 Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.

7 Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.

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The tourism industry can have a huge impact on a location and community. Thus, it is very important for an area to know what tourism potential can be created and used as a tourism product. Thus, this study aims to explore the potential attraction of tourism activities in Pahang National Park area. As such, a qualitative study was conducted through focus group discussion and unstructured in-depth interview. The data was transcribed by N-vivo software to get the potential characteristic factors before analyzed by SWOT analysis and generate the mitigation strategies by SWOT matrix. Result shows that, Pahang National Park has great potential in the tourism industry with its natural beauty, ecological diversity, cultural heritage, and tourist adventures. However, to optimize this potential, national parks need to address weaknesses in accessibility, infrastructure, and environmental impacts while taking advantage of opportunities in tourist ecological growth, educational programs, infrastructure development, and cultural experiences. Threats such as environmental degradation, competition, natural disasters, regulatory changes, and health issues need to be faced with appropriate strategies to ensure continuity and long-term success in the Pahang National Park tourism industry. The development of potential and income opportunities based on the environment/natural resources can be a "tool" to improve the standard of living and reduce the poverty rate of the community, especially the rural population.

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20+ Best SWOT Analysis Template PowerPoint for Strategic Planning

Conducting a comprehensive SWOT analysis is a critical step in the strategic planning process for any business. This methodological approach involves identifying and analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to your business, product, or marketing strategy. A well-orchestrated SWOT analysis could be the difference between a strategy that helps your business thrive and one that merely keeps it afloat.

This post is an adept compilation of more than 20 meticulously created SWOT analysis PowerPoint templates. Each template is designed with the utmost attention to detail to assist you in crafting impactful SWOT analyses. They feature intuitive and aesthetically appealing layouts, ensuring both the analyst and the audience can understand the analysis clearly.

These resources, both paid and free, are not just traditional templates, but sophisticated tools to help your decision-making processes. Streamline your strategic planning process by leveraging these artfully designed SWOT analysis PowerPoint templates. Harness their robust features to diagram your ideas effectively, making your business, marketing, or product decision-making process smoother and smarter.

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The SWOT Business Presentation is a dynamic, adaptable PowerPoint template ideal for both corporate and personal use. The sleek, minimalist design is easy to tailor, featuring over 20 colour themes that can transform the entire template with a single selection. It includes 111 unique, cleanly-designed slides packed with infographics, numeric and photo lists, and a price table. It’s versatility is further proven with multiple aspect ratio choices. This pack even provides a useful help guide for any potential queries.

SWOT Analysis Infographic

The SWOT Analysis Infographic is a dynamic PowerPoint tool designed to enhance your business presentations. With a widescreen format and editable elements, it offers unique slide variations and uses a preset color scheme for consistency. Although images are not included, this user-friendly infographic pack is aimed at supporting all stages of business growth and development, enhancing recognition and goal-setting in a visually engaging way.

SWOT Business PowerPoint

The SWOT Business PowerPoint template is an outstanding asset for any business. Its easy-to-use, 16:9 aspect ratio format is made high-res with 1920×1080 pixel quality, ensuring optimal display for pitch deck presentations, startup plans or corporate reports. Note, it’s customizable and editable with free fonts and device mockups, but the preview images and fonts are not part of the download.

SWOT PowerPoint Presentation

The SWOT PowerPoint Presentation is a dynamic tool, featuring over 1000 icons and full HD quality animations. It comes with an easy-to-edit 16:9 layout and offers free updates and support. You can also download the Lato font for free in order to customize the presentation further. This creative asset allows you to present an engaging SWOT analysis with professionalism and style.

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The SWOT Analysis PowerPoint is a professional marketing tool offering 40 unique slides in 7 pre-made color themes. This versatile asset, provided by a third party, is retina ready, neat, and user-friendly, requiring no font installation. Its easy editing feature and 2-click customization for color, text, and form make it highly convenient. With aspect ratios to suit varying needs, it’s a remarkable package.

SWOT Infographic Keynote Presentation

The SWOT Infographic Keynote Presentation is a sleek, contemporary tool, ideal for business presentations, lookbook slides, or project pitches. The widescreen format is eye-catching, and graphics are easily customizable. The package also includes a helpful guide file, making it user-friendly. Please note that image stocks are not included. Overall, this asset can significantly enhance your presentations.

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The SWOT Infographic PowerPoint Template is a game-changer for professional presentations. It allows straight-forward customisation to align with your brand and content, highlighting your message in a polished and standout manner. The template features 90 unique slides, a 16:9 aspect ratio, and easy-to-edit elements. It even includes a mockup device—just drag and drop your placeholder screen! Note, image stocks aren’t included.

SWOT Analysis PowerPoint Template

The SWOT Analysis PowerPoint Template boasts a professional, ultra-modern and unique design meticulously created for your business presentation needs. This versatile tool includes over 60 professionally designed slides, easy-to-modify shapes, texts and charts, and editable image placeholders for simplicity. Tailored with a focus on detail, usability, and typography, it gives you a strong foundation for preparing your speech or presentation. Please note that images in the demo are for preview only and not included in the main file.

SWOT Analysis Keynote Template

The SWOT Analysis Keynote Template is a handy tool designed to streamline the presentation of project ideas in a clear and succinct way. The package includes 16 unique, professionally-designed slides which are fully editable. Additionally, provided is a pack with over 3000 icons, all resizable due to their vector quality, allowing you to customize their size and color without concern for resolution loss.

SWOT Infographic Gradient Keynote

The SWOT Infographic Gradient Keynote is a versatile presentation template with a modern style that suits numerous needs, including business presentations and project pitches. With over 30 unique slides, options for both light and dark backgrounds, and resizable and editable graphics, it offers users a great deal of customization. The package includes Keynote files and a helpful guide but does not include image stocks.

Business SWOT PowerPoint Infographics

Check out these modern infographic templates designed to enhance your business presentations in PowerPoint. The Business SWOT PowerPoint Infographics package includes over 20 unique, fully customizable slides that are compatible with all PowerPoint versions. Plus, they’re easy to edit. This third-party asset offers a straightforward way to elevate your presentation game.

The SWOT Infographic PowerPoint Template is a modern, professional template that offers a clean, minimalist, and flexible design suitable for both personal and corporate presentations. Its customizable features include instant color scheme changes from 90+ options, 10 unique slides, light and dark versions, and a widescreen aspect ratio. Handy XML files and handmade infographics make this template tailored to fit your needs. Note that images are not included. Provided by RRGraph Design.

The SWOT Infographic PowerPoint Template is an ideal tool for marketing presentations. It blends a simple design with clean elements, making your proposal more compelling and easy to understand. Offering 30 unique slides, high-resolution formatting, free fonts, and help guides. This multipurpose template, though not including images, also features appealing animations and transitions.

SWOT Analysis PowerPoint Presentation

The SWOT Analysis PowerPoint Presentation is a versatile, creative asset that’s perfect for both business and corporate presentations. It’s clean, simple, and unique, with fully editable and customizable elements. Offering 5 light & dark template versions, 10 pptx files, 300 total slides, and a 16:9 aspect ratio, it also includes vector icons, elements, and world maps. Note that fonts are free but require separate installation and preview images are not included.

SWOT Infographic PowerPoint Presentation Template

The Doodle SWOT Infographic PowerPoint Presentation Template enhances presentations by representing complex ideas through attractive graphics. Suitable for various settings including business and education, this resourceful template allows for the creation of impactful flowcharts. It comes packed with 32 unique slides, an easy drag-and-drop image placeholder, and full editability over shapes, giving your presentation a polished, professional feel. Remember, image stocks are not included. Provided by SohelStudio x Digitcase.

Flocue Business SWOT Keynote

The Flocue Business SWOT Keynote is a multifunctional tool designed with a professional, ultra-modern aesthetic. Its diverse set of features, including 120+ slides, drag and drop image placeholders, and unique theme colours, provides flexibility for any presentation needs – be it business, portfolio, corporate, branding, or advertising. Combining a strong focus on typography and usability, this template ensures that your presentation will stand out. Please note, preview images are not included in the main file.

Target SWOT Data Analysis Keynote

Target SWOT Data Analysis Keynote is a detailed presentation platform with an emphasis on data analysis. It offers 220 total slides, 22 of which designed with creativity, and comes with two versions, dark and light theme. The platform allows easy color customization with 10 color variations, resizable and editable graphics, image placeholders, and drag-and-drop image facility. It’s highly user-friendly and also includes fast, free support.

Report SWOT Agenda Infographic Analysis

Report SWOT Agenda Infographic Analysis is an easy-to-edit creative asset that brings dynamic data visualization to your reports. With a landscape aspect ratio of 16:9, and impressive resolution, it boasts more than 20 drag-and-drop pages for user convenience. All graphics are adjustable and a helpful guidance file is included. Please note, associated images in previews are not part of the actual download.

SWOT Analysis Keynote Infographics Template

Check out the SWOT Analysis Keynote Infographics Template – a visually engaging set of 50 fully customizable slides including diagrams and infographics. Ideal for making your data more digestible in presentations. It comes with over 6500 professional, color-adjustable icons. Flexible and clean, all objects are vector-based, making resizing a breeze.

SWOT Dashboards PowerPoint Presentation Template

The SWOT Dashboards PowerPoint Presentation Template is a dynamic tool featuring 30 unique slides designed to facilitate an in-depth analysis of your business’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This dynamic template is easy to customize, includes 10 PPTX files, and has an adaptable 16:9 aspect ratio with five color schemes, featuring both dark and light versions. It’s animated for added engagement and has ready-to-use ‘Drag and Drop’ placeholders.

Stobe SWOT Business Analyst PowerPoint

Stobe SWOT Business Analyst PowerPoint is a versatile template ideal for various types of presentations. Its features include 25 unique HD slides which you can fully customize in PowerPoint, drag and drop image placeholders, smooth slide transitions, and a variety of slides such as quote, product, team management, and company profile. It’s great for showcasing products or presenting creative portfolios.

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The SWOT Business Keynote is an easy-to-use presentation template perfect for showcasing your business, startup or corporate report. With a 16:9 aspect ratio and high-resolution (1920×1080), you can effortlessly customize this asset to fit your brand. Though fonts and preview images aren’t included in the download, the template generously provides a free font and device mockup.

The SWOT Analysis PowerPoint Template is an engaging tool designed to visually elevate your sales and marketing presentations. It comes with 16 professionally designed, fully editable slides, and over 3000 icons that you can size and color to your liking without losing resolution. Offering a vast color palette with 90 choices, and an easy one-click color and auto recoloring feature, it is perfect for making your work presentable and captivating to your audience.

Baltimore bridge collapse: a bridge engineer explains what happened, and what needs to change

Associate Professor, Civil Engineering, Monash University

Disclosure statement

Colin Caprani receives funding from the Department of Transport (Victoria) and the Level Crossing Removal Project. He is also Chair of the Confidential Reporting Scheme for Safer Structures - Australasia, Chair of the Australian Regional Group of the Institution of Structural Engineers, and Australian National Delegate for the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering.

Monash University provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU.

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When the container ship MV Dali, 300 metres long and massing around 100,000 tonnes, lost power and slammed into one of the support piers of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, the bridge collapsed in moments . Six people are presumed dead, several others injured, and the city and region are expecting a months-long logistical nightmare in the absence of a crucial transport link.

It was a shocking event, not only for the public but for bridge engineers like me. We work very hard to ensure bridges are safe, and overall the probability of being injured or worse in a bridge collapse remains even lower than the chance of being struck by lightning.

However, the images from Baltimore are a reminder that safety can’t be taken for granted. We need to remain vigilant.

So why did this bridge collapse? And, just as importantly, how might we make other bridges more safe against such collapse?

A 20th century bridge meets a 21st century ship

The Francis Scott Key Bridge was built through the mid 1970s and opened in 1977. The main structure over the navigation channel is a “continuous truss bridge” in three sections or spans.

The bridge rests on four supports, two of which sit each side of the navigable waterway. It is these two piers that are critical to protect against ship impacts.

And indeed, there were two layers of protection: a so-called “dolphin” structure made from concrete, and a fender. The dolphins are in the water about 100 metres upstream and downstream of the piers. They are intended to be sacrificed in the event of a wayward ship, absorbing its energy and being deformed in the process but keeping the ship from hitting the bridge itself.

The fender is the last layer of protection. It is a structure made of timber and reinforced concrete placed around the main piers. Again, it is intended to absorb the energy of any impact.

Fenders are not intended to absorb impacts from very large vessels . And so when the MV Dali, weighing more than 100,000 tonnes, made it past the protective dolphins, it was simply far too massive for the fender to withstand.

Read more: I've captained ships into tight ports like Baltimore, and this is how captains like me work with harbor pilots to avoid deadly collisions

Video recordings show a cloud of dust appearing just before the bridge collapsed, which may well have been the fender disintegrating as it was crushed by the ship.

Once the massive ship had made it past both the dolphin and the fender, the pier – one of the bridge’s four main supports – was simply incapable of resisting the impact. Given the size of the vessel and its likely speed of around 8 knots (15 kilometres per hour), the impact force would have been around 20,000 tonnes .

Bridges are getting safer

This was not the first time a ship hit the Francis Scott Bridge. There was another collision in 1980 , damaging a fender badly enough that it had to be replaced.

Around the world, 35 major bridge collapses resulting in fatalities were caused by collisions between 1960 and 2015, according to a 2018 report from the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure. Collisions between ships and bridges in the 1970s and early 1980s led to a significant improvement in the design rules for protecting bridges from impact.

Further impacts in the 1970s and early 1980s instigated significant improvements in the design rules for impact.

The International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering’s Ship Collision with Bridges guide, published in 1993, and the American Association of State Highway and Transporation Officials’ Guide Specification and Commentary for Vessel Collision Design of Highway Bridges (1991) changed how bridges were designed.

In Australia, the Australian Standard for Bridge Design (published in 2017) requires designers to think about the biggest vessel likely to come along in the next 100 years, and what would happen if it were heading for any bridge pier at full speed. Designers need to consider the result of both head-on collisions and side-on, glancing blows. As a result, many newer bridges protect their piers with entire human-made islands.

Of course, these improvements came too late to influence the design of the Francis Scott Key Bridge itself.

Lessons from disaster

So what are the lessons apparent at this early stage?

First, it’s clear the protection measures in place for this bridge were not enough to handle this ship impact. Today’s cargo ships are much bigger than those of the 1970s, and it seems likely the Francis Scott Key Bridge was not designed with a collision like this in mind.

So one lesson is that we need to consider how the vessels near our bridges are changing. This means we cannot just accept the structure as it was built, but ensure the protection measures around our bridges are evolving alongside the ships around them.

Second, and more generally, we must remain vigilant in managing our bridges. I’ve written previously about the current level of safety of Australian bridges, but also about how we can do better.

This tragic event only emphasises the need to spend more on maintaining our ageing infrastructure. This is the only way to ensure it remains safe and functional for the demands we put on it today.

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• container ships
• Baltimore bridge collapse

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