{"id":9655,"date":"2018-05-21T09:00:56","date_gmt":"2018-05-21T07:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/passodue.flywheelsites.com\/2018\/05\/21\/swot-analysis\/"},"modified":"2020-12-09T14:47:16","modified_gmt":"2020-12-09T13:47:16","slug":"swot-analysis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diariodiunconsulente.it\/en\/2018\/05\/21\/swot-analysis\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring marketing: what is SWOT analysis and how can it be useful?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>by <a href=\"\/en\/passodue\/\">Alberto Aleo<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"><strong>SWOT<\/strong> stands for Strengths, <em>Weaknesses<\/em>, <em>Opportunities<\/em>, and <em>Threats<\/em> and traditionally identifies a strategic formulation (very fashionable among managers who are \u2018in-the-know\u2019) aimed at summarizing the characteristics of the company and the <a href=\"\/en\/2017\/04\/24\/marketing-mix\/\">market<\/a> in which it operates. The definition appears simple, but the subject bewilders many.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>&#8211; &#8211; &#8211;<\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 21px;\"><em>In my opinion, <strong>SWOT<\/strong> is not an analytical methodology but only a way of summarizing the results of other surveys.<\/em><\/span><strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&#8211; &#8211; &#8211;<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-11626 size-full\" title=\"swot analysis\" src=\"https:\/\/diariodiunconsulente.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Senza-titolo.001.jpeg\" alt=\"swot analysis\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">To know what our <em>Strengths<\/em> and<em> Weaknesses<\/em> are, we must, in fact, perform a thorough internal analysis of our company, while identifying <em>Opportunities<\/em> and <em>Threats<\/em> requires a sound investigation of the market. Different methods exist to carry out both these tasks, but <strong>SWOT<\/strong>, at least as most companies understand it, is not among them.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>&#8211; &#8211; &#8211;<\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 21px;\"><em>Let\u2019s assume that any serious analysis is based on measurable data and not on subjective opinions and points of view.<\/em><\/span><strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&#8211; &#8211; &#8211;<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Instead, the\u00a0usual conception of <strong>SWOT<\/strong> is often no more than a meeting in which everyone, in turn, gives their opinion on the market and on the company! We end up with a collection of experiences and personal viewpoints that, while actually being quite interesting, will not be very useful for understanding the reality of the situation. I, therefore, use <strong>SWOT<\/strong> as a summary to describe\u00a0 what has emerged using other tools, in particular:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"><em><strong>profiling<\/strong><\/em> and analysis of the customer portfolio;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">analysis of the <a href=\"\/en\/2016\/07\/04\/law-of-attraction\/\"><em><strong>attractiveness<\/strong><\/em><\/a> of the markets;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">analysis of the company\u2019s <em><strong>offer system<\/strong><\/em>;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"><em><strong>benchmarking<\/strong><\/em>, i.e. competition analysis;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">analysis of the <em><strong>competitive model<\/strong><\/em> and positioning;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"><em><strong>touch-point<\/strong><\/em> analysis, i.e. company-market interactions;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">analysis of commercial <em><strong>performance.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7973 size-full\" title=\"swot analysis\" src=\"https:\/\/diariodiunconsulente.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/7a32acc7373f2f635f6bb5f44ab77293.jpg\" alt=\"swot analysis\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1368\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Once this has been completed and measurable data obtained, we can then go on to draw conclusions. <span class=\"text-highlight\">But what is the point using\u00a0 <strong>SWOT<\/strong> analysis (even if based on data) apart from clarifying the overall results of the surveys?<\/span> Namely, how does it help to know our <em>Strengths<\/em>, <em>Weaknesses<\/em>, <em>Opportunities<\/em> and <em>Threats<\/em>?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Well, of course, it helps entrepreneurs, general managers and so on, to make strategic choices; but <strong>SWOT<\/strong> can also be useful for salespeople if well prepared. First of all, it helps us to select the <em><strong>most valid sales arguments<\/strong><\/em> and to avoid the most dangerous ones, but there is more besides because this type of document conceals a secret:<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<blockquote><p><em><span style=\"font-size: 21px;\">The weaknesses it highlights can, under certain conditions and within certain limits, become <strong>sales opportunities<\/strong>!<\/span><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">To explain how it works I will recount an experience I had many years ago. In the summer of 2002, I went on holiday in Puglia by motorbike with friends Fabio and Mario. We set off from Veneto and our whole trip covered almost 1000 kilometres. At the time, I was riding a fashionable vintage-style handmade bike and on my return, I realized that the bike, although practically new, was losing oil and had many loose parts in fact, the tail light almost fell off on several occasions! Can you guess what the dealer&#8217;s response was when I complained?<span class=\"text-highlight\"> \u2018This is a classic bike..<em>\u2019, he said \u2018it&#8217;s normal that it loses oil: it HAS TO lose oil!<\/em><\/span>\u2019 He was emphasizing the true spirit of a handmade bike. Thinking about it, the approach was very similar to that used by our sales manager during my job experience in the sales dept. of a very well known scooter company. When we complained about the high price of our scooters he replied: \u2018We are not expensive, we are THE MOST EXPENSIVE because we are the best!\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>&#8211; &#8211; &#8211;<\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 21px;\"><em>In a market that increasingly rewards strong <strong>identities<\/strong> and strong characters, the proud claim of a defect can become a central element of our<strong> image<\/strong> and our market <strong>positioning<\/strong>.<\/em><\/span><strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">&#8211; &#8211; &#8211;<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">This happens because the magic word of post-marketing has become \u2018<a href=\"\/en\/2016\/03\/14\/real-not-perfect\/\">truth\u2019<\/a> and the catchword of the past,\u00a0 \u2018perfection\u2019 is now out. By declaring <em>who we are<\/em> and <em>how we are<\/em>, by exposing our flaws without fears or false modesty, we can break the circle of indifference surrounding business relationships and invite our customers to take part in a real consumer experience based on sincerity. However, there is another hidden secret in <strong>SWOT<\/strong> \u2013 but this time it is dangerous:<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<blockquote><p><em><span style=\"font-size: 21px;\">Not all the opportunities it highlights are opportunities for growth!<\/span><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">When managers look at <strong>SWOTs<\/strong>, they discover attractive markets that are yet to be exploited, products that no-one yet produces, and customers that are yet to be served, as well as many other \u2018delicacies\u2019 of this kind. <span class=\"text-highlight\">This is how projects for range extension are hastily drawn up and <strong>new sales promotions<\/strong> are devised to <a href=\"\/en\/2018\/04\/09\/profiling-understand-value\/\">target<\/a> an unusual audience or there is a rush towards\u00a0<strong>internationalization.<\/strong><\/span><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Obviously, some of these projects may be sound and justified, but remember that \u2018unravelling\u2019 your brand image and your organization to tackle perceived <strong>market challenges<\/strong> may be overly risky! <span class=\"text-highlight\">The \u2018cemeteries\u2019 are full of companies that have swapped from helmets to skis, from cars to perfumes or from dresses to cruises.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<blockquote><p><em><span style=\"font-size: 21px;\">Remember that consistency is a virtue much appreciated by customers because it goes hand in hand with a recognizable <strong>reputation<\/strong> and identity.<\/span><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-11575 size-full\" title=\"grow up\" src=\"https:\/\/diariodiunconsulente.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/tyler-milligan-56027-unsplash.jpg\" alt=\"grow up\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1330\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Evaluate opportunities not only on the basis of their economic attractiveness but also on the time necessary to pursue them and the real <strong>capabilities<\/strong> of your organization. By doing so you are helping your colleagues, yourself and your customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<pre><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">| partem claram semper aspice |<\/span><\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Alberto Aleo SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats and traditionally identifies a strategic formulation (very fashionable among managers who are \u2018in-the-know\u2019) aimed at summarizing the characteristics of the company and the market in which it operates. The definition appears simple, but the subject bewilders many. &#8211; &#8211; &#8211; In my opinion, SWOT&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":295,"featured_media":9658,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[92,85],"tags":[260,231,247],"class_list":["post-9655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-best-of-marketing-2","category-abilities","tag-business-2","tag-marketing-en","tag-strategy","entry","has-media"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v15.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What is SWOT analysis and how can it be useful? - Passodue<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What is a SWOT analysis and why is it important? 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Nel 2011 ho fondato insieme a mia moglie Alice lo studio di consulenza e formazione Passodue il che mi ha permesso di poter mettere a disposizione dei clienti un bagaglio di esperienze e conoscenze molto vario, che spazia dall\\u2019economia, al marketing, alla gestione di reti commerciali.\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/diariodiunconsulente.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/agenda-analysis-business-990818a.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/diariodiunconsulente.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/diariodiunconsulente.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/diariodiunconsulente.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diariodiunconsulente.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/295"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diariodiunconsulente.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9655"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/diariodiunconsulente.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9655\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diariodiunconsulente.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/diariodiunconsulente.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diariodiunconsulente.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diariodiunconsulente.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}