SWOT Analysis Mistakes

Marketing analysis is the most important tool that you can use to determine the future course of action for your organisation, and avoiding some very costly mistakes inf the future. However, if you are carrying out marketing analysis on your own organisation, then it is very likely that you'll also be very subjective.

Marketing Analysis

When doing a marketing analysis, it's all too easy to slip into a one way argument that defends and supports your organisation to the hilt. Remember, you learn most from those who disagree with you, so split your personality and start disagreeing with your initial thoughts.

General Analysis Techniques

As with all analysis techniques, you should be realistic in your judgements. Establish very black and white results, that do not allow the marketing analysis to be misinterpreted. Consider the results of the SWOT analysis as just one tool in a variety marketing analysis methods that can form together to create a more realistic analysis of your organisation.

Marketing Strategy

Your marketing analysis should enable you to create a more effective marketing strategy, by highlighting issues and concerns early on. However, if you fail to make a realistic analysis, your marketing strategy will become less effective and possibly even unworkable.  

A Brief SWOT Analysis

Keep your SWOT analysis concise. If it becomes too long-winded, you'll soon forget some of the more important points and it will becoem less effective in the long run.

Great SWOT Strengths

When considering your SWOT strengths, it's all too easy to pat yourself on the back and identify what you think it is tht makes you great. Instead, flip the coin and consider what it is that your customers do/will think are your stengths.

Few Weaknesses

Having written a long list of SWOT analysis strengths for your organisation, it's also very easy to become a bit jaded and quickly fly over your weakness, without a critical eye. As a result, count up the number of SWOT analysis strengths, and then write twice as many weakness. This will force you to take a deeper look at the areas that you need to improve.

Opportunities

By considering you SWOT analysis opportunities, you get to play god with your future. It's all too easy to look at opportunities with rose-tinted glasses and predict opportunities that don't actuallt exist. Instead, look at the opportunities that are available to your organisation today.

Threats

Again, as with SWOT weaknesses, when you consider your SWOT threats, you have to take a cold hearted look at some of the things that you'd probably rather ignore.

SWOT Analysis Examples

Before embarking on your own SWOT analysis, take a look at some examples to see how others how analysed their own organisations. SWOT analysis is a very common tool and it is used in almost every type of company, from the smallest start-up to the largest multi-national corporations. By viewing other examples, you should soon get a good idea of the type of reports that you need to produce.

 

Other Marketing Analysis Tools

 

• SWOT analysis is just one of a variety of marketing analysis tools that you can use, including:
• Portfolio Analysis
• PLC analysis
• PIMS
• Perceptual Mapiing
• Conjoint Analysis
• Qualitative Judgement