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Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution

Case Study Description of Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A)


The electric guitar market is both enticing and daunting for a small company - a multi-billion $US sector that has grown almost constantly since the 1960s, but where competition is based as much on image as on substance. The market is naturally fragmented (similar to the market for many musical instruments), yet dominant players make entry and sustenance difficult. While Asian producers or branded imports dominate the low and mid-priced market, collectors and serious players seek high-end branded or handmade instruments that can be resold with only minor loss, if any. To augment collector value, high-end guitar manufacturers constantly modify components, making short-run series with unique features (often specified by "name" musicians and sold under their signature). For established brands, vintage instruments, and handmade instruments, used guitars may sell for their original purchase price or surprising multiples thereof; the value of some pieces increases after only ten years. From this standpoint, experienced buyers can make essentially risk-free purchases. The case tells the story of Joe Naylor, the owner-manager of Reverend Guitars, a small company that made a startling impact on the electric guitar market with a clever use of innovative products, innovative marketing and innovative use of the internet to a) leverage an existing community and b) build a new one.

Authors :: Mark Hunter, David A. Soberman

Topics :: Sales & Marketing

Tags :: , SWOT Analysis, SWOT Matrix, TOWS, Weighted SWOT Analysis

Swot Analysis of "Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A)" written by Mark Hunter, David A. Soberman includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Instruments Guitar facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, and Sales & Marketing.


Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) casestudy better are - – cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, technology disruption, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, geopolitical disruptions, increasing transportation and logistics costs, wage bills are increasing, etc



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Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A)


SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Instruments Guitar, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Instruments Guitar operates in.

According to Harvard Business Review, 75% of the managers use SWOT analysis for various purposes such as – evaluating current scenario, strategic planning, new venture feasibility, personal growth goals, new market entry, Go To market strategies, portfolio management and strategic trade-off assessment, organizational restructuring, etc.




SWOT Objectives / Importance of SWOT Analysis and SWOT Matrix


SWOT analysis of Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Instruments Guitar
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Sales & Marketing field.
4. Making a Sales & Marketing topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Instruments Guitar




Strengths Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Instruments Guitar in Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) Harvard Business Review case study are -

Superior customer experience

– The customer experience strategy of Instruments Guitar in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.

Digital Transformation in Sales & Marketing segment

- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Instruments Guitar digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Instruments Guitar has successfully integrated the four key components of digital transformation – digital integration in processes, digital integration in marketing and customer relationship management, digital integration into the value chain, and using technology to explore new products and market opportunities.

Operational resilience

– The operational resilience strategy in the Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) Harvard Business Review case study comprises – understanding the underlying the factors in the industry, building diversified operations across different geographies so that disruption in one part of the world doesn’t impact the overall performance of the firm, and integrating the various business operations and processes through its digital transformation drive.

Analytics focus

– Instruments Guitar is putting a lot of focus on utilizing the power of analytics in business decision making. This has put it among the leading players in the industry. The technology infrastructure suggested by Mark Hunter, David A. Soberman can also help it to harness the power of analytics for – marketing optimization, demand forecasting, customer relationship management, inventory management, information sharing across the value chain etc.

Diverse revenue streams

– Instruments Guitar is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) case study a diverse revenue stream that has helped it to survive disruptions such as global pandemic in Covid-19, financial disruption of 2008, and supply chain disruption of 2021.

Innovation driven organization

– Instruments Guitar is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.

Cross disciplinary teams

– Horizontal connected teams at the Instruments Guitar are driving operational speed, building greater agility, and keeping the organization nimble to compete with new competitors. It helps are organization to ideate new ideas, and execute them swiftly in the marketplace.

Successful track record of launching new products

– Instruments Guitar has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Instruments Guitar has effective processes in place that helps in exploring new product needs, doing quick pilot testing, and then launching the products quickly using its extensive distribution network.

Sustainable margins compare to other players in Sales & Marketing industry

– Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Instruments Guitar to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Sales & Marketing industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Instruments Guitar to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.

Strong track record of project management

– Instruments Guitar is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.

Learning organization

- Instruments Guitar is a learning organization. It has inculcated three key characters of learning organization in its processes and operations – exploration, creativity, and expansiveness. The work place at Instruments Guitar is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.

Effective Research and Development (R&D)

– Instruments Guitar has innovation driven culture where significant part of the revenues are spent on the research and development activities. This has resulted in, as mentioned in case study Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.






Weaknesses Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) are -

Workers concerns about automation

– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Instruments Guitar needs to come up with a strategy to reduce the workers concern regarding automation. Without a clear strategy, it could lead to disruption and uncertainty within the organization.

Slow to strategic competitive environment developments

– As Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) HBR case study mentions - Instruments Guitar takes time to assess the upcoming competitions. This has led to missing out on atleast 2-3 big opportunities in the industry in last five years.

Slow to harness new channels of communication

– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Instruments Guitar is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.

No frontier risks strategy

– After analyzing the HBR case study Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A), it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Sales & Marketing strategy. But it has very little resources allocation to manage the risks emerging from events such as natural disasters, climate change, melting of permafrost, tacking the rise of artificial intelligence, opportunities and threats emerging from commercialization of space etc.

Low market penetration in new markets

– Outside its home market of Instruments Guitar, firm in the HBR case study Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.

Increasing silos among functional specialists

– The organizational structure of Instruments Guitar is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Sales & Marketing segment. Instruments Guitar needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Instruments Guitar to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.

Aligning sales with marketing

– It come across in the case study Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) that the firm needs to have more collaboration between its sales team and marketing team. Sales professionals in the industry have deep experience in developing customer relationships. Marketing department in the case Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Instruments Guitar is planning to shift buying processes online.

Capital Spending Reduction

– Even during the low interest decade, Instruments Guitar has not been able to do capital spending to the tune of the competition. This has resulted into fewer innovations and company facing stiff competition from both existing competitors and new entrants who are disrupting the industry using digital technology.

Need for greater diversity

– Instruments Guitar has taken concrete steps on diversity, equity, and inclusion. But the efforts so far has resulted in limited success. It needs to expand the recruitment and selection process to hire more people from the minorities and underprivileged background.

High bargaining power of channel partners

– Because of the regulatory requirements, Mark Hunter, David A. Soberman suggests that, Instruments Guitar is facing high bargaining power of the channel partners. So far it has not able to streamline the operations to reduce the bargaining power of the value chain partners in the industry.

Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy

– From the instances in the HBR case study Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A), it seems that the employees of Instruments Guitar don’t have comprehensive understanding of the firm’s strategy. This is reflected in number of promotional campaigns over the last few years that had mixed messaging and competing priorities. Some of the strategic activities and services promoted in the promotional campaigns were not consistent with the organization’s strategy.




Opportunities Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) | External Strategic Factors
What are Opportunities in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The opportunities highlighted in the Harvard Business Review case study Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) are -

Leveraging digital technologies

– Instruments Guitar can leverage digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate the production process, customer analytics to get better insights into consumer behavior, realtime digital dashboards to get better sales tracking, logistics and transportation, product tracking, etc.

Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains

– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Instruments Guitar can build a diversified supply chain model across various countries in - South East Asia, India, and other parts of the world. This reconfiguration of global supply chain can help, as suggested in case study, Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A), to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.

Manufacturing automation

– Instruments Guitar can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Sales & Marketing segment. It can use CAD and 3D printing to build a quick prototype and pilot testing products. It can leverage automation using machine learning and artificial intelligence to do faster production at lowers costs, and it can leverage the growth in satellite and tracking technologies to improve inventory management, transportation, and shipping.

Use of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies for transactions

– The popularity of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies as asset class and medium of transaction has opened new opportunities for Instruments Guitar in the consumer business. Now Instruments Guitar can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.

Low interest rates

– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Instruments Guitar can still utilize the low interest rates to borrow money for capital investment. Secondly it can also use the increase of government spending in infrastructure projects to get new business.

Reforming the budgeting process

- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Instruments Guitar can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.

Finding new ways to collaborate

– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Sales & Marketing industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Instruments Guitar can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.

Better consumer reach

– The expansion of the 5G network will help Instruments Guitar to increase its market reach. Instruments Guitar will be able to reach out to new customers. Secondly 5G will also provide technology framework to build new tools and products that can help more immersive consumer experience and faster consumer journey.

Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19

– Consumer behavior has changed in the Sales & Marketing industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Instruments Guitar can take advantage of these changes in consumer behavior to build a far more efficient business model. For example consumer regular ordering of products can reduce both last mile delivery costs and market penetration costs. Instruments Guitar can further use this consumer data to build better customer loyalty, provide better products and service collection, and improve the value proposition in inflationary times.

Building a culture of innovation

– managers at Instruments Guitar can make experimentation a productive activity and build a culture of innovation using approaches such as – mining transaction data, A/B testing of websites and selling platforms, engaging potential customers over various needs, and building on small ideas in the Sales & Marketing segment.

Developing new processes and practices

– Instruments Guitar can develop new processes and procedures in Sales & Marketing industry using technology such as automation using artificial intelligence, real time transportation and products tracking, 3D modeling for concept development and new products pilot testing etc.

Reconfiguring business model

– The expansion of digital payment system, the bringing down of international transactions costs using Bitcoin and other blockchain based currencies, etc can help Instruments Guitar to reconfigure its entire business model. For example it can used blockchain based technologies to reduce piracy of its products in the big markets such as China. Secondly it can use the popularity of e-commerce in various developing markets to build a Direct to Customer business model rather than the current Channel Heavy distribution network.

Creating value in data economy

– The success of analytics program of Instruments Guitar has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Instruments Guitar to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) case study. Instruments Guitar can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.




Threats Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) are -

Aging population

– As the populations of most advanced economies are aging, it will lead to high social security costs, higher savings among population, and lower demand for goods and services in the economy. The household savings in US, France, UK, Germany, and Japan are growing faster than predicted because of uncertainty caused by pandemic.

Technology disruption because of hacks, piracy etc

– The colonial pipeline illustrated, how vulnerable modern organization are to international hackers, miscreants, and disruptors. The cyber security interruption, data leaks, etc can seriously jeopardize the future growth of the organization.

Barriers of entry lowering

– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Instruments Guitar with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.

Easy access to finance

– Easy access to finance in Sales & Marketing field will also reduce the barriers to entry in the industry, thus putting downward pressure on the prices because of increasing competition. Instruments Guitar can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.

High level of anxiety and lack of motivation

– the Great Resignation in United States is the sign of broader dissatisfaction among the workforce in United States. Instruments Guitar needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Sales & Marketing industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.

Capital market disruption

– During the Covid-19, Dow Jones has touched record high. The valuations of a number of companies are way beyond their existing business model potential. This can lead to capital market correction which can put a number of suppliers, collaborators, value chain partners in great financial difficulty. It will directly impact the business of Instruments Guitar.

Shortening product life cycle

– it is one of the major threat that Instruments Guitar is facing in Sales & Marketing sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.

Consumer confidence and its impact on Instruments Guitar demand

– There is a high probability of declining consumer confidence, given – high inflammation rate, rise of gig economy, lower job stability, increasing cost of living, higher interest rates, and aging demography. All the factors contribute to people saving higher rate of their income, resulting in lower consumer demand in the industry and other sectors.

Stagnating economy with rate increase

– Instruments Guitar can face lack of demand in the market place because of Fed actions to reduce inflation. This can lead to sluggish growth in the economy, lower demands, lower investments, higher borrowing costs, and consolidation in the field.

Regulatory challenges

– Instruments Guitar needs to prepare for regulatory challenges as consumer protection groups and other pressure groups are vigorously advocating for more regulations on big business - to reduce inequality, to create a level playing field, to product data privacy and consumer privacy, to reduce the influence of big money on democratic institutions, etc. This can lead to significant changes in the Sales & Marketing industry regulations.

Instability in the European markets

– European Union markets are facing three big challenges post Covid – expanded balance sheets, Brexit related business disruption, and aggressive Russia looking to distract the existing security mechanism. Instruments Guitar will face different problems in different parts of Europe. For example it will face inflationary pressures in UK, France, and Germany, balance sheet expansion and demand challenges in Southern European countries, and geopolitical instability in the Eastern Europe.

High dependence on third party suppliers

– Instruments Guitar high dependence on third party suppliers can disrupt its processes and delivery mechanism. For example -the current troubles of car makers because of chip shortage is because the chip companies started producing chips for electronic companies rather than car manufacturers.

Backlash against dominant players

– US Congress and other legislative arms of the government are getting tough on big business especially technology companies. The digital arm of Instruments Guitar business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.




Weighted SWOT Analysis of Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) Template, Example


Not all factors mentioned under the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants in the SWOT Analysis are equal. Managers in the HBR case study Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) needs to zero down on the relative importance of each factor mentioned in the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants. We can provide the relative importance to each factor by assigning relative weights. Weighted SWOT analysis process is a three stage process –

First stage for doing weighted SWOT analysis of the case study Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) is to rank the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. This will help you to assess the most important strengths and weaknesses of the firm and which one of the strengths and weaknesses mentioned in the initial lists are marginal and can be left out.

Second stage for conducting weighted SWOT analysis of the Harvard case study Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) is to give probabilities to the external strategic factors thus better understanding the opportunities and threats arising out of macro environment changes and developments.

Third stage of constructing weighted SWOT analysis of Reverend Musical Instruments: Playing a Different Tune (A) is to provide strategic recommendations includes – joining likelihood of external strategic factors such as opportunities and threats to the internal strategic factors – strengths and weaknesses. You should start with external factors as they will provide the direction of the overall industry. Secondly by joining probabilities with internal strategic factors can help the company not only strategic fit but also the most probably strategic trade-off that Instruments Guitar needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.



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