What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Sales & Marketing
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators
With the rise and rapid proliferation of digital and online marketing, increased cord-cutting by consumers, and new content being created online, Internet-based advertising is the single fastest-growing ad expenditure category, outstripping TV, radio, and other more traditional media formats. With the rise of new media and the increased content creation, the ability of content creators to manage and guide their brand has become more important than ever. This article investigates one such mechanism for managing the new media phenomenon, the Multi-Channel Network (MCN) model. An MCN is any entity or organization which either partners with content creators or directly produces a variety of distinctive content and works to perform business and marketing functions on the platform in which said content is released. This article investigates the MCN phenomena as it specifically addresses the needs of content creators in the new prosumptive consumer culture that helps inform and create new media content. It highlights strategies for managing and navigating the new media and MCN domain.
Swot Analysis of "What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators" written by Jacob Gardner, Kevin Lehnert includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Mcn Content facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Social platforms and Sales & Marketing.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators casestudy better are - – there is increasing trade war between United States & China, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, there is backlash against globalization, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, increasing energy prices, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy,
technology disruption, increasing commodity prices, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Mcn Content, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Mcn Content 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 What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Mcn Content
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 Mcn Content
Strengths What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Mcn Content in What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators Harvard Business Review case study are -
High brand equity
– Mcn Content has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Mcn Content to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Mcn Content in the sector have low bargaining power. What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Mcn Content to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Learning organization
- Mcn Content 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 Mcn Content is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Strong track record of project management
– Mcn Content is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Mcn Content has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Mcn Content 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.
Diverse revenue streams
– Mcn Content is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators 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.
Organizational Resilience of Mcn Content
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Mcn Content does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Digital Transformation in Sales & Marketing segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Mcn Content digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Mcn Content 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.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Mcn Content 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.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Mcn Content 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 What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Sales & Marketing industry
– What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Mcn Content to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Sales & Marketing industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Mcn Content to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Innovation driven organization
– Mcn Content is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Weaknesses What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators are -
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators 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 What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Mcn Content is planning to shift buying processes online.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators, is just above the industry average. Mcn Content needs to redesign the compensation structure and incentives to increase the revenue per employees. Some of the steps that it can take are – hiring more specialists on project basis, etc.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators, it seems that the employees of Mcn Content 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.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Mcn Content has some of the most successful products in the industry, this business model has made each new product launch extremely critical for continuous financial growth of the organization. firm in the HBR case study - What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators, in the dynamic environment Mcn Content has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Mcn Content has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Mcn Content has created an environment where the organization is dominated by functional specialists rather than management generalist. This has resulted into product oriented approach rather than marketing oriented approach or consumers oriented approach.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Mcn Content has a very deliberative decision making approach. This approach has resulted in prudent decisions, but it has also resulted in missing opportunities in the industry over the last five years. Mcn Content even though has strong showing on digital transformation primary two stages, it has struggled to capitalize the power of digital transformation in marketing efforts and new venture efforts.
Lack of clear differentiation of Mcn Content products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Mcn Content needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Mcn Content has a high cash cycle compare to other players in the industry. It needs to shorten the cash cycle by 12% to be more competitive in the marketplace, reduce inventory costs, and be more profitable.
Need for greater diversity
– Mcn Content 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 dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators HBR case study still accounts for major business revenue. This dependence on star products in has resulted into insufficient focus on developing new products, even though Mcn Content has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Opportunities What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators | 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 What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators are -
Manufacturing automation
– Mcn Content 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.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Mcn Content to conduct training and development for its employees across the world. This will result in not only reducing the cost of training but also help employees in different part of the world to integrate with the headquarter work culture, ethos, and standards.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Mcn Content can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Mcn Content operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Sales & Marketing sector.
Identify volunteer opportunities
– Covid-19 has impacted working population in two ways – it has led to people soul searching about their professional choices, resulting in mass resignation. Secondly it has encouraged people to do things that they are passionate about. This has opened opportunities for businesses to build volunteer oriented socially driven projects. Mcn Content can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Mcn Content 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.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Mcn Content in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Sales & Marketing segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
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 Mcn Content 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.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Mcn Content to expand its talent hiring zone. According to McKinsey Global Institute, 20% of the high end workforce in fields such as finance, information technology, can continously work from remote local post Covid-19. This presents a really great opportunity for Mcn Content to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Mcn Content can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Loyalty marketing
– Mcn Content has focused on building a highly responsive customer relationship management platform. This platform is built on in-house data and driven by analytics and artificial intelligence. The customer analytics can help the organization to fine tune its loyalty marketing efforts, increase the wallet share of the organization, reduce wastage on mainstream advertising spending, build better pricing strategies using personalization, etc.
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. Mcn Content 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. Mcn Content 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.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Mcn Content to increase its market reach. Mcn Content 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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Mcn Content 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.
Threats What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators are -
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators, Mcn Content may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Sales & Marketing .
New competition
– After the dotcom bust of 2001, financial crisis of 2008-09, the business formation in US economy had declined. But in 2020 alone, there are more than 1.5 million new business applications in United States. This can lead to greater competition for Mcn Content in the Sales & Marketing sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Increasing wage structure of Mcn Content
– Post Covid-19 there is a sharp increase in the wages especially in the jobs that require interaction with people. The increasing wages can put downward pressure on the margins of Mcn Content.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Mcn Content 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 Mcn Content business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Mcn Content with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
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.
Regulatory challenges
– Mcn Content 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.
Environmental challenges
– Mcn Content needs to have a robust strategy against the disruptions arising from climate change and energy requirements. EU has identified it as key priority area and spending 30% of its 880 billion Euros European post Covid-19 recovery funds on green technology. Mcn Content can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Sales & Marketing industry.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Mcn Content in the Sales & Marketing industry. The Sales & Marketing industry is already at various protected from local competition in China, with the rise of trade war the protection levels may go up. This presents a clear threat of current business model in Chinese market.
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. Mcn Content 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 Mcn Content.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Mcn Content can face downward pressure on margins from increasing competition from international players. The international players have stable revenue in their home market and can use those resources to penetrate prominent markets illustrated in HBR case study What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators .
Weighted SWOT Analysis of What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators 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 What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators 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 What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators 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 What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators 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 What's New About New Media? How Multi-Channel Networks Work With Content Creators 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 Mcn Content needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
