This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Sales & Marketing
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of This is Not What I Saw on HGTV...
An angry customer with a laundry list of complaints has just stormed into a local home staging company. The owner is unavailable, so her assistant must try to salvage the customer's service experience. Using the gaps model of service quality, the assistant (and students) must recognize service quality issues, explore the imbalance between what was promised and delivered, and attempt to manage a disgruntled customer. Complicating matters, the assistant has been given limited authority and must appease the customer without making her boss look unprofessional.
Authors :: Mary Dana Laird, James J. Zboja, Jeffrey B. Paul
Swot Analysis of "This is Not What I Saw on HGTV..." written by Mary Dana Laird, James J. Zboja, Jeffrey B. Paul includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Assistant Hgtv facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Supply chain and Sales & Marketing.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... casestudy better are - – wage bills are increasing, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, there is backlash against globalization, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, increasing commodity prices, increasing household debt because of falling income levels,
digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, increasing energy prices, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of This is Not What I Saw on HGTV...
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Assistant Hgtv, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Assistant Hgtv 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 This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Assistant Hgtv
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 Assistant Hgtv
Strengths This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Assistant Hgtv in This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... Harvard Business Review case study are -
Highly skilled collaborators
– Assistant Hgtv has highly efficient outsourcing and offshoring strategy. It has resulted in greater operational flexibility and bringing down the costs in highly price sensitive segment. Secondly the value chain collaborators of the firm in This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Diverse revenue streams
– Assistant Hgtv is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... 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
– Assistant Hgtv is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
High brand equity
– Assistant Hgtv has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Assistant Hgtv to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Assistant Hgtv has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Assistant Hgtv 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.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Assistant Hgtv 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.
Learning organization
- Assistant Hgtv 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 Assistant Hgtv is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Sales & Marketing industry
– This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Assistant Hgtv to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Sales & Marketing industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Assistant Hgtv to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Ability to lead change in Sales & Marketing field
– Assistant Hgtv is one of the leading players in its industry. Over the years it has not only transformed the business landscape in its segment but also across the whole industry. The ability to lead change has enabled Assistant Hgtv in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Assistant Hgtv in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Assistant Hgtv in the sector have low bargaining power. This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Assistant Hgtv to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Assistant Hgtv has built up over years in its products and services combo offer has resulted in high retention of customers, lower marketing costs, and greater ability of the firm to focus on its customers.
Weaknesses This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... are -
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study This is Not What I Saw on HGTV..., 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.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Assistant Hgtv is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study This is Not What I Saw on HGTV..., it seems that the employees of Assistant Hgtv 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.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... 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 This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Assistant Hgtv is planning to shift buying processes online.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... HBR case study mentions - Assistant Hgtv 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.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... 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 Assistant Hgtv has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Assistant Hgtv has borrowed money from the capital market at higher rates. It needs to restructure the interest payment and costs so that it can compete better and improve profitability.
Lack of clear differentiation of Assistant Hgtv products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Assistant Hgtv needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Assistant Hgtv 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.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Assistant Hgtv 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. Assistant Hgtv 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.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Assistant Hgtv 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 - This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Opportunities This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... | 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 This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... are -
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Assistant Hgtv 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, This is Not What I Saw on HGTV..., to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Assistant Hgtv 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.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Assistant Hgtv has spent a significant amount of money and effort to integrate analytics and machine learning into its operations in the sector. This continuous investment in analytics has enabled, as illustrated in the Harvard case study This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Assistant Hgtv to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
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 Assistant Hgtv in the consumer business. Now Assistant Hgtv can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
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. Assistant Hgtv can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Assistant Hgtv 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.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Assistant Hgtv 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.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Assistant Hgtv can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Assistant Hgtv operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Sales & Marketing sector.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Assistant Hgtv has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Assistant Hgtv to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... case study. Assistant Hgtv can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Buying journey improvements
– Assistant Hgtv can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... suggest that firm can provide automated chats to help consumers solve their own problems, provide online suggestions to get maximum out of the products and services, and help consumers to build a community where they can interact with each other to develop new features and uses.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Assistant Hgtv 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 Assistant Hgtv to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Assistant Hgtv to increase its market reach. Assistant Hgtv 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. Assistant Hgtv 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. Assistant Hgtv 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.
Threats This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... are -
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 Assistant Hgtv.
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. Assistant Hgtv can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study This is Not What I Saw on HGTV..., Assistant Hgtv 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 .
Consumer confidence and its impact on Assistant Hgtv 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.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Assistant Hgtv with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
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. Assistant Hgtv 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 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. Assistant Hgtv needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Sales & Marketing industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Assistant Hgtv 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.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Assistant Hgtv is facing in Sales & Marketing sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Increasing wage structure of Assistant Hgtv
– 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 Assistant Hgtv.
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.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Assistant Hgtv 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 This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... .
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 Assistant Hgtv business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... 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 This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... 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 This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... 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 This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... 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 This is Not What I Saw on HGTV... 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 Assistant Hgtv needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
