Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Sales & Marketing
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled
Brand anthropomorphism has been found to enhance the ability of consumers to recognize the inherent value of brands. However, there is limited knowledge among practitioners on how to build a brand with humanlike characteristics. After a literature review of brand anthropomorphism in general and the theory of warmth and competence in particular, we present the Human Brand Model of how to build a brand that is perceived to be human. There are four steps in this process; the first three indicate the brand inputs and the last indicates the results of those inputs. This model guides brand managers on how to make their brand more human. The use of this model should result in the organization having an excellent brand reputation; stronger, more meaningful relationships with their customers; and improved brand loyalty.
Authors :: Sivan Portal, Russell Abratt, Michael Bendixen
Swot Analysis of "Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled" written by Sivan Portal, Russell Abratt, Michael Bendixen includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Brand Anthropomorphism facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Leadership and Sales & Marketing.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled casestudy better are - – increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, geopolitical disruptions, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies,
increasing transportation and logistics costs, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Brand Anthropomorphism, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Brand Anthropomorphism 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 Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Brand Anthropomorphism
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 Brand Anthropomorphism
Strengths Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Brand Anthropomorphism in Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled Harvard Business Review case study are -
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Brand Anthropomorphism 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.
Training and development
– Brand Anthropomorphism has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled Harvard Business Review case study by analyzing – employees retention, in-house promotion, loyalty, new venture initiation, lack of conflict, and high level of both employees and customer engagement.
Analytics focus
– Brand Anthropomorphism 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 Sivan Portal, Russell Abratt, Michael Bendixen 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
– Brand Anthropomorphism is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled 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.
Digital Transformation in Sales & Marketing segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Brand Anthropomorphism digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Brand Anthropomorphism 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.
Ability to lead change in Sales & Marketing field
– Brand Anthropomorphism 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 Brand Anthropomorphism in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled 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.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Brand Anthropomorphism is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Sales & Marketing industry
– Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Brand Anthropomorphism to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Sales & Marketing industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Brand Anthropomorphism to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Organizational Resilience of Brand Anthropomorphism
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Brand Anthropomorphism does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Learning organization
- Brand Anthropomorphism 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 Brand Anthropomorphism is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Brand Anthropomorphism 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 Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Weaknesses Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled are -
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled, in the dynamic environment Brand Anthropomorphism has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Brand Anthropomorphism has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled, it seems that the employees of Brand Anthropomorphism 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.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Sivan Portal, Russell Abratt, Michael Bendixen suggests that, Brand Anthropomorphism 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.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled HBR case study mentions - Brand Anthropomorphism 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.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled, is just above the industry average. Brand Anthropomorphism 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.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Brand Anthropomorphism, firm in the HBR case study Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Brand Anthropomorphism is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled has high operating costs in the. This can be harder to sustain given the new emerging competition from nimble players who are using technology to attract Brand Anthropomorphism 's lucrative customers.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Brand Anthropomorphism 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.
Lack of clear differentiation of Brand Anthropomorphism products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Brand Anthropomorphism needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Brand Anthropomorphism is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Sales & Marketing segment. Brand Anthropomorphism needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Brand Anthropomorphism to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Opportunities Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled | 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 Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled are -
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 Brand Anthropomorphism in the consumer business. Now Brand Anthropomorphism 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. Brand Anthropomorphism can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Brand Anthropomorphism can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Brand Anthropomorphism can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Brand Anthropomorphism operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Sales & Marketing sector.
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. Brand Anthropomorphism 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. Brand Anthropomorphism 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.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Brand Anthropomorphism 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 Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Brand Anthropomorphism to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Brand Anthropomorphism to increase its market reach. Brand Anthropomorphism 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.
Developing new processes and practices
– Brand Anthropomorphism 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.
Manufacturing automation
– Brand Anthropomorphism 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.
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 Brand Anthropomorphism 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.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Brand Anthropomorphism 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.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Brand Anthropomorphism is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled case study suggests that firm can utilize new technology to build more coordinated teams and streamline operations and communications using tools such as CAD, Zoom, etc.
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. Brand Anthropomorphism can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Threats Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled are -
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Brand Anthropomorphism 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 Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled .
Regulatory challenges
– Brand Anthropomorphism 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.
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. Brand Anthropomorphism can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Brand Anthropomorphism with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
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.
Increasing wage structure of Brand Anthropomorphism
– 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 Brand Anthropomorphism.
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 Brand Anthropomorphism business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Brand Anthropomorphism has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Sales & Marketing industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Brand Anthropomorphism needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Sales & Marketing sector. According to Mckinsey study top managers believe that the adoption of technology in operations, communications is 20-25 times faster than what they planned in the beginning of 2019.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled, Brand Anthropomorphism 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 .
Environmental challenges
– Brand Anthropomorphism 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. Brand Anthropomorphism can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Sales & Marketing industry.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Brand Anthropomorphism is facing in Sales & Marketing sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Brand Anthropomorphism 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.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Brand Anthropomorphism 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.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled 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 Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled 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 Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled 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 Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled 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 Building a Human Brand: Brand Anthropomorphism Unravelled 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 Brand Anthropomorphism needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
