A SWOT analysis is a structured planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats confronting a business. It involves specifying the objective of a business and identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieving it.

1. Please select a publically traded company and write a SWOT analysis on it. Your paper should focus on identifying and describing your company's strengths and weaknesses as well as its competitive positioning. You should specifically discuss how the company positions its products/services and ensures that they are competitive.

2. This paper should introduce and summarize for the reader the major strategic positioning of your company and its position (market share) within the industry(ies) in which it competes. It also should identify and describe the strengths and weaknesses of your company. It is important to explain the source of your company's strengths and weaknesses in your description.

3. This SWOT assignment is essentially a competitive analysis with a stress on visions, goals, and strategies. Remember an analysis is not a description; it requires some manner of prioritization and interpretation. As we emphasized, you cannot know your company without understanding its competitors and the trends within the industry. In addition, you must understand the particular strengths and weaknesses of your company's position.

4. Your SWOT paper should also recommend a realistic course of action for your company in the future. Please draw upon theories and ideas discussed in class to explain what your company's priorities should the specific course of action that you recommend.
Here are some points that may help you analyze your company's competitive situation as you write your SWOT paper:

5. Outline how your company competes (what is its value proposition), its brand image, and the industries/markets/segments in which it competes. Be precise: a Toyota or even an Audi is not a BMW, which is still not a Porsche or a Mercedes-Benz; a Corona is neither a Budweiser nor an Anchor Steam. These differences matter in business. Even single sector businesses have other product segments or industry presences. Go beyond consumer image and discuss their competitive differences. Present them specifically for the reader. You need to know your company.

6. What are the explicit visions, strategies, and goals of the overall company and its units? What do they mean? What is your company doing to realize them?

7. What are the overall trends in the industry or consumer demand and how does it specifically impact your company? Do not forget materials costs, currency fluctuations, financial issues, etc.

8. Your Type-Written Assignment paper should be no more than 700 words long.

9. Work - as an Individual, Twosome, or by your Class Project Group.