Photo credit: paul (dex) @ Flickr
In the previous post, we began to look at how we could derive competitive intelligence from measuring public relations by employing a SWOT analysis to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of an organization’s media presence. In this post, we will take a look at different areas of evaluation in order to uncover possible opportunities and threats that may exist and lead to shifts in PR strategies.
Opportunities and threats, the external factors of a SWOT analysis, represent the items that lie outside of an organization’s immediate control. They are constantly changing and present themselves in many forms. The more intelligence you have at your fingertips, the better you position your organization to mitigate the threats and capitalize on the opportunities before they magnify or diminish respectively. I’d like to focus on two areas that I believe to be the most relevant to public relations: technology and the competition.
Technology may offer a new means for reaching and interacting with target stakeholders or advancing your key messages. Gadgets, such as the iPad, have the potential to greatly expand the reach of certain media outlets and some have even gone as far as to label it the “saving of the newspaper industry.” Social networks, such as Twitter, present a new (relatively) medium for organizations, making it easier to connect and share. And let’s not forget about customer review sites, such as Yelp, putting customer experiences a click away from impacting the purchasing decisions of potential customers.
These examples only highlight a few examples of how technology can present and define brand opportunities and threats. Does new technology offer a means to mitigate existing or potential threats? Extend thought leadership? Expand visibility? Clarify message communication? Asking these types of questions may lead to answers that can be applied to strengthen and maximize competitive positioning. Establishing a meaningful measurement program will provide you with consistent data and assist in answering these types of questions.
For most organizations, the competition most likely represents the greatest threat to realizing their stated objectives. Watch for trends in strengths and weaknesses, as it relates to your media presence, and understand why these trends are developing. Understand if the trend was the result of:
- A temporary shift caused by an industry event or product launch
- A change in the competitive landscape, such as an acquisition or a rising competitor
- The competition expanding their reach through new outlets or influencers
- Prefaced by trends in competitive positioning that could have been identified and addressed
Additionally, it is important to ask yourself: “Are our strengths and weaknesses in positioning reflective of the perceptions that our stakeholders hold as derived from survey data? Are they in line with the results of independent evaluations such as Consumer Reports or Charity Navigator?” Similarly, understand the differences between your share of voice and comparative measures, such as market share, to identify variations that raise flags. Discrepancies may point to a failing strategy, intensive tactics by the competition or a hole in communications efforts that can be shored up in order to capitalize on existing opportunities.
Understanding “why” media trends develop or positioning advantages exist help to determine what, if any, shifts in strategies should be considered and to identify whether or not additional research may be appropriate. The “why” is a moving target which becomes easier to identify with the assistance of an established and meaningful media measurement program. Maintaining a firm grasp on your media presence, in relation to the competition, enables you to discover opportunities and threats and to take informed steps towards achieving your stated objectives.
