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Business communication: writing a SWOT analysis
Business communication: writing a SWOT analysis

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6.1 Gathering information from a source

To begin this section, you will practise extracting the key pieces of information from a video.

Activity 6

Watch the following video (from the BBC programme Made in Britain, recorded in 2012), which will introduce you to the company Brompton Bicycle. Watch first, just to get a general idea of the company, where they are located and what they produce. Then, watch a second time and make quick notes on any points you hear that could be categorised as strengths. Watch the video a third time and note down any weaknesses, opportunities or threats which are mentioned. Once you have completed your notes, condense them to concise points, decide which category each point belongs to and type them in the following table.

(You will learn more about making concise notes later in this course.)

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SWOT analysis of Brompton Bicycle 2012
Strengths Weaknesses
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Opportunities Threats
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Answer

The following are all possible answers:

SWOT analysis of Brompton Bicycle 2012
Strengths Weaknesses
  • Britain’s biggest bike manufacturer
  • Quality workmanship, hand built
  • Specialisation
  • Exports growing – two thirds of bikes exported to 38 countries
  • Profitable niche
  • Very niche, only one product line
Opportunities Threats
  • Growth potential
  • China can afford to buy
  • Huge potential market in China
  • China may be able to compete some day

Discussion

It is common when making a SWOT analysis to use bullet points and brief phrases (noun phrases) so that the table concisely summarises the main points about the case.

Notice how one aspect of the company can be seen as both a strength and a weakness, depending on the way you look at it. Being a ‘niche’ company can be a strength in that this can go with quality and rarity, but it can also be a weakness as there is risk if the whole company is based on only one product.

Sometimes what one person considers a strength might be considered a weakness by someone else: for example, the fact that all the bikes are made in Britain. This can be seen as a strength if it appeals to customers. However, it can be a weakness if you consider that manufacturing in Britain is expensive. This is why SWOT analysis is not necessarily straightforward. If you decide to put a point in one category, you need to be able to explain why you put it there.