Burberry Group
This assessment requires you to produce a report based on a company of your choice from the list provided below. The report will demonstrate your understanding of the SWOT, PEST. You will apply the models to evaluate the company and present an analysis making reference to both internal and external factors.
The learning outcomes to be assessed are:
recognize and evaluate the general objectives of business and the context in which it operates;
appreciate how effective development of the marketing process and be used as a source of competitive advantages;
discuss the ways in which recruitment, selection and training can improve the performance of the workforce
You are required to conduct an analysis of environmental factors relevant to your chosen company and how the company responds to these environmental factors, which may be subject to change. You will be expected to conduct internal and external (PEST) environmental analysis and a SWOT analysis. Based on the SWOT analysis, you are expected to make recommendations for the company, making sure that you include reference to marketing and human resources. You are required to provide a report that includes the following sections:
1. Summary
The main focus of the summary is to explain the purpose of the report, key findings and main recommendations. Keep it very short. The summary should briefly introduce the target company. The suggested format is as follows:
1.1 Background: a brief paragraph introducing the target company and its products. 1.2 Key findings: a summary (not bullet points) of the key points that have emerged from the analysis. 1.3 Main Recommendations: an overview of recommendations based on the analysis.
(Total word count should not exceed 250 words)
2. The Macro External Environment Analysis
Identify and analyse the macro external environment using PEST analysis. PEST analysis looks into environmental forces that influence the company or its products. So please keep in mind that PEST analysis is not a discussion about the company’s history or strategies, it is exploring the impact of environmental forces (Political, Economic, Social and Technological) on the company. See the figure below.
The importance of each force may vary from company to company. For example, Shell, an oil drilling and marketing company may be more influenced by the political and legal environmental forces than social environmental forces. For Nivea Deodorant, social forces and economic factors may be more relevant than political and legal forces. However, that does not mean political and legal forces are completely irrelevant for Nivea Deodorant. You need to discuss the relative impact of different environmental forces and how they influence the company.
3. The Micro External Environment Analysis
This section should include assessment and analysis of the relevant micro external environmental forces (for example, customers, market intermediaries, suppliers, the public and competitors).
4. The Internal Environment Analysis
This section will demonstrate analysis of relevant internal environmental factors (management, financial resources, human resources, training and development and technical capabilities) which have impact on the company’s advantage.
SWOT analysis – embedded in Sections 2, 3 and 4: Summarising and evaluating the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for your company. Strengths and weaknesses are extracted from the internal environment analysis, and opportunities and threats are derived from the external environment analysis (macro and micro). Ensure that no new factors are included.
5. Conclusions
Your conclusions should be brief, and to the point, following on from the analysis and evaluation you have presented in the main body. You should NOT be introducing any new facts or evidence at this stage. It is acceptable to present an argument based on the evidence and the conclusions you draw from it.
6. Recommendations
You are expected to make recommendations for your company, based on your evaluation and conclusions, which you think will help it to succeed in the context of the current environment. You must include reference to marketing and human resources even where the recommendation is for the company to continue with its current strategy.
