MKTG90003 Chap.2 Strategic Planning and Situation Analysis
Strategic Planning and Situation Analysis
Strategic planning links formative research, strategy, tactics and evaluation. The situation analysis establishes the organisation, issue, environment, publics and present problem without prematurely selecting a recommendation. This chapter shows how SWOT and PESTLE organise evidence, how a problem statement differs from a tactic and how evaluation feeds new learning into the next planning cycle.
The key skill is traceability from finding to decision.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Formative research
- 02
Situation analysis boundaries
- 03
SWOT evidence
- 04
PESTLE environment scan
- 05
Problem definition
- 06
Research to strategy traceability
- 07
Evaluation feedback
Worked example · free
Diagnose a museum visitation problem
- 1Identify the perception of a static offer among family decision-makers as the central issue suggested by the evidence.
- 1Classify curator expertise as a strength and weak digital visibility as a weakness.
- 1Treat competitor communication as a threat and demand for educational outings as a possible opportunity.
- 1Name the unresolved question: low awareness of new programs or genuine program repetition.
- 1Avoid selecting an event, influencer or release until that question is researched.
Key terms
- Formative research
- Formative research gathers information about the organisation, industry, outlook and publics before a PR plan is designed.
- Situation analysis
- Situation analysis reviews relevant internal and external evidence to define the current issue and its consequences.
- SWOT
- SWOT organises internal strengths and weaknesses alongside external opportunities and threats.
- PESTLE
- PESTLE scans political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental conditions.
- Problem statement
- A problem statement summarises the present evidence, affected public and consequence without embedding a preferred tactic.
Strategic Planning and Situation Analysis FAQ
What belongs in a situation analysis?
Include the organisational and issue context, relevant industry or competitor evidence, important publics and environmental pressures. Select facts that change a later decision. The analysis should clarify capabilities, opportunities, threats and the current problem, while distinguishing established evidence from assumptions requiring research.
Does SWOT replace strategic reasoning?
No. SWOT is an organising tool. A strength matters only in relation to the problem, and an opportunity matters only if the organisation can act on it. Convert the matrix into a concise diagnosis and explain how the selected findings shape objectives and strategy.
Why is evaluation part of the planning cycle?
Evaluation supplies evidence for the next decision. Objectives should define measures before tactics begin, and results should determine whether the organisation continues, changes or stops an activity. Treating evaluation as a ceremonial final section prevents learning and encourages flattering metrics.
How do I turn a large case file into a concise situation analysis?
Begin with the decision the plan must support, then sort evidence by its ability to change that decision. Establish the current organisational condition, the issue or opportunity, the affected public and the consequence of inaction. Label each fact as internal, external or unresolved.
SWOT can organise strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, while PESTLE scans broader political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental pressures; neither framework is a substitute for explaining causal significance. After sorting, write a one-sentence problem statement with no channel or tactic.
Follow it with the strongest evidence, a counter-indication and the research gap that would alter the diagnosis. Check source fit: operational records show performance, interviews reveal interpretation, media analysis identifies frames and public data establishes context. Avoid allowing one source to answer every question. Then read the draft forward into planning.
The finding should justify a public and objective; the objective should guide the strategic route; tactics should enact that route; evaluation should test the objective and create new evidence. Read backward as an audit. If a tactic cannot be traced to a finding, it is preference disguised as planning.
Under time pressure, use four clauses—finding, implication, objective and response—and state uncertainty rather than inventing evidence. A concise analysis is selective, not superficial: every included fact must change the problem definition, priority, recommendation or evaluation design.
Exam move
Build a one-page evidence chain for an original scenario. Start with five research facts and label each as internal, external or unresolved. Place internal strengths and weaknesses in SWOT, then place broader environmental conditions in PESTLE. Write one problem statement that contains no recommendation. Under it, write a single implication, a possible objective and the evidence that would test success.
Read the chain backwards from tactic to research and circle any unsupported leap. During exam practice, ask “so what?” after each fact and activity. Remove background that changes no decision. When a case gives incomplete information, name the research question rather than inventing a conclusion. This routine trains the distinction between diagnosis, strategy, execution and evaluation.
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