COMM 323 - SWOT Analysis
Conte’s Bike Shop located in six cities across Virginia including Virginia Beach, is a family owned business since 1957. For more than 60 years, the company has stood on its mission of creating an interactive retail experience, attention to customer service, and providing the area with a variety of the best cycling merchandise and apparel. Conte’s currently holds a lot of riding events for people who already have a bike, but needs to branch out to reach new customers who may not even be a bike rider today. The company has an opportunity to host a volunteer park cleanup event supporting the local community through the maintenance of public bike trails. Through the proposed event, Conte’s can extend their current demographic and create awareness while promoting a positive brand image.
STRENGTHS:
Bring awareness to the company and grow the reach of the current store audience.
Allow knowledgeable and courteous staff members to interact with the public without a sales approach in order to help create a relationship with the community.
Exhibit various types of the company’s bicycles and riding accessories as a demonstration section of the event so attendees can get to know the equipment better.
WEAKNESSES
Geographic limitations will be a factor since holding the event in a park and away from the actual bike shop will make it more challenging to have and sell products on site.
WIFI will be required to make credit card transactions possible and in order to allow for email newsletter sign ups at the event to grow a subscriber list for future marketing communications messages.
By not having the event at the bike shop’s location, the people who attend may not know where the bike shop is located and forget about it easier than if they had come into the store.
OPPORTUNITIES
Expand the current customer demographic to a broader audience compiled of park lovers, dog walkers and people who are philanthropic or like to volunteer.
Support from local government authorities and park officials through partnership of the event who also want the result to be a success.
Creating a better brand image within the community through volunteering of hours and money to improve a local park.
THREATS
Bad weather is a serious threat factor and cannot be predicted, especially when orchestrating an outdoor event.For example, if there are rain showers or it is too could outside then it could cause less people to show up. Choosing the right time of year to hold an event outdoors is critically important.
Inefficient registration of volunteers/attendees by not attracting enough attention during the marketing of the event.
Participant injuries while cleaning up the park or testing out the bicycling equipment.
Based on the SWOT analysis above, it is the recommendation to proceed with the park cleanup event project in conjunction with local Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation. The event will be marketed to current Conte’s customers as well as to other area residents living within 10 miles of the park selected and even within the park itself to attract those that already frequent the facilities. To account for any bad weather, there will be a rain date in effect and despite the sun or share of the event day, a tent will be rented to have a covered shelter for volunteers and the Conte bike equipment display. The company will have a WIFI hotspot enables iPad tablet to use for on site transactions and to collect customer email addresses for ongoing communication between Conte’s and the people that come to participate with a goal of creating customers from prospects.
