SWOT Analysis

Part of the process for the development of the company, is a complete analysis of the company’s situation through a SWOT analysis, or "an overall evaluation of the company’s strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T)" (Marketing: An Introduction. Armstrong & Kotler, 55).

Black Forlorn Vodka’s strengths lie in its alluring appeal to the most heavily targeted young adults. The unique resources used to produce our vodka are of the highest quality, there is no other competitor that uses them, and are beneficially groundbreaking; all of the "strengths mentioned include internal capabilities, resources, positive situational factors that may help the company to serve its customers and achieve its objectives" (Marketing: An Introduction. Armstrong & Kotler, 55).

It is wise and perhaps profitable to recognize that "weaknesses include internal limitations and negative situational factors that may interfere with the company’s performance" (Marketing: An Introduction. Armstrong & Kotler, 55); such limiting factors are the employment of somewhat costly ingredients, reducing our opportunity to increase profit by cutting costs, and the mere nature of alcohol, an intoxicating substance nonetheless (even though our ingredients posses beneficial properties).

It is thanks to this “label” that we could position our product in self-awareness markets such as “Whole Foods or Trader Joes,” presenting Black Forlorn Vodka as “the healthier choice” while granting us "opportunities which are favorable factors or trends in the external environment that the company may be able to exploit to its advantage" (Marketing: An Introduction. Armstrong & Kotler, 55).

However, we do recognize the fact that the fast paced lifestyle of our targeted market is ever-changing. Although the chance is minimal, the threat is present at all times. After all we live in a world of fads, being the biggest thing for one moment and yet unmemorable on the next one. The nature is that "these threats are unfavorable external factors or trends that may present challenges to performance" (Marketing: An Introduction. Armstrong & Kotler, 55).