Changes in Technology
Identify ways that changing technology has affected the firm's customers:
Searching for product information
Place and timing of purchase (order) decisions
Comparison shopping
Identify ways that changing technology has affected the way the firm or the industry
operates:
Manufacturing
Distribution
Promotion
Customer relationship management
Partnerships and alliances
Identify current technologies that the firm is not using to the fullest potential:
Identify future technologies that may increase the risk of product obsolescence:
Sociocultural Trends
Identify changes in society's demographics and values that will affect the firm or the
industry (if this becomes too broad, focus on the firm's target customers):
Explain the changes that shifting demographics and values will have on the firm's:
Products (features, benefits, branding)
Pricing (value)
Distribution (convenience, efficiency)
Promotion (message content, delivery, feedback)
People (human resource issues)
Identify any problems or opportunities that may be created by changes in the cultural
diversity of the firm's customers and employees:
Identify any environmental issues (pollution, recycling, energy conservation) that
the firm or industry is facing:
Identify the ethical and social responsibility issues that the firm or industry is facing:
B.
The Customer Environment
Who are the firm's current and potential customers?
Describe the important identifying characteristics of the firm's current and potential
customers:
Demographic
Geographic
Psychographic
Product usage