Marketing Plan Guidelines And Sample (Page 11 of 19) in pdf

Writing a Marketing Plan

Chapter Two Appendix

Before engaging in a ﬁ rm-

speciﬁ c SWOT analysis (see

Chapter 2), this marketing

3.1.4. Market Trends

plan assesses the external

market environment further

The methods by which online recruitment service providers deliver candidates has

and thus establishes a basis

been undergoing a migration from resume aggregation and search services like Mon-

for the subsequent SWOT

ster and CareerBuilder to new Web 2.0 methodologies that include passive recruitment,

analysis.

“meta tagging,” and social networking.

The underlying objective of these Web 2.0 services is to allow individuals to re-

main on a few, trusted Web sites while enabling companies to access those individuals for

ﬁ nancial purposes. In parallel, the focus is moving from aggregation of unique visitors

toward engaging existing users more intensively. Internet users are growing familiar with

sites that encourage socializing, collaborating, and distributing private information online

Using a table and bullet

to help improve network beneﬁ ts and need to be engaged to maintain contact.

points, the plan summarizes

a lot of information

3.2. SWOT Analysis

succinctly and clearly.

Positive

Negative

Internal

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

• Industry best practices: The

• Absence of industry “inﬂ uentials”:

networking model used by Peo-

As a start-up, PeopleAhead does

pleAhead draws on the industry

not currently have resources to at-

accepted “best practices” contact

tract inﬂ uential industry managers.

protocols drawn from multiple

• Inability to guarantee critical

industries, including online feed-

mass: As is true of many Internet

back, recruitment, and social net-

companies, the business must

working and ofﬂ ine professional

solve the “chicken and egg”

networking. TrueMatch- soft-

puzzle to build critical mass.

ware aligns business objectives

• Verifying efﬁ ciency of matching

with appropriate candidates.

capabilities: In theory, the system

• Team expertise: The combined

has an absolute guarantee of

talents of the founders include

effectivity; computations make

human resources, system devel-

decisions rather than humans.

opment, sales, and marketing.

However, the matching capabili-

• Web development expertise:

ties must be veriﬁ ed as accurate

PeopleAhead has partnered with

to gain widespread acceptance.

an award-winning European

• Broad target market: Because Peo-

software development provider.

pleAhead is targeting a wide range

This company provides quality

of businesses, the product being

usually reserved for high-budget

developed has not been “custom-

projects, at terms that are favor-

ized” ideally for each segment.

able for a start-up company.

External

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

• Service gap: Recruiters are not

• Convergence: existing competitors

pleased with current online

may form strategic alliances and

recruitment vendors.

establish powerful positions before

• Industry gap: Job turnover is

PeopleAhead can establish itself.

every 3.5 years per person.

• Inability to protect model: Very

• Demand for productive candidates.

little intellectual property created

Note that the analysis uses

• Online recruitment advertising:

by online Web sites is protected by

outside sources to support

Growing by 35% per year, to reach

law. Although PeopleAhead will

its claims.

$7.6 billion by 2010.

(continued)

Marketing Plan Guidelines And Sample Page 11

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