SWOT analysis in action
A Skoda case study
In 1895 in Czechoslovakia, two keen cyclists, Vaclav Laurin and Vaclav Klement,
designed and produced their own bicycle. Their business became Skoda in 1925. Skoda
went on to manufacture cycles, cars, farm ploughs and airplanes in Eastern Europe.
Skoda overcame hard times over the next 65 years. These included war, economic
depression and political change.
By 1990 the Czech management of Skoda was looking for a strong foreign partner.
Volkswagen AG (VAG) was chosen because of its reputation for strength, quality and
reliability. It is the largest car manufacturer in Europe providing an average of more than
five million cars a year giving it a 12% share of the world car market.
Volkswagen AG comprises the Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, SEAT, Volkswagen
Commercial Vehicles, Lamborghini, Bentley and Bugatti brands. Each brand has its own
specific character and is independent in the market. Skoda UK sells Skoda cars through
its network of independent franchised dealers.
To improve its performance in the competitive car market, Skoda UK”s management
needed to assess its brand positioning. Brand positioning means establishing a distinctive
image for the brand compared to competing brands. Only then could it grow from being a
small player. To aid its decision-making, Skoda UK obtained market research data from
internal and external strategic audits. This enabled it to take advantage of new
opportunities and respond to threats.
The audit provided a summary of the business's overall strategic position by using a
SWOT analysis. SWOT is an acronym which stands for:
● Strengths - the internal elements of the business that contribute to improvement and
growth
● Weaknesses - the attributes that will hinder a business or make it vulnerable to failure
● Opportunities - the external conditions that could enable future growth
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● Threats - the external factors which could negatively affect the business.
This case study focuses on how Skoda UK's management built on all the areas of the
strategic audit. The outcome of the SWOT analysis was a strategy for effective
competition in the car industry.
To identify its strengths, Skoda UK carried out research. It asked customers directly for
their opinions about its cars. It also used reliable independent surveys that tested
customers' feelings.
For example, the annual JD Power customer satisfaction survey asks owners what they
feel about cars they have owned for at least six months. JD Power surveys almost 20,000
car owners using detailed questionnaires. Skoda has been in the top five manufacturers in
this survey for the past 13 years.
In Top Gear's 2007 customer satisfaction survey, 56,000 viewers gave their opinions on
152 models and voted Skoda the 'number 1 car maker'. Skoda's Octavia model has also
won the 2008 Auto Express Driver Power 'Best Car'.
Skoda attributes these results to the business concentrating on owner experience rather
than on sales. It has considered 'the human touch' from design through to sale. Skoda
knows that 98% of its drivers would recommend Skoda to a friend. This is a clearly
identifiable and quantifiable strength. Skoda uses this to guide its future strategic
development and marketing of its brand image.
Strategic management guides a business so that it can compete and grow in its market.
Skoda adopted a strategy focused on building cars that their owners would enjoy. This is
different from simply maximising sales of a product.
As a result, Skoda's biggest strength was the satisfaction of its customers. This means the
brand is associated with a quality product and happy customers.
Skoda UK's analysis showed that in order to grow it needed to address key questions
about the brand position. Skoda has only 1.7% market share. This made it a very small
player in the market for cars. The main issue it needed to address was: how did Skoda fit
into this highly competitive, fragmented market?
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This was partly due to out-dated perceptions of the brand. These related to Skoda's
eastern European origins. In the past the cars had an image of poor vehicle quality,
design, assembly and materials. Crucially, this poor perception also affected Skoda
owners. For many people, car ownership is all about image. If you are a Skoda driver,
what do other people think?
From 1999 onwards, under Volkswagen AG ownership, Skoda changed this negative
image. Skoda cars were no longer seen as low-budget or low quality. However, a brand
'health check' in 2006 showed that Skoda still had a weak and neutral image in the
mid-market range it occupies, compared to other players in this area, for example, Ford,
Peugeot and Renault. This meant that, whilst the brand no longer had a poor image, it did
not have a strong appeal either.
This understanding showed Skoda in which direction it needed to go. It needed to stop
being defensive in promotional campaigns. The company had sought to correct old
perceptions and demonstrate what Skoda cars were not. It realised it was now time to say
what the brand does stand for.
The marketing message for the change was simple: Skoda owners were known to be
happy and contented with their cars. The car-buying public and the car industry as a
whole needed convincing that Skoda cars were great to own and drive.
In analysing the external market, Skoda noted that its competitors' marketing approaches
focused on the product itself. Many brands place emphasis on the machine and the
driving experience:
● Audi emphasises the technology through its strapline, 'Vorsprung Durch Technik'
('advantage through technology').
● BMW promotes 'the ultimate driving machine'.
Skoda UK discovered that its customers loved their cars more than owners of competitor
brands, such as Renault or Ford.
Information from the SWOT analysis helped Skoda to differentiate its product range.
Having a complete understanding of the brand's weaknesses allowed it to develop a
strategy to strengthen the brand and take advantage of the opportunities in the market.
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It focused on its existing strengths and provided cars focused on the customer experience.
The focus on 'happy Skoda customers' is an opportunity. It enables Skoda to differentiate
the Skoda brand to make it stand out from the competition. This is Skoda's unique selling
proposition (USP) in the motor industry.
The UK car market includes 50 different car makers selling 200 models. Within these
there are over 2,000 model derivatives. Skoda UK needed to ensure that its messages
were powerful enough for customers to hear within such a crowded and competitive
environment. If not, potential buyers would overlook Skoda. This posed the threat of a
further loss of market share. Skoda needed a strong product range to compete in the UK
and globally.
In the UK the Skoda brand is represented by seven different cars. Each one is designed to
appeal to different market segments. For example:
● The Skoda Fabia is sold as a basic but quality 'city car'
● The Skoda Superb offers a more luxurious, 'up-market' appeal
● The Skoda Octavia Estate provides a family with a fun drive but also a great big boot.
Pricing reflects the competitive nature of Skoda's market. Each model range is priced to
appeal to different groups within the mainstream car market. The combination of a clear
range with competitive pricing has overcome the threat of the crowded market.
Skoda responded by designing products that are environmentally friendly at every stage
of their life cycle. For example:-
● Recycling as much as possible. Skoda parts are marked for quick and easy
identification when the car is taken apart.
● Using the latest, most environmentally-friendly manufacturing technologies and
facilities available. For instance, painting areas to protect against corrosion use
lead-free, water based colours.
● Designing processes to cut fuel consumption and emissions in petrol and diesel
engines. These use lighter parts making vehicles as aerodynamic as possible to use
less energy.
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● Using technology to design cars with lower noise levels and improved sound quality.
Skoda UK has responded with a new marketing strategy based on the confident slogan,
'the manufacturer of happy drivers'.
The campaign's promotional activities support the new brand position. The key messages
for the campaign focus on the 'happy' customer experience and appeal at an emotional
rather than a practical level. The campaign includes:
● The 'Fabia Cake' TV advert. This showed that the car was 'full of lovely stuff' with the
happy music ('Favourite things') in the background.
● An improved and redesigned website which is easy and fun to use. This is to appeal
to a young audience. It embodies the message 'experience the happiness of Skoda
online'.
Customers are able to book test drives and order brochures online. The result is that
potential customers will feel a Skoda is not only a reliable and sensible car to own, it is
also 'lovely' to own.
Analysing the external opportunities and threats allows Skoda UK to pinpoint precisely
how it should target its marketing messages. No other market player has 'driver
happiness' as its USP.
By building on the understanding derived from the SWOT, Skoda UK has given new
impetus to its campaign. At the same time, the campaign has addressed the threat of
external competition by setting Skoda apart from its rivals.