The "Situation" Analysis

No no, this is not a blog post about Jersey Shore! It's a snippit from our situation analysis as part of our proposal in PR class for our magazine, it was really fun figuring out what could go really wrong, and really right in the project.

The situation analysis for Run WPG magazine outlines internal and external factors that could affect its success. Strengths and opportunities being for, and weaknesses and threats, against.

Strengths

• The editorial team members represent different age groups. Having writers who represent different generations will be beneficial to the content and the readers of Run WPG.
• The editorial team members are all residents of Winnipeg. They are familiar with the city, the goings on and the overall personality of the population. 
• The magazine allows for two-way communication between the reader and editorial staff through its format which includes letters to the editor.
• The concept is sustainable. There are many possible topics to be covered since running itself is diverse and can be associated with many other types of exercise and nutrition.
• The editorial team has a lot of good connections in the running community. One member is good friends with Darren Anderson, who is the director of the Manitoba Marathon.

Weaknesses

• The concept promises content for both runners and walkers, but the focus is blurry. The editorial doesn’t include anything specific for people who walk, which will potentially defer them.
• The spring 2011 issue is being written in the middle of winter, making it hard to include news worthy and relevant topics for the time of release. It is also difficult to create original photography of people running outside without snow on the ground.
• Not all readers will identify with the celebrities that are featured in Run WPG. People will see a face that they don’t like, and won’t be prompted about purchasing the magazine.
• The editorial staff consists of only four members. They are creating everything from advertisements to stories which will make it hard to keep the quality of work consistent.
• There is a very limited budget for the magazine. Being a student project, there is no advertising revenue and all costs will be paid out of the pockets of the staff.

Opportunities

• The demographic of 25-40 year olds that the magazine targets has a lot of dispensable income. 
• The running community is very small and tight knit. Run WPG can benefit from word of mouth within it.
• There are many running events, such as races and marathons in Winnipeg where the magazine can be a presence.
• Many charities are associated with running, and Run WPG can take advantage of the benefits being associated with charities can have on the magazine’s image to the community as well as partnering for distribution.
• Mainstream media is very popular with Run WPG’s target market and many celebrities in these mediums endorse staying fit and running.

Threats

• There is a lot of competition for Run WPG. The strongest being lots of content available for runners online, as well as other magazines.
• The weather in Winnipeg could create seasonality of the magazine.Though some people do run in the winter, all of the events are happening in the spring and summer. It also rains a lot here, and it could happen that marathons and races are rained out.
• The possibility of failure is a factor for Run WPG, as it is with any print production.
• Though running is trendy right now, it could happen that it becomes unpopular, making the survival of the magazine very difficult.
• There are opposing interest groups that are against running for reasons such as health and safety that could protest the publication of Run WPG.