Question

Provide a SWOT analysis for Comcast/Xfinity. Provide at least 3-4 examples for each section. You may list them out or you can draw a pretty graph.

Answer 1

Comcast corporation an American multimedia firm that is based in Philadelphia as the largest broadcasting company with cable & home internet providers in the world that stands as the third-largest home television provider service firm. Comcast derives its business by five operating synergies as mentioned below:

• Cable Communications that contributes the lion's share into business as by holding 64% revenues consolidated in 2014, and largely through its also an Xfinity brand that the Comast holds into its brand portfolio.
• The other is NBC Universal Imprint makes up the rest of the business as cable networks of 14% of USA Network, NBC Sports & among others.
• Then there is broadcast television business that holds 12% as the ownership of Comcast's NBC & Telemundo broadcast networks.
• Finally filmed entertainment of 7% which has large entertainment properties produced & distributed globally and also theme-based parks group as 3 % operates as universal studios located across the world as the other portfolio/share in the business.

-With this brief understanding of the business info we can now assess the firm's SWOT Analysis framework with some instances as explained below:

1. STRENGTHS OF THE FIRM:

• One of the key strength this firm has its entertainment properties which it has acquired of NBC Universal which finally closed, then it shifted its control to a substantial array of integrated media properties in addition to existing holdings of communication for instance. The firm had really transformed the entertainment business with various means of production & distribution they engaged themselves as licensed entertainment offerings with flexibility into the media ecosystem that created a drastic evolution into a digital environment.
• Another strength as the firm it holds is regional control whereby entry into telecommunications space has high prohibition due to government policies but Comcast somehow managed this to be one of the largest virtual monopoly offering firms in many regions and controlled it. For instance- due to this google had various issues in expanding the fiber-optic network into new regions because of the strength the Comcast had into the regions.
• Another major strength with the monopoly the Comcast had was stronger brand portfolio- which for instance over the years the firm has invested in building it with understanding its strengths & weakness & also assessing the external opportunities with threats. This strategy of SWOT framework has really helped the firm in leveraging the brand to its best possible outcomes & also manage the portfolio of the business efficiently.

2. WEAKNESS OF THE FIRM:

• Comcast has a weakness in the cost of doing business which reflects into constant competition in various dealings sustainably. To illustrate- due to the firm has taken many initiatives to update or innovate the business network infrastructures & also deploy the new technologies in place it suffered in managing high operating costs.
• Another major weakness the firm has is customer satisfaction which it faces. For instance- the internet and television providers are not popular among consumers generally which also affects thier stock price due to material impact of unflattering viral news stories. As there are competing products into satellite-based alternatives the customer retention has become more difficult for this firm to manage.
• Another weakness of this firm is they are not good at product demand forecasting which leads them into a higher rate of missed opportunities compared to the peers as competitors in the market. For instance- one of the reasons it is because of high days inventory holdings compare to peers due to improper forecasting of the demand which effecting both in-house & in the channel at large.

3 OPPORTUNITIES TO THE FIRM:

• Comcast with thier added portfolios has a wide range of opportunities such as Mergers and acquisitions- For instance, the firm is good into a strategic part of the business which may lead to strategic acquisitions in the future that may enhance the overall potential as well growth of the firm in the global market.
• Quadruple play bundles is another opportunity the firm can leverage into the business. For instance- Many consumers are options out the conventional bundles that supply phone, internet & television services on a bill that is one. So to support these groups by adding a three-way bundle to wireless connectivity Comcast has a great opportunity to integrate these different bundles by providing wireless service which can grow its consumer base into an evolving American media era.
• Comcast can leverage another means of opportunity into adding new consumers from the online channel by investing - for instance - a vast sum of money into this online platform & thereby leverage it with better consumer serving needs and using various big data analytics to manage the overall portfolio of the business at the global market at large.

4. THREATS TO THE FIRM:

• Potential possible threats to the firm are regulatory developments that may happen which can slower do the peer to peer connectivity of offering services to the clients. For instance- the changes in the network regulations as net neutrality, being into the argument in the public domain can be a major impact on the internet & such service providers.
• Audience fragmentation is another potential threat for the firm that may happen- for instance, due to the emergence of new technologies with various digital platforms have really disrupted the existing media distribution ecosystem. Moving from network television to movie theaters, virtually connecting the entertainment industry, by all means, making more digital means of leaning consumer preferences are the key issues that can hamper the firm's costs & operations.
• Finally, the other possible threats the firm can witness are intense competition to rapid change in industry/technology, & increasing in demand for skilled workforce in the global market. For instance, it is threat to the firm if it did not incorporate the changes with changing demand in industry, market & business it will fall short into its portfolios and may go off the track as well.

Conclusion:

Thus, based on above SWOT analysis of Comcast/Xfinity firm with illustrations clearly signifies the potential ability that is inherent to the firm as micro to it and also external forces which are macro to it that the firm must analyze it & also take the strategic decisions by evaluating all the factors by integrating it to gain the competitiveness and also be the survival of the fittest at all levels.