OPINION

ASWOTanaliofTrumpv.Clinton
Competitiveassessmenttakesthepubliclyknownattributesofaproductandcomparesittoits
competition.ColumnistRobEnderleusesSWOTtocompareandcontrastDonaldTrumpandHilary
Clinton.

BRobEnderle | Follow
CIO | JUL8,201611:23AMPT

OneofthethingsImoftenaskediswhatdoanalystsactuallydo?Theanswerdependsonwhat
kindofanalystyouaretalkingabout.Generally,industryinquiryanalystsarebroughtintoanswer
questionsonavarietyofsubjectshavingtodowiththemarket,whatcustomerswant,whathas
historicallyworked,andtohelpstrategizeaboutcompetition.Inmanycasesweeffectively
replacedcompetitiveanalysisdepartmentswithanoutsourcedsharedresource.Thisisoften
desiredbecauseourbeingoutsidersmeanswearelesslikelytoeitherbecorruptedbycompany
biasorbecomeafraidtotellthetruthduetofearsaboutourcareers.

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Oneofthetoolsweuse,thoughnotasoftenasIdlike,isthecompetitiveassessment.Thisiswhere
wetakethepublicallyknownattributesofaproductandcompareittoitscompetition.Thiswas
mostcommonlydoneusingsomethingcalledSWOT,Strengths,Weaknesses,Opportunitiesand
Threatsfollowedbyarecommendation.
[Related:WhatFiorinaandTrumpcanlearnfromSWOT]
Ithoughtitmightbeinterestingtodoanabbreviatedversionofoneagainstthecurrent
presidentialcandidates.LetslookatTrumpvs.ClintonSWOTthisweek.

Beforewetart
Now,beforewestart,letmepointoutthiswouldtypicallybeasummaryofalongerreportand/or
tiedtoapresentationwheretheanalystwoulddefendthepointsandanswerquestions.Butthis
shouldgiveyouasenseofhowthismightbedone.Thegoalofthisisnottocreateadefinitive
competitivedocumentbuttoshowcasehowyoudbreakdowntheanalysis.

[Related:DonaldTrumpvs.SteveJobs:Thetaleoftwoconartists]

Strength
Clinton:Decadesofexperiencebothinandaroundthejobandwithregardtopoliticsingeneral.
Strongpublicspeaker,ex-presidentashusband,strongfinancialsupportfromavarietyofsources,
appealstowomaninparticular.Verystrongminoritysupport.Ascrapperandnotafraidofafight.
Trump:AnaccomplishedCEO,deadlyonsocialmedia,particularlystrongontheattack.
Charismaticpublicspeaker,strongbrandmanagement,abillionaire(couldself-fund),appeals
stronglytothosemostlikelydriventovotebyfear.Abletoownanewscyclebetterthanmost.

Weaknee
Clinton:Underherhusbandscloud,massivelydistrusted,thinkstacticallynotstrategically,tends
todropintoarut.Notparticularlycharismatic.Notwillingtotakebigrisks.TiedtightlytoWall
Streetandotherprivateinterests(goodforfundingbadforimageandprimarydemographic).
Doesntappealtothosethatwantchange.

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Trump:Tendstospeakwithoutthinking,highlyreactive(couldbeeasilymanipulated),appealsto
relativelynarrowdemographic.Alienateslargenumbersofpeopleneedlessly.Doesntappear
presidential.Liesneedlesslyandexcessively.Tendstodriftoffmessage,alot.Disruptiveina
scaryway.Lackofpoliticalexperience.Poorfundraising,poorimpulsecontrol.

Opportunitie
Clinton:Firstwomanpresident,asenseofmakinghistory.Nurturingimagewouldcontrastagainst
Trumpsexclusionarypositionnicely.Hasex-presidentasaprimaryadvisor.Appealsstronglyto
thosewhodontwantchange.CEOsareoftennottrustedbybluecollarworkers.
Trump:Clintonnominationappearsfixed,Clintonemailscandalappearsfixed,aconstantfocuson
Clintonbeinggiven/stealingtheelectionisahugeopportunitytodisenfranchisevoters.People
wontvoteforpoliticianstheydonttrust,orthatareownedbyothers,suggestinglargenumbers
ofClintonspartymaynotvotewithproperdemotivation.

Threat
Clinton:Untimelydisclosuresofquestionablepastdecisionsordealsrelatedtohertenureor
gettingthenomination.Husbandsbehavior/history.Overconfidence.BernieSanders.Donald
Trumpsuddenlypivotingtothemiddle,ormanipulatingClintonintoabigmistake.BadVPpick.
Trump:ElizabethWarren(herattackshavebeenparticularlyeffective,andTrumphasbeen
ineffectiveagainsther).Twitter+Tweetingwithoutthinking.Untimelydisclosureofadamning
businesspractice.RepublicanParty.Bushfamily.Newsservices.Overconfidence.Clintonsuddenly
becomingstrategic,oraClintonsupportermanipulatingTrumptomakeabigmistake.Massively
underfundingthecampaign.BadVPpick.
[Related:ThiswackyTwitterbotusesdeeplearningtoout-TrumpTrump]

Sowhowin?
Thatactuallyisntthepurposeofthisexercise.Itistopointouttoaproductownerwhatpartsof
thesolutionneedstobefixed,whatthreatsneedtobemitigated,andwhatpartsneedtobe
supportedandnotbroken.Itformsthebasisofastrategicplan.Ifyoubuildaplanwithoutdoing

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this,youendupeitherscrewingupsomethingthatdidntneedtobefixedornotaddressing
somethingthatdoes.Bythewayifyoumatchthethreatstotheweaknessesyoutendtohighlight
thethingsyouneedtofixfirst.
NowonpaperClintonissuretowin.Shehasthemoney,theexperienceandherpartyisbehind
her.However,Brexitshowcasesthatwithapopulisteventyoucanprettymuchthrowtheon
paperconclusionsoutthewindow.
SoIdputitthisway,ifClintoncancorrecthertrustissueswithvoters,keepBillfromcreating
anotherscandal,andgetthosevotersmotivatedtovote,shecantbebeat(headtohead,with
equalturnout,shehasmorevoters).IfTrumpcanstophisunforcederrors,pickaVPthatcanoffset
Warrenbutstillappealtothemiddle,andmakeClintonlookevenmoreuntrustworthy(soacritical
massofhervotersstayhome)hiswinwillbecertain.DependingonwhoIwasdoingthisreportfor,
thatwouldbasicallybemyrecommendation.
AndthatisbasicallyhowyoudoaSWOTanalysis.Whatdoyouthink?
TocommentonthisarticleandotherCIOcontent,visitusonFacebook,LinkedInorTwitter.

RobEnderleipreidentandprincipalanaltoftheEnderleGroup.Previoul,hewatheSenior
ReearchFellowforForreterReearchandtheGigaInformationGroup.Priortothatheworkedfor
IBMandheldpoitioninInternalAudit,CompetitiveAnali,Marketing,FinanceandSecurit.
Currentl,Enderlewriteonemergingtechnolog,ecuritandLinuxforavarietofpublicationand
appearonnationalnewTVhowthatincludeCNBC,FOX,BloombergandNPR.

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