Analyse external factors of companies

Perform research and analysis of the external factor pertaining to companies such as consumers, position in the market, competitors, and political situation.

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analyse external factors of company

skill/competence

cross-sector

Analyse external factors of companies is an essential skill of the following occupations:

Chief marketing officer: Chief marketing officers manage the high level marketing operations in a company. They coordinate all the efforts related to the marketing, promotional, and advertising activities across units or geographical areas. They make sure that different activities aimed at creating awareness of products are profitable for the company. They take decisions and prepare reports on marketing projects and the costs they entail.
Online community manager: Online community managers provide and maintain an interactive environment facilitated by applications such as social media, forums and wikis. They maintain the relations between different digital communities.
Marketeer: Marketing consultants advise companies in the development of marketing strategies for specific purposes. They can advise and develop strategies for the entry of a brand in the market, for the re-launch of a product, for the introduction of a new product, or for the positioning of a commercial image. They perform previous studies of the position of the company and perception of customers in order to define the marketing approach.
Advertising manager: Advertising managers perform the implementation of the advertising initiatives planned in the strategic marketing plan. They organise and prepare the resources needed to launch advertising campaigns and operations in advertising agencies. They prepare and align the communication channels, negotiate contracts, and ensure that operations adhere to budgets.
Business analyst:
Business analysts research and understand the strategic position of businesses and companies in relation to their markets and their stakeholders. They analyse and present their views on how the company, from many perspectives, can improve its strategic position and internal corporate structure. They assess needs for change, communication methods, technology, IT tools, new standards and certifications.
Market research analyst: Market research analysts collect the information gathered in the market research and study it to draw conclusions. They define the potential customers of a product, the target group and the way they can be reached. Market research analysts analyse the position of products in the market from different perspectives such as features, prices and competitors. They analyse cross selling and interdependencies between different products and their placement. Market research analysts prepare information helpful for the development of marketing strategies.
Business consultant: Business consultants analyse the position, structure and processes of businesses and companies and offer services or advice to improve them. They research and identify business processes such as financial inefficiencies or employee management and devise strategical plans to overcome these difficulties. They work in external consulting firms where they provide an objective view on a business and or company’s structure and methodological processes.
Public relations manager: Public relations managers strive to convey and maintain a desired image or reputation of a company, individual, governmental institution, or organisation in general to the public and stakeholders at large. They use all sorts of media and events to promote the positive image of products, humanitarian causes or organisations. They attempt to ensure that all public communications portray clients the way they want to be perceived.
Marketing manager: Marketing managers carry out the implementation of efforts related to the marketing operations in a company. They develop marketing strategies and plans by detailing cost and resources needed. They analyse the profitability of these plans, develop pricing strategies, and strive to raise awareness on products and companies among targeted customers.
Research and development manager: Research and development managers coordinate the efforts of scientists, academical researchers, product developers, and market researchers towards the creation of new products, the improvement of current ones or other research activities, including scientific research. They manage and plan research and development activities of an organisation, specify goals and budget requirements and manage the staff.
Sales manager: Sales managers develop sales and targeting strategies for a company. They manage sales teams, allocate sales resources based on the plans, prioritise and follow up on critical leads, develop sales pitches and adjust them over time, and maintain a sales platform to track all leads and sales.
Risk manager: Risk managers identify and assess potential threats and risks to a company, and give advice on how to deal with them. They create preventive plans to avoid and reduce risks, and put plans in place for when the company is threatened.
Spokesperson: Spokespeople speak on behalf of companies or organisations. They use communication strategies to represent clients through public announcements and conferences. They promote their clients in a positive light and work to increase an understanding of their activities and interests.
Public relations officer: Public relations officers represent a company or organisation to stakeholders and the public. They use communications strategies to promote an understanding of the activities and image of their clients in a favourable way.
Communication manager:
Communication managers, as spokespersons, the communications issued by the company for both the internal and the external clients. For internal clients, meaning the employees, communication managers ensure that communications reach each one of the employees and further questions can be answered. For external parties, they coordinate coherence among the messages transmitted in mails, printed materials, press articles, and corporate promotional materials. They strive to maintain truthful communications.
Promotion manager: Promotion managers plan and implement the implementation of promotional programs in the point-of-sale of products. They coordinate all efforts from personnel, below-the-line (BTL) advertising material, and conventional advertising efforts in order to raise awareness of a specific promotion.
Category manager: Category managers define the sales programme for specific product groups. They research market demands and newly supplied products.

Analyse external factors of companies is optional for these occupations. This means knowing this skill may be an asset for career advancement if you are in one of these occupations.

Financial manager: Financial managers handle all the matters in reference to the finance and investments of a company. They manage financial operations of companies such as the assets, liabilities, equity and cash flow aiming to maintain the financial health of the company and operative viability. Financial managers evaluate the strategic plans of the company in financial terms, maintain transparent financial operations for taxation and auditing bodies, and create the financial statements of the company at the end of the fiscal year.
Public funding advisor: Public funding advisors advise individuals and businesses about funding opportunities given by the government. They analyse the needs of clients, consult them on funds, grants and subsidies that apply to them and help with the application process. Public funding advisors also set up public grant administration in organisations.
Cultural facilities manager: Cultural facilities managers direct the operations of facilities that provide cultural services such as theatre, movies and music. They plan and organise the daily operations of the related staff and facilities and ensure the organisation follows the latest developments in its field. They coordinate the different departments of the facility and manage the correct use of resources, policies and budgets.
Intercultural communication consultant: Intercultural communication consultants specialise in social interaction between parties of different cultures, advise organisations on international interactions in order to optimise their performance, and facilitiate cooperation and positive interaction with organisations and individuals from other cultures.
Operations manager: Operations managers plan, oversee and coordinate the daily operations of production of goods and provision of services. They also formulate and implement company policies and plan the use of human resources and materials.
Programme manager: Programme managers coordinate and oversee several projects working simultaneously. They ensure workability and compatibility among projects ensuring that overall, each one of the projects under the management of project managers, turn out profitable and leveraging one to the other.

References

1. Analyse external factors of companies – ESCO