5.1: Client Selection, Competitive Analysis, and SWOT Analysis

In Chapter 5, we walk you through a final project assignment based upon creating a social media plan for a PR campaign.

The finished product is meant to be a document that you can feature in your professional portfolio and use as a template to create social media plans for clients in the future.

Your Final Project is a three-part PR social media campaign designed to demonstrate your complete understanding of the course text, Social Media for Public Relations, and your ability to apply its concepts analytically, strategically, and creatively.

Each section of the project builds on the previous one.
All work must show your reasoning. I don't just want answers, I want to know how you reached those answers.

Superficial, vague, or AI-generated work will not receive credit.
Your job is to justify every choice based on research, theory, and course concepts.

Select a Client (with rationale):

• Your client should be active already on at least one social media platform
• Your client must have multiple competitors that are active on at least one social media platform
• Your client may be local, national, or international, but large, multinational organizations (for-profits or nonprofits) will require more research, more social media activity, and more resources (in other words, it is not recommended that you pick a large, multinational organization)
• You will use the same client for the rest of the Final Project, so select a client that will be interesting or relevant to your future career.

Name the client you have chosen. 

Provide a 1–2 page explanation answering:

1. Why did you choose this client?

   • Connect your choice to your future career goals, industry interests, or skill development.

2. Which publics does this client serve?

   • Based on the book’s segmentation models (e.g., demographics, psychographics, situational theory of publics).

3. Which social media platforms does the client currently use?

   • Describe their level of activity and what role each platform currently plays.

4. Why is this client interesting from a strategic communication perspective?

   • Identify a challenge, opportunity, or gap that social media can solve.

 

Important: You must integrate concepts from at least three textbook chapters and cite them here
(e.g., public segmentation, platform characteristics, relationship building, challenges of social media, etc.).

 

 

Performing a Social Media Competitive Analysis

(Review Part 3: Chapter 2)

1. Identify Your Client’s Competitors:

2. For at least 3 competitors, provide a research-based analysis that includes:

   1. Which platforms competitors use and why you believe they chose them
      (supported by platform characteristics from the book).

   2. Content analysis using course concepts

      • Content categories (informational, persuasive, community-building, UGC, promotional, etc.)

      • Tone, messaging, voice

      • Use of visuals

      • Application of the SOEP model

      • Evidence of relationship management

   3. Engagement evaluation

      • Not just the numbers — explain what they mean.

      • Connect engagement patterns to target publics, message strategies, and algorithmic considerations.

   4. Posting frequency and timing + interpretation

      • Identify frequency and patterns.

      • Explain how they align (or fail to align) with best practices in the textbook.

   5. Audience analysis

      • Who follows competitors?

      • What segments do they appeal to (demographic, psychographic, behavioral)?

      • How do you know?

   6. Tools used (manual or software) to analyze competitors' social media and why they were appropriate for this analysis.

   7. Strategic takeaways for your campaign
      This is the most important part.
      Students must clearly articulate:

      • What did you learn from studying competitors?

      • How does this inform your strategy?

      • How will you differentiate your client?

 

 

To earn full credit:
You must explain reasoning, not simply list findings. This analysis should read like an early draft of a professional social media audit.

 

 

 

SWOT Analysis for your Client

(See Part 3: Chapter 2)

Your SWOT analysis for your client must be exhaustive, evidence-based, and limited to social media, addressing:

• Strengths

• Weaknesses

• Opportunities

• Threats

For each item, students must provide:

1. A clear statement

2. Evidence from their research

3. Explanation of why this matters for PR

4. Implications for strategy (what this tells you to do next)

 

Requirement:
Each SWOT item must include at least 3–5 sentences of explanation, showing original analytical thought about your client.