SWOT Analysis stands for: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. It is a strategic planning tool used as part of the situational analysis in the first step of the PR process (“Defining PR Problems”). In the PR context:

• Strengths: Internal positive factors — what the organisation does well
• Weaknesses: Internal negative factors — areas of improvement needed
• Opportunities: External positive factors — favourable trends or situations the organisation can exploit
• Threats: External negative factors — risks from competitors, regulations, or public perception

The SWOT analysis is the diagnostic foundation of the PR campaign. Without understanding the current situation comprehensively, the subsequent strategy, implementation, and evaluation steps cannot be done effectively. SWOT was originally developed as a general business strategy tool and has been widely adopted across public relations, marketing, and management.