SWOT TED Talks 1

SWOT Analysis on TED Talks

Summer Squad 8

OGL355: Leading Organizational Innovation and Change

Bill Erwin

22 July 2021

Arizona State University

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SWOT Analysis on TED Talks

It is often said that many organizations go through experiences that lead their

company into changes. The changes in the organization can be external or internal. How

do organizations plan strategies that may benefit the organization? “External factors can

significantly affect companies' strategic decisions and actions”(Coulter,pp.57,2013).

Organizations analyze the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats that arise

and can change and shape up the organization. Let’s look at how TED has experienced

changes that have led to a strategic organization.

SWOT Analysis

TED Talks have become and continue to be the preeminent forum for social,

political and academic discussions with a variety of different experts. The following

SWOT analysis covers some of the strengths and weaknesses of TED Talks. Strengths

such as inspirational topics and presenters that elicit highly involved participants and

their effective use of media capabilities are detailed. As with any novel brand, its own

growth has given credence to a variety of different weaknesses that expose a lack of

unification and competitors easily being able to replicate. In addition, the persistent

presence of data attacks and a lack of funding threaten the sustainability of the

organization.

Despite this, TED Talks are in a unique position to capitalize on how media has

continued to evolve over the past few years. Media consumption for consumers has

shown that quick and accessible presentations are proving much more lucrative than draw

out discussions; as the current rise of the Tik Toker profession indicates. The following
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identification of TED Talks strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats speak to an

organization that is uniquely equipped to chart its next course.

Strengths Weaknesses
● Inspirational ● Highly diluted brand
● Effective Medium ● Quality varys
● Memorable ● Novelty has been lost
● Unique Topics ● Unorganized Organizers
● Platform for Entrepreneurs ● Funding issues

Opportunities Threats
● TikTok and Instagram ● Security Issues
● 30 Second Spotlights ● Data/Info Loss
● Video Sharing Tools ● High Attrition Rate
● Lack of Funding
● Employees with a Negative
Approach

Strengths

When we take a look at TED’s strengths, we can see that they have distinct

organizational capabilities. Part of what makes TED special is its ability to inspire

people. This inspiration comes from unique connections and opportunities that TED

speakers make with their audiences. The majority of speakers at TED use storytelling as

an effective medium to deliver their ideas and or topics. How TED talks are delivered
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also makes them easy for people to watch and participate in. Presenters often use props,

visual images and or displays that draw audiences in. With access to talks on platforms

such as YouTube, it becomes easy for these ideas to spread. These storytellers are often

passionate about their ideas to the point of obsession. This unique storytelling makes their

mission come to life and allows their ideas to become memorable and spread to people

around the world. Part of what makes TED have a sustainable advantage in their market

is that speakers present topics in ways that seem “fresh and new”. Often TED speakers

present unique topics that many in the audience have not considered previously. They

grab participants' attention which makes them want to listen to the topic being presented.

Lastly, TED has become a platform over the years for many entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs

are what generate change and improvement in the market. They drive innovation which

improves people’s lives physically, economically, and mentally.

Weaknesses

In terms of TED’s weaknesses, we are viewing a non-profit that has grown

exponentially over the years. With growth comes dilution of the brand itself. Because of

this growth, TED has given the power to just about anyone to become an organizer.

Though TED has guidelines for the organizing of its conferences, it lacks in requiring

organizers that are qualified. With having the freedom for anyone to organize these

events, they start to vary in quality in terms of location, speakers, and accommodations.

Finding funding for these events can also be troublesome as businesses and corporations

need to really weigh the pros and cons of providing funding to a TED talk that is through

an organizer that is not necessarily employed with TED. Since TED has started, the
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novelty has been somewhat lost due to other corporations doing their own talks, such as

Google providing Talks at Google. The farther away a company gets from its original

launch, there is always a possibility that something bigger or better will come along. For

TED, all of these components can contribute to a weakness in brand.

Opportunities

The biggest opportunities for TED comes from the maturation and recognition of

its brand. This could be further leveraged by better utilization of social media and

community sharing. The first thing to address would be how to hook people into certain

talks. Currently there is so much content that it is overwhelming to sift through all of it.

However, if a 30 second to 1 minute inspirational preview was provided, it would require

a lot less work on the user to find the type of content they want. This could be further

leveraged by providing clipping tools to allow short snippets of a talk to be shared.

Imagine that instead of sharing a whole 20 minute video, someone posted a 20 second

clip that made you want to find out more about what that speaker was talking about. This

is especially relevant given the prominence of TikTok and Instagram.

Threats

In terms of varying threats that can significantly impact the TED organization,

there are few in mind that can negatively impact the organization. Firstly, one of the most

crucial threats that the organization can face is employees with a negative approach.

Because unfaithful employees do more harm than good to TED, including employees that

are not serious enough where they don’t contribute much toward the productivity of the
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organization. A high attrition rate is another huge threat that could negatively impact the

TED organization. When employees leave the organization to join TED’s competitors,

this is a huge loss for the company because it is both a waste of time, energy and

resources.

Data and information loss is also a crucial threat because there is a lot of effort

that goes into formulating strategies for the team and the organization. When there is a

loss of confidential information this can be a significant blow to both the team, and the

entire TED organization. This is why monetary actions, salaries of employees, and client

databases etc. should remain confidential. Security issues can pose a major threat to the

organization, because of the lack of proper safety. Security measures should be

established in order to protect the organization from natural disasters, malware, mass

boycotts, etc.

It is TED’s primary responsibility to take care of its employees and their basic

requirements. Lastly, a lack of funding to the TED organization can seriously jeopardize

TED presently and in the near future. Financial stability is of utmost importance because

it provides a stable background for the company. To prevent these threats, planning is

essential, for when there is a situation where the company is unable to provide the

necessities and requirements for their employees and provide sufficient funding to

survive through challenging times that ultimately affect the TED organization.

Conclusion
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Taking everything into consideration, we have seen how strengths, weaknesses,

threats and opportunities have helped shape TED talks as an organization. There has been

competition within the industry, they continue to strive by changing and evolving in the

organization. Using the threats and opportunities from other competitors have allowed

them to acquire resources that can help towards their success. Leveraging their strengths

and weaknesses can be used towards their organizational goals that will be used for their

prosperity.
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References

Coulter, M. (2013). Strategic management in action (6th ed.). New York, NY:

Pearson.