The self-examination carried out by a company before it begins the marketing planning process. Defining at what stage a company exists, allows it to work out specific areas where it needs to target in its strategy.
A Situation analysis commonly refers to the “three c’s”, which alludes to the three central elements that should be studied:

    * Customers
    * Companies
    * Competitors

These central areas are sometimes broadened to include: “Collaboration”, “Company”, and “Competitive advantage”.

See also:
Marketing plan
Marketing strategy