Research and Course Guides: MKTG 200 and 201: Environment/Situation Analysis

Environmental Scanning & PEST Analysis

1. Select an industry using IBISWorld, S&P Global NetAdvantage, or the industry reports in ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry. Look for analysis of Political, Economic, Social, and Technological (PEST) factors in the industry reports. When analyzing a public company, check the company's 10-K report, especially the Risk Factor section.

2. Use SWOT analyses in D&B Hoovers, Mergent Online/Investext, or Business Source Premier to find strengths and weaknesses of a model company in your industry.

3. Find trends and competitive environment in IBISWorld, S&P Global NetAdvantage, and the industry reports in ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry, Business Source Premier, and Factiva.

4. Identify trade associations and mine their websites for regulatory issues, legal matters, and (sometimes) marketing data.

5. Research government information and the Economic Census data using NAICS codes.

Resources for a Situation or PEST Analysis

Most resources featuring company overviews or industry overviews will have some information on environmental factors and their impact on a company or industry. Trade association websites often have some free information about industry trends and developments. You can also follow current events in the news and search for current articles related to a company or industry. Be sure to think critically about the information and write your analysis using your own words.

For public companies, be sure to check the company's 10-K report, especially the Risk Factor section.

While library resources do not include separate PEST/PESTEL reports, here are some things to check.

IBISWorld Industry Market Research This link opens in a new window
Check especially sections such as Performance, Outlook, Products & Markets, and External Environment. Contains in-depth industry analysis for 700+ U.S. industries and hundreds of international industries. Restricted to current UST students, faculty, and staff.
ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry This link opens in a new window
Limit your search to "Industry Report" on the list of Document Types, and check sections such as Products, Operations & Technology, Finance & Regulation, Critical Issues, and Business Challenges. Contains industry reports and articles from trade and news publications, and is good for researching larger industries as well as smaller, niche industries.

Environmental Scan

Environmental scanning is a process of analyzing internal and external factor of the environment.

What is a PEST Analysis?

PEST is a framework that you can use to analyze the context in which a company or industry operates. PEST is an acronym.

Political factors can include tax policies, changes in trade restrictions and tariffs, and government leadership.

Economic factors can include interest rates, inflation rates, gross domestic product, unemployment rates, levels of disposable income, and the general growth or decline of the economy.

Social factors can include trends in demographics (population size, age, and ethnic mix) as well as cultural trends and attitudes.

Technological factors can include changes in new product development and technological developments in an industry.