The purpose of the situation analysis is to provide an understanding of the companys current situation, the industry it operates in, and the companys standing relative to competitors. This is vital information that will help determine the direction of your advertising campaign. You are expected to utilize information from at least 3 different sources. Specific tasks/questions that youll need to address in this section are: 1) Provide a brief history of the company, highlighting important changes or milestones. 2) What is the companys current financial situation? Are sales trending upward, downward, or stagnant? Have there been any dramatic changes made in recent years? (provide information for at least the five previous years). What is the primary challenge the company needs to overcome, or advantage they can promote? 3) What is the state of the industry in which the company operates? Are overall sales increasing/decreasing (provide information for at least the five previous years)? 4) Who are the direct competitors for your company? How is this company doing in comparison to other companies in its industry? Prior Ad Campaigns In order to develop a unique, but effective campaign, you must be familiar with past advertising and slogans that have been used by your client and how other IMC elements have been utilized. This section will summarize those findings. Specifically, you should address the following: 1. Describe advertising campaigns developed in the recent past (10 years or so). This information should include the name of the advertising agency that developed the campaign, the name of the campaign, media utilized. Visual examples from these campaigns must be included in the appendix. Include the following information: a. Have celebrity spokespersons been used (If so who?) b. What slogans have been used in the past? c. Was the campaign successful? How was success or failure determined? 2. Has the company utilized sales promotions or sponsorships in the recent past? If so, describe these efforts. 3. Has the companys positioning changed in recent years? If so, how? What is the brands current positioning? This information will help you determine what direction youll pursue for the proposed campaign.