Strengths * One of largest tobacco companies worldwide * Key note product/brand * Substantial cash growth * Phillip Morris SWOT Analysis
Phillip Morris SWOT Analysis
Revenue Distributed in Important Areas * Excellent employee morale | Weaknesses * Key note product/brand unhealthy * Substantial cash growth obtained at the risk of human health * Social perception of product has negative effect on company image * Taxation & Regulation | Opportunities * Smokeless tobacco * Acquiring company for tobacco quitting aids | Threats * Laws prohibiting tobacco use * Competitors * Lawsuits |

Strengths With any company, it is imperative that upper management is able to identify the strengths and weaknesses that are within the company. Having knowledge of this would allow those in controlling positions to stay abreast on the competition and to strengthen those weakened areas. When Mr. Phillip Morris established the Phillip Morris Company in 1847, he probably would not have imagined that one of the major strengths of the company after over a century, in this present day, is one of the largest tobacco companies worldwide (Phillip Morris International, 2015). In 1924, the company began to manufacture its famous brand known as Marlboro in Richmond, Virginia, a plant that still remains standing until this day (Phillip Morris International, 2015, para 4). It is just as important that the company introduces a product that would yield the revenue to sustain the company, as did Phillip Morris. In 1972, Marlboro became the world’s number one selling cigarette, thus; reaching international borders. (Phillip Morris International). In 1989, Phillip Morris operating income topped one billion dollars for the first time since being established years earlier (Phillip Morris International, 2015). These sells within the U.S. and outside of U.S. borders were evidence of a major strength of substantial cash growth within the Phillip Morris Company. Just two years later in 1991, Phillip Morris International volume would top 400 billion cigarettes (Phillip Morris International). PMI revenue continues to climb steadily year after year, sitting comfortable in billions of dollars each year. In 2012, PMI became the most profitable publicly traded tobacco company in the world (Phillip Morris International, 2015). With Phillip Morris being as successful as it has been since its establishment, it is only fair that the company would share its wealth by giving back to society. A company’s strength definitely lies in its giving back to communities. In a recent interview with Wendy Morrow Winbush, a former employee of Phillip Morris at the plant in Concord, North Carolina before it closed down, attested to PM giving back. According to Wendy Winbush during her employment with PM from October 1996 until May of 2008 she has witnessed PM monetary giving to local communities in North Carolina for various reasons. Phillip Morris gives approximately one million dollars per year to United Way. Phillip Morris was also named Philanthropist of the Year for NC in 2005. Wendy Wimbush, the former employee of Phillip Morris held positions such as QA Technician and Special Testing Technician. Her duties would entail sanitation audits, contamination control and special testing and quality engineering of new products. Her position and her duties were extremely essential to the day-to-day operations of how the plant would function as it related to the product manufactured and the safety thereof, therefore; like most employees benefits were of great importance to Wendy Wimbush. She spoke very highly of employee benefits, salary and insurance offered. Additionally, according to Phillip Morris International they believe in their employees being the greatest strength to their success as a company (Phillip Morris International, 2015, para 7). Glassdoor, an internet review site for various employers also had other employees of Phillip Morris to speak on the pros of working for Phillip Morris. Current and former employees on the site had an excellent employee morale concerning Phillip Morris. Many spoke of excellent benefits packages, rewarded for hard work, career advancement and open communication and relationship with upper management. Majority of the employees were either interns or former employees and most remained anonymous.
Weaknesses
As with any company, though you have your pros, the cons of a company are almost a guarantee because nothing is absolutely perfected. The same product that began to be manufactured for Phillip Morris in 1924, would later be discovered as a health risk to those who consumed it (Cancer Council, 2013). Consequently, during the 1920’s when Marlboro were being manufactured, the first medical reports were reporting that the smoking of cigarettes were being linked to lung cancer, however; the newspapers and its editors seemingly were protecting the tobacco companies who advertised heavily in the certain areas (Cancer Council, 2013). The newspaper editors decision to not disclose this information to the public would be one factor that would later come back to haunt tobacco companies such as Phillip Morris years later. Nearly three decades later in the 50’s and 60’s major medical reports would confirm that tobacco use caused a range of serious diseases (Cancer Council, 2013). With medical reports now confirming that the smoking of cigarettes (tobacco use) is a detriment to the health of people who use it, this would begin to make the social perception of Phillip Morris be viewed in a negative light.

Key Internal Factors (IFE Matrix) | Weight | Rating | Weighted Score | Strengths | 1. One of largest tobacco companies worldwide. | 0.10 | 4 | 0.40 | 2. Key note product/brand, Marlboro | 0.10 | 4 | 0.40 | 3. Substantial cash growth. | 0.15 | 4 | 0.20 | 4. Revenue earned distributed in important areas. | 0.15 | 4 | 0.20 | 5. Excellent employee morale. | 0.10 | 4 | 0.40 | Weaknesses | 5. Key note product/brand is unhealthy | 0.15 | 1 | 0.15 | 6. Substantial cash growth obtained at the risk of human health. | 0.10 | 2 | 0.20 | 7. Social perception of tobacco use has negative effect on company | 0.10 | 1 | 0.10 | 8. Taxation and regulation | 0.05 | 2 | 0.10 | Total | 1.0 | | 2.15 |

References
Business As Usual. (2012). Retrieved from: http://bizasusual-emily.blogspot.com/2012/02/swot-analysis-of-philip-morris.html
Cancer Council NSW. (2013). Retrieved from: http://www.cancercouncil.com.au/31899/uncategorized/a-brief-history-of-smoking/
Glassdoor. (2008-2015). Retrieved from: http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Philip-Morris-International-Reviews-E7745.htm
Phillip Morris International. (2002-2015). Retrieved from: http://www.pmi.com/eng/about_us/pages/our_history.aspx
Seeking Alpha. (2014). Retrieved from: http://seekingalpha.com/article/2017271-recent-weakness-presents-opportune-moment-to-buy-philip-morris
Value Line. (2014). Retrieved from: http://www.valueline.com/Stocks/Highlights/Philip_Morris_International__A_Short_SWOT_Analysis.aspx#.VSGsnNzF9YQ