Diets to Go How Well

Diets to Go

How well in your estimation is the company's present strategy working? What are the strengths; weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of the organization? How strong, if applicable, is the company's position? What strategic issues does this organization face in the next year? Next 5 years?

Diet to Go SWOT

Strengths

At present, the obesity epidemic has gotten a great deal of publicity. Individuals are seeking to lose weight in record numbers. Diet to Go offers a way to lose weight, through controlled meal plans that eliminate the danger of cheating, as the entire meal structure of the dieter is controlled.

Weaknesses

Diet to Go has a business model that is extremely problematic. First and foremost, during a recession, people are likely to cut back on eating out. By selling expensive premade meals, Diet to Go is a luxury for most consumers, not a necessity. Diet to Go involves not just eating out, but actually paying more to eat less, which people are unlikely to be willing to do if their budget is tight.

Opportunities

Fewer people know how to cook today. Thus if they must lose weight, they are more likely to use Diet to Go rather than to start from scratch and learn how to cook low-fat and low-calorie meals. Diet to Go is also a time-saver and offers a sane alternative to fast food.

Threats

Jenny Craig offers a similar diet plan, but with brick-and-mortar support, counseling, and cheaper food given that it is sold without shipping and handling costs. Weight Watchers offers a similar service, only with a more flexible points program -- consumers can buy Weight Watchers prepared meals in supermarkets if time-pressed, but the plan is less rigid. Weight Watchers is also more of a lifestyle plan, than a short-term quick fix diet.

If the economy continues to worsen, all diet companies are likely to suffer, but particularly high-end, high-cost boutique firms like Diet to Go. The recession is likely to be difficult for Diet to Go over the next year, and unless it can occupy a unique market niche, within the next five years its prospects do not seem bright.

Question 2: What is the organization? What is its primary business or services? What is the organizational mission or purpose? How would you characterize the organizational culture? What are the primary strategic objectives or long-range plans for the organization?

Diets to Go facilitates weight loss with nutritionally calibrated food, following a series of different plans, including traditional weight loss, low-fat vegetarian, and low-carb. The traditional and vegetarian plans are offered as 1200 and 1600 calorie plans, while the low-carb plan is offered at a 1200 calorie a day level. Having precalculated meal plans should theoretically take some of the difficulties of dieting away, since the individual cannot 'cheat' using his or her own food or supersizing portions. The company's mission is primarily weight loss, although heart health with low-fat foods is the stated goal for some of the plans. Given that everything is purchased online the organizational culture is much less cohesive and sales driven than other weight loss organizations. For the customer, the service is supportive than similar prepackaged meal plans with counseling support. Busy people who want to take the work and the thinking out of dieting are its likely target audience.