His second day. With basic information gathered, Paul pulls the ring on his client's marketing plan. Is what they want to say being taken up by the media?

Health is the issue: FirstQuencher approaches it on two fronts. First is alternative sweeteners, reducing tooth-decaying sugar. Second is natural ingredients, reducing E numbers and preservatives. FirstQuencher's made great progress on both issues, but does the mass media appreciate this?

The main competitor in FirstQuencher's peer group isn't doing well - on either front. The other main peer is, but all the positive messages are in non-beverage media: this peer has a large snack food business whose coverage is helping its case. His client's budget isn't resulting in the desired effect, because messaging has been aimed at the wrong publications. An opportunity bubbles up: send FirstQuencher's messages into the publications that cover snack food as well as drinks, since the audience is similar for both.

That's his idea. Now he needs to check how FirstQuencher stacks up against all its peers with a situational analysis.