Who Becomes Active?
Stakeholder or Public?
Who Gets Priority?
Find the Sweet Spot
Put It Into Practice
100

This theory helps explain why some people become active around an issue while others don't.

What is STOPS?

100

This is anyone who can affect or be affected by an organization.

What is a stakeholder?

100

What are the THREE attributes used to assess stakeholder priority?

Power, legitimacy and urgency.

100

Name ONE of the three things that make up the Sweet Spot.

Customer needs, company capabilities, OR growth potential.

100

You want to know why people are becoming vocal about an issue. Which lens should you use?

STOPS

200

“Is there actually a problem here?” describes this STOPS concept.

What is problem recognition?

200

True or False: Every stakeholder automatically becomes an active public.

False.

200

A stakeholder can significantly influence an organization's decisions. Which attribute is this?

Power.

200

True or False: The biggest possible customer segment is automatically a company's Sweet Spot.

False.

200

You need to decide which stakeholder deserves the most organizational attention. Which lens?

Rawlins

300

“Does this issue affect me personally?” describes this concept.

What is involvement recognition?

300

A Nike customer buys Nike shoes but doesn't know or care about the Kaepernick controversy. Stakeholder, public, or neither?

Stakeholder

300

A stakeholder has a valid and appropriate claim involving an organization. Which attribute?

Legitimacy.

300

A customer segment has strong needs and lots of growth potential, but the company isn't equipped to serve them. Are they in the Sweet Spot?

No.

300

You need to determine which customer segment the company is best positioned to serve. Which lens?

Sweet Spot

400

Someone sees a problem and cares about it, but thinks, “There's nothing I can do about this.” Which factor is getting in their way?

What is constraint recognition?

400

A group of Nike customers begins posting about the campaign, sharing boycott messages, and organizing around the issue. What have they become?

A public

400

A stakeholder's concern needs immediate attention because waiting could make the situation worse. Which attribute?

Urgency.

400

Complete the three: customer needs + company capabilities + ________.

Growth potential

400

A group is extremely vocal online, but another group has greater power, legitimacy and urgency. Does the loudest group automatically get priority?

No.

500

After seeing a controversial company decision, someone researches it, posts about it, and sends information to friends. STOPS would describe these behaviors as this.

What is communicative action?

500

Finish the sentence: “All publics are stakeholders, but...”

Not all stakeholders are publics.

500

Group A has power. Group B has power, legitimacy AND urgency. According to the model, which should generally receive greater priority?

Group B

500

The most profitable customer is automatically the organization's most important stakeholder. True or False?

False

500


A company faces criticism online.
Group A: highly vocal and sharing content.
Group B: has power, legitimacy and urgency.
Group C: represents the company's strongest strategic growth opportunity.


Match each group to the lens that best helps us understand why they matter.

Group A → STOPS
Group B → Rawlins
Group C → Sweet Spot

M
e
n
u