Tactics-Oriented
Competitive Intelligence
Tactics-oriented competitive intelligence is CI developed on
very current activities and on near-term plans in the marketplace. In a real
sense, tactics-oriented competitive intelligence is a child of the computer
age's support for the detailed analysis of retail consumer goods sales. It
encompasses much of what has previously been called "market" or "sales and
marketing" intelligence. However, in spite of that, it can also be a critical
component in mergers and acquisitions.
Firms increasingly track what is going on "in the trenches," where
competitors face off for customers and consumers, with tactics-oriented CI.
[2] In turn, this permits
them to fine-tune marketing efforts, including field force support, to respond
ever faster. The faster and deeper are the data that are received, the more a
firm can, for example:
-
find out that a product promotion is less successful than
anticipated, and immediately respond to change a promotion that is not working
or to intensify one that is working
-
determine what other promotions competitors are running
against yours, and where and respond appropriately
-
"test" product linkages by checking if customers buying your
products also buy another product very frequently and then cross-promote your
products
-
get early warnings of competitor moves and market
vulnerabilities
-
improve product and/or service development as well as
targeting of messages to consumers