By Ruth Stanat

When dealing with perception, it is often helpful for clients of research firms to understand not only what the perceptions are, but what are they based on.  Building on this idea, it is further helpful to understand how perceptions are diffused within a group of stakeholders.  Depending on the culture, perceptions are derived from the following forms of knowledge:

I was walking to a business meeting in Manhattan when I noticed a street display that caught my attention. "Dessert Delivery - Say it with flour," the sign stated with many generous ratings from the Zagat Guide and the New York Times. I walked into the store and grabbed a menu. The staff smiled and politely handed over a dessert delivery menu. Here was a store with an unusual business with a potentially useful service combined with an effective marketing program. This is a business with human capital, capitalizing on an innovative idea that would not work in smaller cities. Welcome to one city of the future.

Within Europe, there are several obstacles to the collection of published information (e.g. from newspapers, the media and journals). Following a detailed discussion of these obstacles, this paper discusses a methodology for the scanning, synthesis, translation and analysis of published information. Within this methodology, the paper is organized into eight parts as follows.

How to Maximize your Research Budget in a Recession

• Global expansion plans
• Customer satisfaction tracking
• Competitor intelligence monitoring
• Market opportunity/market sizing projects
• Customer and brand loyalty projects
• New product development tests
• Ad tests

The Challenge and Opportunity of a Reduced Research Budget

How to Continue Your Global Expansion Marketing Plans in this Recession

During this global financial meltdown and tight credit times, it is important to develop a perspective on the timing of your global expansion plans. Having founded SIS International Research 25 years ago, I believe there is a new era concerning global expansion strategic initiatives during recessionary periods.

History Repeats Itself

The 1980s

During the 1980s, the financial markets were on a “roll.” Clearly from 1984 – 1988, US and European firms were beginning to develop both offensive and defensive global expansion and protectionist plans. For example, while the Japanese automotive firms were expanding in the US automotive market, US automotive firms began to order competitive intelligence research on the “potential loss of their market share” in the US.

A brief excerpt from May/June Issue of Competitive Intelligence Magazine - Written By Ruth Stanat, President of SIS International Research. Courtesy of the Society of Competitive Intelligence (SCIP) and the Competitive Intelligence Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

Global Competitive Blue-Print
Ruth Stanat, SIS International Research. Written in Competitive Intelligence Magazine

Global markets are a tempestuous sea of risks and opportunities for many companies. Competitive intelligence is not just a means of growth, but a requirement for survival no matter what the company’s size. Missteps and misunderstandings in global markets can cost billions of dollars. Companies are now creating positions dedicated to their strategic objectives, such as chief strategy officer, to better achieve their competitive objectives. The increased importance of strategic thinking stems from the many global companies whose initial market assumptions are continuously challenged or found to be flat-out inaccurate. About 4 billion consumers in emerging markets currently represent a total market value of US$5 trillion. From the most-considered emerging countries like Brazil, Russia, India, and China to peripheral markets like Thailand, Turkey, and Malaysia, companies need not only market data on their competitors but also must know about recent competitive actions and gauge a competitor’s possible reactions. These companies certainly need to understand their competitors’ vulnerabilities and strengths. With this insight, companies can carefully capture opportunities and maneuver through the global economy’s rapid transformations. This article discusses the elements and current challenges of global competitive intelligence and presents a model for effective intelligence gathering worldwide.