Competitive intelligence activity: evidence from Greece

Abstract

Purpose

To investigate awareness, attitudes and implementation with respect to competitive intelligence (CI) in Greece.

Design/methodology/approach

In‐depth interviews with a sample of 50 well‐known companies around Thessaloniki, an area of strategic marketing importance in Greece, representing a reasonable cross section of types and sizes of enterprise.

Findings

For the present, adoption in Greece is well behind the USA, but roughly on a par with the UK. The reasons for slow adoption are: unawareness, lack of sufficiently competent staff and a shortage of experts available to train them, perceptions of the cost, and somewhat complacent satisfaction with the general market research activity of in‐house marketing departments. The focus is on short‐term customer satisfaction, rather than long‐term competitiveness.

Research limitations/implications

A deliberately limited exploratory study of a small sample in a highly localised setting. Recommendations are presented for further research.

Practical implications

In the turbulent business environments of the present day, CI can make a crucial strategic contribution to competitive success.

Originality/value

This study broadly confirms the findings and conclusions of previous research in the UK. It has clear value to strategic planning for marketing in Greece itself, but also in general.

Citation

Priporas, C., Gatsoris, L. and Zacharis, V. (2005), "Competitive intelligence activity: evidence from Greece", Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 23 No. 7, pp. 659-669. https://doi.org/10.1108/02634500510630195