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Marketing intelligence is seen as a vital part of any organisation's ability to compete now and in the future. It is established through “procedures and sources used by executives to obtain their everyday information about pertinent developments in the marketing environment” (Kotler, 1984). The detail discussed here considers how Du Pont UK executives can improve their knowledge of their marketing environment so as to enable them to make more effective strategic decisions in the future. To do this, they need information, but they also need to reveal by analysis the messages this information contains — in fact, their goal — i.e. marketing intelligence.

Many companies have developed corporate database systems and/or management information systems, some have established intelligence units. However, the systems often fail to scan the external environment to which the companies are exposed, and fail to yield meaningful intelligence, thus overwhelming managers with internal data. Argues that to address the information needs of top marketing managers, the environmental factors that have immediate effects on the company′s operation should be identified. Computer‐based information systems could play an important role in collecting environmental information from various sources; however, in interpreting data and disseminating intelligence to marketing managers, a human‐computer mixed system is essentially required. The system would be used in conjunction with a corporate database system to present intelligence to marketing managers, so as to keep them instantly informed, reinforce their knowledge learning, and support their decisions. Highlights the critical factors for developing and utilizing such systems. The approach adopted is to examine managers′ working style and decision processing, to develop a framework of environmental scanning, human‐computer‐based data filtering, interpreting, and intelligence reporting system with natural interface.

To achieve a full understanding of the role of marketing from plan to profit requires a knowledge of the basic building blocks. This textbook introduces the key concepts in the art or science of marketing to practising managers. Understanding your customers and consumers, the 4 Ps (Product, Place, Price and Promotion) provides the basic tools for effective marketing. Deploying your resources and informing your managerial decision making is dealt with in Unit VII introducing marketing intelligence, competition, budgeting and organisational issues. The logical conclusion of this effort is achieving sales and the particular techniques involved are explored in the final section.

This article highlights the role that marketing intelligence officers need to fulfill if they are to assist marketing strategists in a broad range of duties. The marketing literature incorporates several bodies of knowledge, and reference is made to corporate security and the work of organized criminal syndicates. The topics covered will be relevant to both academic researchers and practising managers.

The work is based on a review of a wide literature and various established and futuristic concerns have been highlighted. The paper can be viewed as a critical appreciation.

Marketing intelligence officers need to be given a wider role in order that they engage more fully in the analysis and interpretation of data and information. Marketing intelligence officers need to develop their skill and knowledge base, and adopt a proactive stance to strategy formulation and implementation. By raising their profile, marketing intelligence officers will be able to seek out future management challenges. Senior managers need to put in place an effective corporate security system.

There is a need to establish how facilitating technology such as the internet is going to transform the working environment for marketing staff. Marketing intelligence officers need to undertake research in order to establish how consumer groups and associations exercise their power.

Senior marketing managers need to ensure that more attention is given to management development programs for marketing intelligence officers. The customer service management process needs to match more closely customer expectations with customer satisfaction levels.

A company’s vulnerability is highlighted and corporate security is linked to marketing. The usefulness of marketing intelligence systems and processes are made public, and so too is the strategic marketing concept.

The paper seeks to explain how competitive intelligence officers can participate more fully in strategy formulation and implementation, and how they can contribute to the strategic intelligence process.

The paper presents a review of the literature and the development of a strategic marketing intelligence and multi‐organisational resilience framework.

Competitive intelligence officers can contribute more fully to the strategic intelligence process and help establish an intelligence culture that incorporates counter‐intelligence. By adopting a broader understanding of what strategic marketing represents, marketing managers can devise new approaches to managing customer relationships and can develop international/global brand positioning strategies that when implemented counter the actions of legitimate competitors and new entrants, and disrupt the actions of counterfeiters and fraudsters.

A study can be undertaken to establish how a multi‐organisational resilience value system evolves within an organisation, and how trust and credibility among competitive intelligence professionals can be developed.

Academics and practitioners can collaborate in order to establish how an intelligence culture can be created within an organisation. Furthermore, they can also collaborate in establishing how a proactive approach to risk assessment can underpin scenario analysis and planning and aid the strategic decision‐making process.

A number of insights are provided into how competitive intelligence officers contribute to the development of a multi‐organisational resilience value system that is underpinned by an intelligence culture.

This paper aims to identify the importance that branch employees of Greek banks attach to the internet as a tool of marketing intelligence, and the factors that affect its acceptance as such a tool.

Using the technology‐acceptance model (TAM) as a basis, a questionnaire is designed by the researchers, and completed by employees. Structural equation modelling (SEM) is used to analyse the data, and this confirms the relationships proposed by the TAM.

The main findings of the study are that: branch employees of Greek banks feel that a marketing‐intelligence system is a prerequisite for effectiveness in their work; although the internet is the fourth‐most important source of market intelligence for branch employees of Greek banks, they require greater access to the internet to meet their market‐intelligence needs; perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of the internet directly affect bank employees' attitudes – which, in turn, affect the employees' intentions of using the internet as a marketing‐intelligence tool; and education and working experience affect employees' attitudes indirectly (through perceived usefulness).

Main limitations of this study are related to the sampling method and the fact that the field research was conducted only in Athens, the capital of Greece.

Finally, the paper suggests how banks could exploit the internet as a marketing intelligence tool for their branch employees and what actions should be planned in order to facilitate its adoption.

In recent years the importance of market‐related information obtained by the sales force and used in marketing decision making has been recognized, but seldom studied. Where investigations have explored the sales force intelligence‐gathering function, researchers have focused on selected aspects of this activity and generally ignored the overall system in which information collection and transfer take place. This article attempts to satisfy the need for such a system by presenting a model of the sales force intelligence‐gathering function.

Marketing departments spend endless time and energy on marketing the company and its products to the outside world, yet they often overlook the importance of their models and expertise to internal services within the company. The author describes the setting up of a market intelligence function within the UK subsidiary of a multinational computer company, using marketing techniques to research and “sell” the service to other departments within the company. The value‐activities of marketing – market understanding, strategy formulation, detailed planning and marketing operations are discussed, and how each of these informed the establishment and development of the market intelligence function is considered. Having established market intelligence in the company, the author discusses the management of the service, particularly the need for constant evaluation and adjustment, and the importance of computer systems which meet the user′s needs.

Considers the nature and scope of a competitor in‐formation system (CIS) and the contribution to strategic planning decisions. Investigates the process of operationalizing a CIS as an “intelligence cycle” with discrete organizational activities of identifying needs, collecting, processing, disseminating and using intelligence. Gives a detailed case study of setting up a CIS in a life assurance company, the practical problems met and the solutions adopted. These include the identification of key strategic issues, strategic groupings of competitors, user analysis, and the final collection, evaluation and processing of the data using a hyper‐media software called Guidex. Draws conclusions to guide other system users and designers.

A case study of the development of a successful market intelligence function is presented. How the principles of marketing intelligence and planning can themselves be applied in this situation is demonstrated. Each element of the marketing process is illustrated by the practice the author developed initially and followed over the three years that he managed the market intelligence function for the UK subsidiary of a multinational computer company. It is argued that success depends to a large degree on the continuing reappraisal of key factors. Just as one segments the external market, creates a market position and promotes one′s products and services, it is equally important to carry out corresponding activities internally. No market intelligence function today can be fully effective without exploiting computer‐based systems. The way in which these have been used to support and enhance marketing professionals is described.