Promoting the Market & Competitive Intelligence Function
Market and competitive intelligence tools and processes are products with a user group, mostly internal such as marketers and sales staffers. An internal user group, aka customers, needs to be made aware of this product or service through proper promotion as much as sellable products would be promoted in any external market place.
It goes without saying that an internal promotion process for market and competitive intelligence development and implementation starts early with the first steps to establish or improve that business function. As well as with products that are marketed to customers a communication strategy with promotional tools and events needs to be part of the project planning if an intelligence operation is to be implemented.
Uncovering critical information and intelligence needs, based on decisions that need to be taken within the various groups plays a vital role to the intelligence functions success. These group’s strategic plans or monthly reports would most likely give an in-depth insight into key measures that should be supported by high quality intelligence.
Involving key managers within these groups early in the intelligence content and process design process should prove effective in two ways: first a certain “not-invented-here” syndrome could be addressed even before it might occur and secondly someone familiar with the very targets of that group could shed some light onto those strategic plans and reports mentioned above.
Mostly driven by informal efforts, support gathering and coaching of processes and tools, the internal promotion for the business intelligence function should put user requirements into the center of activities. Meaning: scenarios, based on real world examples could be presented by sales managers or marketers themselves both in person and in writing.
Testimonials and supportive statements by top management can be very intriguing to the targeted internal audience. If intelligence users can relate to what is being demonstrated on slides and in meetings or online presentations, chances are they will take the intelligence effort more serious.
A solid mix of media such as newsletters, instructing flyers and cheat sheets, live events demonstrating usability and impact of intelligence processes and systems and detailed reviews plus manuals at the corporate Intranet could play vital roles alongside with 1-on-1 training sessions.
In any of the promotion activities an easy to use and valuable feedback loop should be embedded. It would demonstrate seriousness and thus support credibility and provide valid improvement potential.
Taken very seriously, internal marketing and promotion of the market & competitive intelligence process and function should achieve success with the so called four A’s of successful promotion: Awareness, Assistance, Adjustments and finally Acceptance.
Some additional point to consider in terms of internal promotion:
- The most effective marketing messages come from the top management: Get the statement of importance
- Branding the intelligence operation (and / or the intelligence technology tool)
– Name (maybe support additional buy-in with a name contest)
– Logo, a dedicated powerpoint template if allowed internally, color scheme differentiation, recognition
– Merchandising such as t-shirts, coffee cups, pens, tent cards, etc.
– A contest for best field signal in a month or quarter
– Regular tips and messages from the intelligence team to the technology tool’s users - Newsletters / Articles in internal publications
– What’s up in intelligence? What keeps us busy… - Success stories
– Where intelligence input has made a difference
– Demonstrate the importance of internal contribution
– Lessons learned: ”Could we have avoided this threat through a better intelligence operation…?”
– Public presentations; creating ”buzz”
– Presentations open to the organization; topics of interest potentially presented by a customer’s representative, or by another outsider
– Put faces on the intelligence team
– Cross-functional cooperation and brainstorming with for instance corporate communications, product development, marketing & sales, and divisions management
– Link MI-minded people to the MI process and use them as promoters
– Set clear and measurable targets for internal marketing, evaluate results
