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“Competitive Intelligence” Shouldn’t Just Be About Your Competitors

Harvard Business Review

For the next year, Jessica Eliasi, then the director of Competitive Intelligence at Mars Chocolate, travelled the world running “competitive simulation” games with local market teams from Russia to Mexico to Turkey to England. To become more agile, s tart by rethinking your competitive intelligence process.

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Companies Collect Competitive Intelligence, but Don’t Use It

Harvard Business Review

The second requirement is to anticipate response to your competitive moves so that they are not derailed by unexpected reactions. Improving competitive intelligence usage requires an “audit” of major decisions – at the product/service or functional level – before they are approved by management.

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You Can Make Your Sales Data a Lot Better with a Little Discipline

Harvard Business Review

The best way to keep data clean is to use a globally known, unique identifier, or a “data backbone.” They’re free, globally recognizable, high-quality data points that enable you to efficiently gather information on a business’s industry, online activities, and functionality. Sponsored by Accenture.

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How to Get More Value Out of Your Data Analysts

Harvard Business Review

A May 2011 McKinsey Global Institute study on big data analytics predicted a coming shortfall of around 150,000 people with deep analytical skills – and a shortfall of 1.5 Use Your Sales Force’s Competitive Intelligence Wisely. There is widespread recognition of the shortage of analytical professionals.

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Get More from Your Event Spending

Harvard Business Review

In 2012, even in the midst of an anemic global economy and budget tightening at firms, the amount spent on these events worldwide was an estimated $565 billion. SAP, the global software firm, generates 60% of its revenues from events and uses app data to inform sales reps of prospects’ interests.

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Are Apple’s Patent Wars a Marketing Strategy?

Harvard Business Review

The opening statements by Apple’s lawyer, Harold McElhinny, alleging that “Samsung copied the iPhone” and that “Samsung went far beyond the world of competitive intelligence and crossed into the dark side” were translated in a multitude of languages and displayed next to pictures of Steve Jobs, one of the most charismatic CEOs of all time.

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JP Morgan's Loss: Bigger than "Risk Management"

Harvard Business Review

During the global financial crisis, while several investment banks failed, JP Morgan was using a very different approach to risk management. How Competitive Intelligence Rules Encourage Cheating. But can effective risk management be sustained? MORE ON MANAGING RISKY BEHAVIORS. The Six Mistakes Executives Make in Risk Management.