Abstract:

This paper outlines the ways market intelligence has been used to help transform the marketing function within the IBM Corporation. Market intelligence provides the foundation for all decisions in the transformed end-to-end marketing process, from strategy development to effective program execution. Primary research and analysis play a significant role in business decisions as a result of a change from a siloed approach to the market, with uncoordinated and single purpose research studies, to one of cross-unit integration and multi-dimensional research. This has enabled the development of a unified segmentation framework, allowing a coordinated market approach and facilitating end-to-end marketing. With the introduction of branded, high quality quarterly publications, market intelligence has also achieved a 'voice at the table'. Through collaboration with the CFO and legal council, market intelligence also plays a significant role in corporate governance issues. By embedding key information into existing sales processes and developing complementary new processes, market intelligence has been able to deliver insights for growth directly to those who can take immediate action on the information.