This paper considers the development of competitive intelligence as a formal discipline. The sums spent on competitor analysis in Europe are still relatively small but dependence on customer analysis is being diluted as an increasing number of companies appreciate that over-dependence on customer-driven strategies is less and less likely to produce results. In terms of their use of competitive intelligence companies seem to transition through a series of stages: competitor aware less; competitor sensitive; and competitor intelligent. The factors influencing the growth of competitive intelligence and constraints on the growth of competitive intelligence in Europe are also reviewed.
This paper describes a two stage customer satisfaction methodology that identifies the relevant attributes in products or services, evaluates their importance degree, qualifies the attributes from the point of view of their nature, evaluates the current performance, sets performance goals and finally identifies and evaluates the performance of the relevant competitors.
Cees Moorman and Maijan Smit both work at Ahold Vastgoed BV as Head Market Research and Head Customer Radius Research. Because of the close cooperation between Customer Radius Research and Site Location Research a Market Research Department is formed within Ahold Vastgoed BV. Ahold Vastgoed BV is concerned with the expansion and management of real property for the subsidiary companies of Ahold NV. Before expansion of real property can be realised (expanding existing shops or acquire new shops), first the most appropriate location must be known. Everywhere where people would like to be a customer Albert Heijn wants to manifest itself. In other words, Albert Heijn feels as well at home on the Lijnbaan in Rotterdam with many office customers, shoppers and local residents as in Sint Philipsland with well over 1700 inhabitants. The site location of a new shop which will realize the best market position, can be found by analysing existing shops.
This paper discusses the need for supplementing the research you do on your customers with research on your competitors. This approach will provide your firm with a more complete database upon which to formulate its strategies and tactics. The paper examines the rationale for including research on the competition and presents an outline for a program to complete the competitor analysis including some common techniques that can be used.
Advertisers working with retailers often find it difficult to differentiate them from competitors. The retailing mixes close that the bases of differences shrink. Advertising and communication now receives the task of creating this difference, a singularity, an identity. But what is an identity ? How can it be analysed? What are the possible sources of communication differentiation? A model of identity analysis is presented: a retailer's identity has six distinct but inter-related facets, which can be used to differentiate it from its close competitors. This model, called identity prism, is used as a guide for maintaining singularity and coherence across all retailer's communication outputs. Today the message style has become the message itself: the identity prism is an attempt to control what was so far abandoned to the hazards of mere creativity.