Competitive intelligence

It refers to the gathering of information about competing companies or competing products. Competitive intelligence should be a continuous effort by companies to determine how well their products match up, information sought should include competitive product specifications, pricing, performance, customer lists, details on contracts, competitor’s marketing strategy, future plans, and so forth. Sources may include trade journals, industry reports, brochures of competitors, advertising, disloyal employees working at competitive companies, customers using competitors’ products, friendly resellers carrying the competitors’ products, conventions and trade show exhibits, and so forth.