Strategic Intelligence for the Future 1

6 Influence

In a society that is becoming more and more digitalized, where facts and information are often contradictory or of questionable reliability, we are constantly influenced by diverse information and often harmful rumors. Both of these aspects are central research subjects in the field of competitive intelligence and are becoming more significant – not only in their consequences for “democracies”, but also due to the fact that, of the 200 most powerful entities in the financial field, around 50% are not states. We will therefore briefly analyze both influence and rumor aspects and see to what extent journalists and the media are voluntarily implicated in the media attention given to these two aspects of competitive intelligence.

In today’s environment that is constantly on the move, it is not enough to simply have a strategy – it has to be justified, explained and legitimized. This is necessary because we find ourselves in a hyper-mediatized setting. We are not alone and our competitors are doing the same as us. Not acting at all therefore means falling behind.

6.1. The current foundations of influence

Influence means the way in which “people” (understood generically: people, institutions, etc.) think about and perceive things the way you want them to, without them feeling that you are putting any pressure on them. How has influence emerged so quickly in recent times? It is most likely due to the development of information technologies and communication, and notably ...