The Handbook of Market Intelligence: Understand, Compete and Grow in Global Markets, 2nd Edition

Chapter 2Market Intelligence in Global Organizations: Survey Findings in 2013

INTRODUCTION

Following the explosive growth over the last 15–20 years of both the need of decision-makers for accurate business information and the available amount of it, Market Intelligence (MI) has become a profession of its own. Subsequently, MI itself has also become a topic for professional research. Many companies are putting a lot of resources into the activity and are interested in how their investments compare with those of other companies, and what kinds of benefits can realistically be expected.

In February–April 2013, GIA conducted its Global MI Survey for the sixth time since 2005. With 1,207 unique responses in total¹ (see Figure 2.1) from 880 companies in 21 separate industries and 64 different countries, the survey is the most extensive in its field to date. Many of the survey questions have evolved over the years, reflecting the increasing maturity of the MI profession.

Figure 2.1 The number of respondents to the Global MI Survey

Source: 2005–2013 Global Market Intelligence Surveys, GIA.

The survey questions were kept largely identical to those in the 2011 edition of the survey, to allow for comparisons between the two data sets. As shown in the analysis, the results in 2013 were notably similar to the 2011 results, thus further validating the data presented in this chapter.