The role of insight teams in integrating diverse marketing information management techniques.

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to address the viability of planning and executing the integration of four, often independent marketing information management techniques: competitive intelligence (CI), customer relationship management (CRM), data mining (DM) and market research (MR). A longitudinal, exploratory and descriptive case study is reported upon, covering a three year period during a critical development phase of a medium-size, national employer association which sought to improve the quality of marketing-based insights to its strategic planning capability as well as improve economic outcomes. A multi-year roadmap is presented and a key finding was that it is possible to achieve profitable and capability enhancing integration of diverse marketing information management techniques. Successful integration and the use of a highly focused cross functional team generated better market strategies and bottom line benefits. There are very few case studies published that demonstrate the successful evolution and integration of CI, CRM, DM and MR into the enterprise's strategy-making process. The unique element of this example was that it was achieved within the context of a medium-sized, national, not-for-profit employer association.